Longtime
Jade Sphinx readers know of our
weakness for all things Christmas
and all things Sherlock Holmes. Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle combined the two himself with his wonderful
story of a Christmas goose and valuable gem, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle. So what could be better than various authors collaborating
on a volume of Sherlock Holmes Christmas tales?
Well … I’m
sure that was the idea, but sadly the execution is often wanting. Holmes
For the Holidays is yet one of many collections of stories continuing the
career of Mr. Sherlock Holmes long after the death of Doyle. As is often the case with such anthologies,
some entries are markedly better than others.
This book contains stories by such celebrated authors as Edward D. Hoch (1930-2008), William L. DeAndrea (1952-1996), Loren D. Estleman (born 1952) and Jon L. Breen. It is a pleasant enough time-waster, but one
wishes that the ratio of good stories was a little higher than five out of 14. In addition, the fact that two stories
flirted with pedophilia, and an additional two included descendants of Ebenezer Scrooge, indicated to this
reader that three editors meant none of them were actually reading the tales
prior to publication.
The cream
of the crop included “The Adventure of the Canine Ventriloquist” by Breen. In it a long-winded professional writer (paid
by the word) is the victim of a Christmas haunting. Holmes and Watson are both shown to good
effect, and Holmes’ disdain for the supernatural world well portrayed.
The late
William L. DeAndrea’s “The Adventure of the Christmas Tree” is excellent, and
easily the jewel of the collection. In
it, Holmes must determine why someone would steal a nobleman’s Christmas tree,
only to return it. Though the story felt
more like a thriller – fairly reminiscent in tenor and tone to the author’s
wonderful novel, The Lunatic Fringe –
it still managed to distill a distinct Holmesian flavor.
Estleman,
who in previous novels paired Holmes with Count
Dracula, here has the Master Detective consult with a now-adult Tim Cratchit in “The Adventure of the
Three Ghosts.” Tim, now Lord
Chislehurst, acquired Scrooge’s firm long ago, and saved it from the brink of
financial ruin. Now he too is visited by
Christmas ghosts just as he is about to indulge in a little corporate
downsizing. (The more things change….) It is all a little too pat, but, for all of
that, quite amusing.
Gwen Moffat (born 1924) provides the most
disturbing story in the collection with “The Adventure in the Border Country.” Here, Holmes and Watson investigate a missing
husband, only to find that some crimes are more terrible than others.
Hoch –
simply the most indefatigable short-story writer in the mystery field – delivers
the delicious “The Christmas Client,” in which Prof. Moriarty is blackmailing Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) over some artistic
pictures the Reverend made of underage children. (The more things change….)
Though certainly
not everyone cup of holiday cheer, Holmes For the Holidays is a diverting read
for undemanding mystery buffs during the holiday season.
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