126

Dawson as Cissie and Ada in Dawson’s TV show 6H] George Burnwell (David Burke). Rosemary Leach , /HV . In 2006 Ian McKellen ranked Cissie and Ada as who died on the 21st October aged eighty-one, was the tenth best drag act ever. another victim, Kitty Winter in 7KH,OOXVWULRXV&OLHQW , but she took revenge on the vicious Baron Adelbert Robert Hardy , who died on the 3rd August, aged Gruner (Peter Wyngarde). Rosemary Leach is ninety-one, was a leading actor in all media and survived by her husband Colin Starkey, who played styles. Playing Shakespeare’s Henry V inspired him 'U:DWVRQLQWKH¿OP 0U+ROPHV . to become an expert on the English longbow. He SRUWUD\HG :LQVWRQ &KXUFKLOO HLJKW WLPHV RQ ¿OP The British former world middleweight champion and TV. A recent notable rôle was Cornelius Fudge boxer Terry Downes , dubbed “the Paddington in the Harry Potter movies, but he is most famous as ([SUHVV´WXUQHGWR¿OPDQGWHOHYLVLRQDIWHUUHWLULQJ Siegfried Farnon in $OO &UHDWXUHV *UHDW DQG 6PDOO . from the ring. In 1965 he played the butcher, Chunky, In 1970-71 he played Sherlock Holmes in eight in $ 6WXG\ LQ 7HUURU , though his character didn’t enjoyable audio plays, with Nigel Stock as Watson, encounter John Neville’s Sherlock Holmes. Terry and in the 1980s Argo released his readings — among Downes died on the 6th October aged eighty-one. the very best ever done — of twenty stories from the canon. Better known, no doubt, is his wonderful As I write, comes news of the death on the 9th nuanced performance as Charles Augustus Milverton November of John Hillerman , aged eighty-four. to Jeremy Brett’s Holmes in the 1992 Granada Remembered as the British ex-Sergeant-Major production 7KH0DVWHU%ODFNPDLOHU . Jonathan Higgins in 0DJQXP 3, , Hillerman, as the +ROO\ZRRG 5HSRUWHU notes, “often played We have recently lost two actresses who gave notable condescending characters with more than a touch of performances in the 1965 BBC TV series, with the Tory Brit”, though he was actually born and raised Douglas Wilmer and Nigel Stock as Holmes and in Texas. In 1990 he was an unobjectionable Watson Watson. In 7KH%HU\O&RURQHW , Suzan Farmer , who to Edward Woodward’s miscast Holmes in the poor GLHG RQ WKH WK 6HSWHPEHU DJHG VHYHQW\¿YH ZDV TV movie +DQGVRID0XUGHUHU . Mary Holder, who fell for the villainous charm of Sir RJ

“I AM AN OMNIVOROUS READER” Book reviews by DAN ANDRIACCO, LISA BURSCHEIDT, ALISTAIR DUNCAN, MARK MOWER, SARAH OBERMULLER-BENNETT, JOHN SHEPPARD, JEAN UPTON and ROGER JOHNSON

The Life and Death of Sherlock Holmes: Master more than a century — even such a hefty tome as Detective, Myth and Media Star by Mattias this couldn’t give detailed attention to everything. Boström. +HDGRI=HXV 2017. 597pp. £25.00 (hbk) So Boström had to be selective about what to sketch This is the story of the birth and enduring life lightly and what to put under the magnifying lens. of the character whose name means “detective” in This he did almost perfectly. Most of the 111 brief almost every language. And what a fascinating story it chapters, greatly expanded from the original Swedish LV³5HDGVOLNH¿FWLRQ´LVDFOLFKpWKDW¶VKDUGWRDYRLG version, involve material that I’m somewhat familiar in describing this engrossing narrative full of quirky ZLWK DIWHU PRUH WKDQ ¿YH GHFDGHV RI 6KHUORFNLDQ characters and twists and turns of plot. The 497 pages reading. And yet, almost every chapter also contains RIWH[WIROORZHGE\SDJHVRIQRWHVDQGLQGH[À\ material that was new and interesting to me. The book by. is neither too elementary nor too advanced for anyone The book begins in 1878 with Arthur Conan interested in the Holmes