The Secret Notebooks of Sherlock Holmes

The Secret Notebooks of Sherlock Holmes: A Penny Dreadful Review

            I am certain that we can all agree that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did not write enough Sherlock Holmes stories. My personal favorite is “The Adventure of the Dying Detective.” Imagine my delight at discovering that someone has discovered (written, rather) several new stories and collected them in a series of paperbacks. The Secret Notebooks of Sherlock Holmes came into my hands recently, and I’m glad to say that I enjoyed it very much.

            Presented as a series of cases that Dr. Watson could not publish while the subjects lived, The Secret Notebooks contains all the clever deductions and mystifying problems of the original Sherlock Holmes stories. June Thomson, of course the author, captures the feel of the characters so artfully that one really does believe that these are the lost works of Dr. Watson.

             I particularly enjoyed the clever method of hiding stolen jewelry employed in “The Case of the Aluminum Crutch,” a story in which Sherlock foils a trio of jewel thieves.

            One aspect of this book is quite educational. Included in each story are a series of footnotes, clarifying the identities of certain characters or relating some fact about the accepted Sherlock canon. I learned quite a bit about the original works by reading this book, and I must say that June Thomson must be quite a scholar. One of the adventures, “The Case of the Gustaffson Stone,” is taken from an allusion in a commonly read Sherlock Holmes mystery. It is the imagining of an adventure based on a line Sir Arthur wrote!

             I award this collection of short stories four gears out of five. It is one of several works, and I hope to track down the others!

Your Correspondent from the Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather

Steam Powered: Lesbian Steampunk Stories

Steam Powered: Lesbian Steampunk Stories, A Penny Dreadful Review

            I just read the most delightful anthology. Steam Powered introduces us to Steampunk lesbians from five continents. They are from cities, deserts, and jungles, the future, the past, and places that never were. They are cyborgs and pirates, spies and runaway brides, madwomen and scientists. The editor, JoSelle Vanderhooft, has masterfully assembled this brilliant conglomeration. It reminds me a bit of a bright rainbow quilt – every piece wildly different, and the whole a masterpiece.

            I must mention a few tales of adventure and romance in particular. “Brilliant,” by Georgina Bruce, features lush descriptions of a beautiful Cairo and strangers on a train. “Steel Rider,” by Rachel Manija Brown, introduces the reader to damaged people in large suits of mysterious armor. “Love In The Time Of Airships,” by Meredith Holmes, is a crown jewel of a novella at the center of this anthology. It is sweet, sexy, intriguing, and exciting. “Effluent Engine,” by N. K. Jemisin, happens to be my personal favorite. There’s Haiti, New Orleans, spies, and the uncovering of a scientific mind. Also, a daring escape on an airship. I can never resist a daring escape on an airship.

            Not all these tales have happy endings. Perhaps that is because not all real-life lesbians have happy endings. Perhaps that is because some romances are doomed. At any rate, this is not a book of happily-ever-afters. It is a book of adventures that will stick with you.

I give Steam Powered four gears out of five. I highly recommend that you seek out this fantastic collection and read it immediately.

Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather