Murder in Baker Street: New Tales of Sherlock Holmes

i would love this book, if i ever get it, i ordered it, 15 days ago or longer and still have not gotton it, wierd, why does it take so long to get the books??? could improve on that one a LOT!

I've been reading Sherlock Holmes stories for many years, so although a writer or two in this anthology might seem to be 'reaching' for Conan Doyle-like details, all is forgiven since these are good readable Holmes mysteries. Recommended to all Holmes/Watson fans.

Sherlock Holmes lends himself to other author's interpretations better than most other characters in fiction. Doyle, despite many defenders, was not a great writer, but his characters, Holmes and Watson have become mystery icons and it is always intriguing to see what other mystery writers can create within Doyle's established Holmesian world. Stuart M. Kaminsky- Does a nice job with that major Holmes caveat- Do not attempt to use Sherlock Holmes. Howard Engel- Poison is the weapon of choice here and the final bit of staging smacks of the familiar but remains true to Doyle. Peter Tremayne- More than a little far-fetched, this one stretches the boundaries a bit too far with the science out stripping the time period. Anne Perry- Her contribution utilizes Holmes's arch foe Moriarty to ill ends with a convoluted tale that depends on a sock and an old standby of suggestion that reminds me of something from 30's movie plot not a Holmes story. (A shame, because my expectations were much higher for her contribution based on her Monk and Pitt novels.) Edward D. Hoch- An interesting twist in this one as Victorian mores plays an important part of the motive and Hoch pulls this off in a succinct and satisfying fashion. Bill Crider- Sherlock Holmes meets Bram Stoker. I guess you can see where this is going. Gillian Linscott- Does a nice variation on the change in narrator approach. A hansom cab driver becomes Holmes's unwilling companion and for very good reasons. This is one of the best tales in the collection, more because of the tone than the actual mystery. The last few lines wrap this one up in a way that left me grinning. Loren D. Estleman- Another winner with a real figure of the times making an appearance. The title may give you a clue, but this is good mystery with some interesting connections to historical fact. Jon L. Breen- This one plays fair, something Doyle didn't always do. Have fun searching for the truth. L.B. Greenwood-Reads a bit more like a Laurie King version of Holmes than Doyle, with as much emphasis on action as there is on mystery. Not necessarily a bad thing, but seems a bit out of place in this collection. Carolyn Wheat-A clever mystery, but has a touch of CSI that seems ill-suited to Holmes. He was often portrayed as ahead of the times in his scientific methods; however, this one pushes the envelope a little too far. Finishing up with a contribution by Doyle on Holmes in the theater, Lloyd Rose's comparison of Holmes to some other of mysteries great characters, Jon Lellenberg's look at Doyle's contributions to language MURDER IN BAKER STREET has enough variety and quality to keep a Holmes fan amused and entertained.

A quite passable anthology of Sherlock Holmes pastiche stories, in general. Some bonuses include an article by Conan Doyle himself on the creation and collaboration in other media, and some essays by some of the writers in the books, so extra value certainly to be had there. Holmes fans should find these reasonably diverting, I think. Murder in Baker Street : 01 The Man from Capetown - Stuart M. Kaminsky Murder in Baker Street : 02 The Case of the Borderland Dandelions - Howard Engel Murder in Baker Street : 03 The Siren of Sennen Cove - Peter Tremayne Murder in Baker Street : 04 The Case of the Bloodless Sock - Anne Perry Murder in Baker Street : 05 The Case of the Anonymous Author - Edward D. Hoch Murder in Baker Street : 06 The Case of the Vampire's Mark - Bill Crider Murder in Baker Street : 07 The Hansom for Mr Holmes - Gillian Linscott Murder in Baker Street : 08 The Adventure of the Arabian Knight - Loren D. Estelman Murder in Baker Street : 09 The Adventure of the Cheshire Cheese - Jon L. Breen Murder in Baker Street : 10 Darkest Gold - L. B. Greenwood Murder in Baker Street : 11 The Remarkable Worm - Carolyn Wheat Holmes is peeved when a marriage murder scheme is tried on him. 3.5 out of 5 Some poison misdirection leaves Holmes and Watson to try and save a general from the noose. 3 out of 5 "But do you expect me to shoot at a twelve-foot high nekked dancer?" 4 out of 5 A friend of Watson's is a target of Moriarty's via his young daughter and a mining stock scheme. 4 out of 5 Propriety of relationships, Victorian style are at stake here. 2.5 out of 5 Bram Stoker request Holmes' help for a friend that may be afflicted supernaturally. 4 out of 5 A punting cabbie is a bit stressed when he has to give Holmes a ride, and ends up in the middle of a diplomatic killing plot, and loses his ring-in rat terrier. 4 out of 5 Richard Burton needs some help from the Great Detective. 3 out of 5 Puddings and poison for Watson and his chroniclee. 3 out of 5 Time for some pygmy rescue, given Watson's wife agrees. 3 out of 5 Holmes is not keen on becoming a fixture at Madame Tussaud's. 3.5 out of 5

Although Carrol & Graf has been consistently publishing anthologies of Sherlock Holmes pastiches which keep on opening newer vistas of Sherlockian psyche that might be exploited further, the present collection stands tall over the others, in terms of literary craftsmanship as well as the plots. Highly recommended.

I found this collection to be very good, although I am sick of stories of "The Remarkable Worm". For my money, August Delerth's version, ammittedly with Solar Pons, not Holmes, is best. The rest of the book makes up for the one story I didn't like so it's five Sherlock stars from The Raven!