phenomenon. Doyle. It ends in 2015 with the rediscovery of the It would be hard for me to pick a favourite part, ORVW :LOOLDP *LOOHWWH ¿OP RI KLV FODVVLF PHORGUDPD EXW WKH DFFRXQW RI KRZ WKH ¿UVW IHPDOH PHPEHUV 6KHUORFN +ROPHV . The closing lines remind us, were added to the ranks of the Baker Street Irregulars however, that the story will go on. With so much is among the most dramatic and moving. And the ground to cover — literal ground across many explanation of the Sherlock Holmes copyright countries as well as metaphorical ground across ownership, a complex thread running through multiple 127 chapters and many years, was most enlightening. I the world of true crime. Inevitably, it predominantly ¿UVWLQWHUYLHZHG0DWWLDV%RVWU|PDERXWWKLVERRNMXVW dwells on the cases of George Edalji and Oscar Slater, RYHUIRXU\HDUVDJR,¶PGHOLJKWHGWREHDEOHWR¿QDOO\ which account for over 50% of the book. They are read it in English and learn that it’s just as good as I also the events that have caused a lot of other authors expected. If I had a much smaller Sherlockian library, to put pen to paper (including yours truly). Beyond this book would still be an indispensable part of it. these, the Chicken Run murder also features as do DA some crimes that Conan Doyle encountered when travelling outside the UK on his Spiritualist lecture tours. The Adventure of the Creeping Man by Sir Arthur Perhaps surprisingly, a considerable amount of Conan Doyle. Facsimile edition with an Introduction time is spent on Conan Doyle’s Spiritualist work and and annotated transcript by Neil McCaw. 8QLYHUVLW\RI his run-ins with Harry Houdini. Sandford has covered :LQFKHVWHU (supported by Portsmouth City Council), this ground before, in greater detail, so some of his 2017. 132pp. £35.00 (hbk) work in this area will be familiar if you’ve read his Facsimile editions of the Sherlock Holmes stories earlier book. However, here this is used as background are to be treasured, and this edition of “The Adventure material in connection with Conan Doyle’s ideas of the Creeping Man” shines as brightly as any. The about the use of mediums in the solving of crime. rather eccentric story of Professor Presbury is greatly Mention of the Cottingley Fairies is harder to justify enhanced by the very impressive introduction and but I guess it is very easy to talk about how credulous annotated transcription by Neil McCaw, Professor of Conan Doyle was in such matters if you lean on the Victorian Literature at the University of Winchester. fairies as an example. As a means to this end their This is a splendid work of scholarship and essential inclusion makes sense. reading for all Sherlockian students and collectors. If you are a student of Conan Doyle’s life you’re Professor McCaw’s introduction provides valuable likely to have read a good deal about Edalji and context for the story and a brief history of Conan Slater so you may be wondering what you’ll get Doyle’s time in Southsea. He examines the rather out of Sandford’s book. Therein lies my problem. I negative reputation which the story has gained over thoroughly enjoyed the book but I’m not sure it will the years. Consideration is given to Conan Doyle’s add a huge amount to what is already known. I’m still writing in his later career, the impact of World War very glad I have it, and if you have no books in this One on the author’s view of the world and the claim area — go for it. WKDWWKLVVWRU\LVPRUHVFLHQFH¿FWLRQWKDQGHWHFWLYH AD ¿FWLRQ 3URIHVVRU 0F&DZ UHMHFWV WKH YLHZ WKDW WKH writing is weak. For example, Professor Presbury’s unorthodox search for eternal youth has much in Sherlock Holmes from Screen to Stage: Post- common with present day procedures. millennial Adaptations in British Theatre by The original 6WUDQG 0DJD]LQH story is included Benjamin Poore. 