Sherlock Holmes
dir. Guy Ritchie (2009)
Ritchie’s interpretation of Sherlock Holmes works on several levels—as a dark and detailed period piece, as character comedy, and as a buddy film. Jude Law (Watson) and Robert Downey Jr (Holmes) have an edgy dynamic. Rachel McAdams scintillates as Irene Adler.
The Sign of the Four
by Arthur Conan Doyle (Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine, 1890); audiobook read by Stephen Fry (ABC Audio, 2017)
A bravura second outing for Holmes and Watson, once again deflated by a lengthy coda in which neither man features. An important novel for having affirmed the strength of these two characters, and for indicating that Conan Doyle should prefer short stories.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
by Arthur Conan Doyle (George Newnes, 1892); audiobook read by Stephen Fry (ABC, 2017)
The first and arguably most accomplished batch of Sherlock Holmes short stories. The cases are consistently ingenious and Holmes is full of a vitality that Conan Doyle would not always muster. Stephen Fry reads with the obvious relish of a lifelong fan.
The Case of the Missing Masterpiece
by Terrance Dicks (Blackie & Son, 1978)
This first book of the Baker Street Irregulars series shows Terrance Dicks to be right at home in a London setting. Unlike his Doctor Who novelisations, the Holmes-inspired mystery is rich in background detail and characterisation, its investigation offering plenty of suspense!
The Ardlamont Mystery: The Real-Life Story Behind the Creation of Sherlock Holmes
by Daniel Smith (Michael O’Mara, 2018)
Whereas Smith sifts every last scrap of the defendant’s and victim’s backstories, the key medical witnesses—Joseph Bell and Henry Littlejohn, upon whom Doyle based Sherlock Holmes—have walk-on parts at best. An assiduously researched historical non-event with a reprehensibly misleading subtitle.
A Study in Scarlet
by Arthur Conan Doyle (Ward Lock & Co, 1887); audiobook read by Stephen Fry (ABC/Audible, 2017)
This would have made a fine short story—introducing the great detective to his chronicler—yet the lengthy second part serves only to demonstrate Conan Doyle’s dependence on Holmes and Watson. In the absence of these seminal characters, the prose turns flaccid.
The Hound of the Baskervilles
by Arthur Conan Doyle (George Newnes, 1902); audiobook read by Stephen Fry (Audible, 2017)
Despite lacking its protagonist for extended periods and being little more complex a mystery than those of Conan Doyle’s short stories, The Hound of the Baskervilles sustains itself quite charmingly at novel length. The unhurried telling affords added solemnity to the narrative.
Rusputin’s Revenge
by John Lescroart (Dutton, 1987); audiobook read by Tim Baltz (Brilliance Audio, 2011)
A mystery rich in period detail but lacking a detective. Set in the Russia of Tsar Nicholas II, narrated by naïve French spy Jules Giraud and nominally featuring the son of Sherlock Holmes, this muddles along nicely enough until its absurd dénouement.
Son of Holmes
by John Lescroart (Dutton Books, 1986); audiobook read by Tim Baltz (Brilliance Audio, 2011)
The titular Son of Holmes lurks mostly in the background, while the French protagonist is narrated by an American too well versed in ‘Allo ‘Allo cod accents. Nonetheless, the mystery is quietly engaging and the denouement at least smacks of the Sherlockian.
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (George Newnes, 1893); audiobook ready by Stephen Fry (ABC, 2017)
Despite coming across as increasingly distant from modern times, these tales of Sherlock Holmes retain their appeal. Simply put, Holmes and Watson are great characters, and the mysteries themselves have a charm that rests enduringly in Conan Doyle’s (and Stephen Fry’s) telling.