3DOJUDYH0DFPLOODQ , 2017. 268pp. with the facsimile of the manuscript and Professor £66.99 (hbk) McCaw’s scholarship. The manuscript is part of The Sherlock Holmes phenomenon is now the Richard Lancelyn Green’s bequest to the City of subject of serious academic commentary, some of Portsmouth, and our late Chairman, I am certain, it dull or pretentious. Fortunately, Benjamin Poore would have been so pleased to see it published writes to be read; he’s genuinely enthusiastic about alongside Sherlockian scholarship of the highest his subject and he communicates that enthusiasm. quality. This book is the perfect way to celebrate 7UDGLWLRQDOO\ WKH SOD\ FRPHV EHIRUH WKH ¿OP the ninetieth anniversary of the publication of 7KH True, Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett transferred &DVHERRNRI6KHUORFN+ROPHV . their own portrayals of the detective from screen to The frontispiece of this beautifully presented stage, with sharply contrasting results, but that’s not volume advises: “Read at once if convenient- if Dr Poore’s theme. He has attended as many Holmes inconvenient read all the same.” The reader will be plays as possible since 2000, read all the scripts he thoroughly absorbed! FRXOGDFFHVVDQGZDWFKHGDOOWKHDYDLODEOH¿OPDQG The book is available from www.visitportsmouth. TV adaptations. Consequently he can indicate how the co.uk/conandoyle/TheCreepingMan. writers of various plays have adopted aspects of, say, DJ 6KHUORFN or the Guy Ritchie blockbusters, and what XVHWKH\¶YHPDGHRIWKHP8QOLNHD¿OPWKRXJKD play can directly involve the audience. Usually that’s The Man Who Would be Sherlock by Christopher a comedy technique ( 0RYH 2YHU 0RULDUW\ , 3RWWHG Sandford. 7KH +LVWRU\ 3UHVV . 2017. 320pp. £20.00 6KHUORFN ) but Clive Francis and Simon Williams made (hbk) it a feature of their thrilling versions of 7KH+RXQG This book concerns Conan Doyle’s excursions into RI WKH %DVNHUYLOOHV , and others have followed suit. 128

One chapter examines the plays in which audience employees, was convicted and hanged. Conan Doyle interaction is a real comic or dramatic game. Another wrote: “After reading the evidence one is left with an looks at 7KH +RXQG RI WKH %DVNHUYLOOHV , the most irresistible impression that, though Mullins was very frequently and variably adapted story, but one of the likely guilty, the police were never able to establish least obviously suitable for the stage. the details of the crime, and that there was a risk of The Holmesian authorities cited include Mattias a miscarriage of justice when the death sentence was %RVWUĘP $OLVWDLU 'XQFDQ =DFK 'XQGDV /\QGVD\ carried out.” Faye, and even Jean Upton and me. Richard Lancelyn Sinclair McKay has examined the case in detail, Green’s 7KH 8QFROOHFWHG 6KHUORFN +ROPHV is and has named a more convincing suspect. Perhaps carelessly attributed to his father Roger, but that’s a more important is that the people involved, even mean small error in an important and very interesting book. old Mrs Emsley, are rounded personalities, the East RJ End of 150 years ago becomes almost tangible, and the grim story is compellingly told. RJ A Singular Countryside edited by Nicholas Utechin, The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books by Martin David Jones and Heather Owen. 7KH6KHUORFN+ROPHV Edwards. %ULWLVK/LEUDU\ . 2017. 288pp. £25.00 (hbk) 6RFLHW\RI/RQGRQ , 2017. 40pp. £7.50 (pbk) Martin Edwards unearths the fascinating story This slim, handsome volume has large pages, to EHKLQGFULPH¿FWLRQ6WDUWLQJZLWK 7KH+RXQGRIWKH accommodate the splendidly reproduced illustrations %DVNHUYLOOHV (1902), he makes his way through the ²PRVWQRWDEO\WKHSKRWRJUDSKRIWZHQW\¿YH ¿UVWKDOIRIWKHWKFHQWXU\DVIDUDV-XOLDQ6\PRQV¶ people forming a message in Dancing Men code. 7KHVWRI)HEUXDU\ (1950). He hasn’t attempted to Robert Graham recalls how that remarkable icon FKRRVH WKH µEHVW¶ ERRNV EXW WKRVH WKDW EHVW UHÀHFW came about. (A copy is displayed at The Hill House the development of the genre. There are twenty- in Happisburgh, where Conan Doyle’s story was four thematic chapters, illustrating the chronological conceived.) Margaret Bird tells the story behind the HYROXWLRQRIFULPH¿FWLRQ0DQ\IDPLOLDUDXWKRUVDUH ¿UVWJURXQGEUHDNLQJH[SHGLWLRQWR³7KH&RXQWU\RI highlighted, but the more obscure and lesser-known the Broads”, and explains why Horsey Hall is the real are not neglected. Each book has an introduction, “Donnithorpe”. There follow extracts from some of including information about the author, the plot and the letters exchanged in 1983 between Mrs Bird and its theme. As one would expect from the British Thomas Cubitt, who welcomed the Society at Honing Library, the production quality is high. The dust Hall the next year. Shirley Purves goes back further, jacket is a colourful, attractive illustration in the to her researches in 1963 and her correspondence with classic 1920s/30s style so beloved of railway posters Thomas’s uncle Reginald Cubitt. Randall Stock looks of that era. Additionally, there are sixteen pages of at the inspired phrase “Dancing Men” (see also his beautifully reproduced colour illustrations of book essay in 'DQFLQJWR'HDWK$)DFVLPLOHRIWKH2ULJLQDO jackets and maps relating to some of the stories. This 0DQXVFULSWRI³7KH'DQFLQJ0HQ´E\$UWKXU&RQDQ is an enjoyable book to dip in and out of at one’s 'R\OH , published by the BSI). Nick Utechin considers leisure, and would be a recommended choice of gift Holmes’s friend Victor Trevor, an unfairly overlooked for fans of this genre. character. And there’s more! I was there in 1984 and JU in 2017, and I’m keen to explore more of Holmes’s Norfolk. RJ Femme Friday: Celebrating the Women in the Sherlock Holmes Canon and Transformative Works by The Baker Street Babes and Friends, edited The Mile End Murder: The Case Conan Doyle by Maria Fleischhack. /XOXFRP , 2017. 116pp. £9.69 Couldn’t Solve by Sinclair McKay. $XUXP 3UHVV , (pbk). 2017. 320pp. £20.00 (hbk) )HPPH )ULGD\ is a timely and welcome new In 1901 7KH 6WUDQG 0DJD]LQH published “The collection of essays, about women, by women — and, Debatable Case of Mrs Emsley”, in which Arthur as the subtitle suggests, the subjects range beyond Conan Doyle studied the murder in 1860 of an elderly the ladies and “young persons” of the canon. )HPPH and wealthy widow, unforgiving and “an object of )ULGD\ began as a weekly post on the Tumblr page mingled dislike and curiosity among the inhabitants of the Baker Street Babes’ website, where, if I’ve of Grove Road, Stepney”. When Mary Emsley FRXQWHG ULJKW WZHQW\ RI WKH WKLUW\WKUHH HVVD\V ¿UVW was found beaten to death in her own house there appeared. Lyndsay Faye says in her introduction: “At was no lack of suspects, but there were problems. ¿UVWZHWKUHZRXUYLUWXDOSDUDGHVIRUFODVVLFFKDUDFWHUV Who could have gained access to the house without from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Adventures, but apparent disturbance, and got away without being soon enough we were extolling the virtues of Molly seen? Eventually James Mullins, one of her own the lab technician and Olivia the mouse.” The essays 129 are varied in tone and style, but they’re all intelligent, fact that the entire plot of each tale is given away. perceptive and entertaining. Still, Ms Montague’s book could be an attractive gift RJ for a younger fan who has not yet read any biography of Arthur Conan Doyle. Memoirs from Mrs Hudson’s Kitchen by Wendy RJ Heyman-Marsaw. 0; 3XEOLVKLQJ , 2017. 130pp. £7.99 (pbk). The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories, “From Mrs Hudson’s Kitchen” has been a popular Part VII: Eliminate the Impossible 1880-1891 feature in &DQDGLDQ +ROPHV , the journal of the edited by David Marcum. 0; 3XEOLVKLQJ , 2017. Bootmakers of Toronto, since 2011. The chapters in 488pp. DQG Part VIII: Eliminate the Impossible this attractive, nicely illustrated book are expanded 1892-1905. 596pp. Each £17.99 (pbk), £28.99 (hbk) and rearranged from those columns. Mrs H’s narrative, Between them these two volumes contain forty- friendly and level-headed, gives a good picture of eight new stories, all as faithful as possible to the what life must have been like for an intelligent lower- Watsonian style and traditional form. The special middle class landlady catering for an eccentric genius request this time was to honour Holmes’s clearly in late Victorian London. She tells us what food and stated disbelief in the supernatural, and to devise drink she served her lodgers, and what would have puzzles that appear to be impossible but aren’t. The been available to them on railway journeys and at contributors include Mark Mower, Daniel D Victor, hotels or inns. And there are nearly sixty recipes, all James Lovegrove, Hugh Ashton, John Hall, Jayantika authentic and practical. It’s a very nice new volume Ganguly, Jim French, Tim Symonds, Andrew Lane, for the Holmesian cook’s bookshelf — though Paul D Gilbert, Daniel McGachey, Tracy Revels... perhaps we should avoid the tobacco cookies. And Michael Cox, father of the classic Granada RJ TV series, provides a foreword. An impressive list, but none of them will make a penny out of it, as all royalties go towards the preservation of Undershaw, A Reader’s Companion to Sherlock Holmes by Conan Doyle’s former Surrey home, which now Father J Michael Venditti. 'RUUDQFH3XEOLVKLQJ&R . houses Stepping Stones School. 2017. 150pp. £16.77. (hbk) RJ Father Venditti, who serves in New Jersey, PDQDJHGWR¿QGWLPHLQKLVEXV\VFKHGXOHWRZULWHWKLV 5HDGHU¶V&RPSDQLRQWR6KHUORFN+ROPHV . Long-time Grandville Force Majeure: A Detective-Inspector 6KHUORFNLDQVDUHXQOLNHO\WR¿QGDQ\WKLQJQHZ²EXW /H%URFN RI 6FRWODQG France, having been conquered by Napoleon two hundred years ago along with the rest of Europe. All the people Creating Sherlock Holmes: The Remarkable Story are animals, French is the universal language, and of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by Charlotte Montague. the Imperial City of Paris is nicknamed *UDQGYLOOH &KDUWZHOO%RRNV , 2017. 192pp. £9.99 from Amazon. (a tribute to the 19th century French caricaturist, JJ co.uk (hbk) Grandville, whose depictions of people as hominid This is a YHU\ good-looking book, profusely animals helped inspire surrealism). LeBrock is in illustrated and arranged to cover the essentials of more danger than ever before, on the run from the Conan Doyle’s life and career, and the development criminal mastermind Tiberius Koenig, who wants of Sherlock Holmes, from 1887 to 2017. However... revenge, and from his own colleagues, who want There are several factual errors, though none of KLP WULHG IRU PXUGHU +LV SOXFN\ ¿DQFpH %LOOLH LV grave importance (Joseph, Carle and Horace Vernet abducted. Then LeBrock is killed... But it’s not too were not brothers but father, son and grandson; it much of a spoiler to reveal that he isn’t actually dead. was Stevenson, not Kipling, who recognised Joseph Archie LeBrock has always had more than a touch Bell in the protagonist of $ 6WXG\ LQ 6FDUOHW ...). of Sherlock Holmes. Now we meet his Holmesian More troubling is that every story in the canon is mentor, ex-DCI Stamford Hawksmoor — who is, summarised at great length and in great detail: what naturally, a hawk. It’s a genuinely thrilling drama, should have been an enticing primer is spoilt by the peppered with verbal and pictorial wit, and there’s 130 an appropriate superscription, old Mr Sherman’s text. Perhaps a pre-Watson outing might be feasible? warning: “Keep clear of the badger, for he bites.” Let’s hope so. MM RJ

The Consulting Detective Trilogy Part II: On Queen City Corpse by Dan Andriacco. 0; Stage by Darlene A Cypser. )RROVFDS 4XLOO , 2017. 3XEOLVKLQJ , 2017. 240pp. £9.99 (pbk) 283 pp. £11.41 (pbk) When QueenCon, a mystery convention named Cypser continues her series in the life of the after the great Ellery Queen, comes to Cincinnati \RXQJHU 6KHUORFN +ROPHV DGGLQJ ÀHVK WR :LOOLDP (Longfellow’s “Queen City of the West”) Sebastian 6 %DULQJ*RXOG¶V ELRJUDSK\ ZKHUH WKH ÀHGJOLQJ McCabe BSI, Jeff Cody, and Jeff’s wife Lynda make consulting detective tours America as an actor in the the short journey from Erin, Ohio. Sebastian is a ODWHV3HUVRQDOO\,¿QGP\VHOIDWRGGVZLWKPDQ\ successful crime writer, magician and amateur sleuth, of Baring-Gould’s theories about Holmes’s early life, and Jeff still has hopes of publishing his own detective which made me wonder if I was going to like this novels. Lynda wants to meet her favourite author, Rex book. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found, so Carter, before he succumbs to terminal cancer. On the PXFKVRWKDW,KDYHDGGHGWKH¿UVWSDUWRIWKHWULORJ\ ¿UVW QLJKW -HII RYHUKHDUV VRPH RPLQRXV ZKLVSHUHG to my reading list. Cypser produces a convincing and words: ³:KHUH GR ZH KLGH WKH ERG\"´ though no intriguing plot to explain how Holmes’s stage career one’s there to say them. Inevitably (this is a McCabe might have come about, skilfully weaving in details and Cody story) murder ensues — but why would from the canon, whilst introducing new characters anyone kill a man who’ll soon be dead anyway? This and inventively expanding on the background is the seventh novel in a deliciously literate, witty of others. That the author has done considerable series, with ingenious plots and engaging characters. historical research is evident: from the London stage Highly recommended! to the plains of America, the scenes are set in rich and RJ vivid detail. Several cases take place along the way, a few soon-to-be famous faces appear and moments of suspense and rescue are balanced with quieter Sherlock Holmes: The Baker Street Case-Files by moments of introspection, making for an enjoyable Mark Mower. 0; 3XEOLVKLQJ , 2017. 182pp. £8.99 UHDG 7KH ¿QDO SDUW RI WKH WULORJ\ IRFXVLQJ RQ WKH (pbk) Montague Street years is promised to be coming soon. Mower’s name should be familiar as a regular SO-B contributor to the MX Anthologies of New Sherlock Holmes stories. This handsome book of seven DGYHQWXUHV JDWKHUV WRJHWKHU ¿YH RI KLV WDOHV IURP The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street by Rob those volumes with two new stories. Beginning with Nunn. 0;3XEOLVKLQJ . 328pp. £10.99. (pbk) a case from the pre-Watson years, these stories span If, like me, you have a passion for the traditional Holmes’s career, ending with a mystery that takes pastiche, you might approach this book with some place in the wake of the First World War. Mower initial apprehension, as you read on the back cover has an engaging, readable style, carrying the reader WKDW WKH SORW ³« H[SORUHV 6LU $UWKXU &RQDQ 'R\OH¶V along with convincing dialogue whilst combining a RULJLQDO VL[W\ VWRULHV WKURXJK WKH OHQV RI 6KHUORFN good eye for period detail with well-paced plotting. +ROPHVWKHFULPLQDOLQVWHDGRI6KHUORFN+ROPHVWKH My favourite story has to be “The Manila Envelope”, GHWHFWLYH .” However, let me reassure you from the which showcases Holmes’s methods in a virtuoso outset — this is a fabulous read. Starting with their display of observation and deduction. Overall, an coming together in January 1881, the book takes us on impressive collection. a fast-paced chronological canter through the Canon SO-B and the highs and lows of Holmes’s criminal career, aided by the very capable Dr Watson. There is great attention to detail throughout and some really clever Practical Handbook of Bee Culture by Paul Ashton. nods to many of the untold cases we see tantalising 0; 3XEOLVKLQJ  . 274pp. £24.99 (hbk); £11.99 glimpses of in the original tales. The familiar and (pbk) heartening bond between our heroes is well observed This book purports to be a journal that Holmes and the storytelling from a third person perspective kept from 1904, when he retired from active service, feels wholly appropriate. until “His Last Bow” forced him out of retirement in This is a well written and clever book. But it is 1912 for one last hurrah. There are two short stories, also a ripping yarn with lots of humour. I would like which detail investigations Holmes carried out while WRVHHDIROORZXSEXW,JXHVVWKDWPLJKWEHGLI¿FXOWDV KH ZDV RI¿FLDOO\ LQ UHWLUHPHQW DQG VRPH VKRUWHU the author has refashioned the entire Canon in this one conversations about his involvement in real-world 131

PDMRUFULPHVRIWKHHUD2FFDVLRQDOO\¿JXUHVRIWKH Philip Jones, and a foreword by Lawrence Albert, time make appearances. But mostly, it is composed who has played Watson throughout the series. Despite RI¿FWLRQDOGLDU\HQWULHVWKDWGHWDLO+ROPHV¶VOLIHDQG WKHFRQIXVLQJO\VLPLODUWLWOHWKLVLVGH¿QLWHO\IRUPH beekeeping activities in excruciating detail. I didn’t and I’m looking forward to ,PDJLQDWLRQ 7KHDWUH¶V have the stamina for pages upon pages of technical 6KHUORFN+ROPHV , due shortly from MX and featuring MDUJRQDQGIRXQGP\VHOIÀLFNLQJIRUZDUGDORWWRJHW fourteen scripts by Messrs Elliott, Jones, Albert and to an interesting narrative bit. others. It’s obvious that a tremendous amount of work Last year’s Richard Lancelyn Green Lecture went into the book, that dates have carefully been was “Performing Holmes: Changing Acting Style worked out and photos selected for effect. But I often in British Television Adaptations” given by Richard felt it was written as an inside joke for a group of Hewett, drawing on his extensive research for 7KH people that I do not belong to. I enjoy it when real &KDQJLQJ6SDFHVRI7HOHYLVLRQ$FWLQJ)URP6WXGLR people have cameos in Holmes pastiches, but this 5HDOLVP WR /RFDWLRQ 5HDOLVP LQ %%& 7HOHYLVLRQ diary’s name-dropping for the sake of it puzzles me, 'UDPD (Manchester University Press; £75.00). The because apart from a few exceptions none of it ever lecture was very well received, and it’s evident that “pays off” in a narrative sense. I liked the narrative a great deal of extra work went into it, since only bits well enough, but on the whole it wasn’t for me. 6KHUORFN is mentioned (in passing) in the book — LB nothing about the Holmes dramatisations of the 1950s, 60s, 80s or 2000s. 7KH &KDQJLQJ 6SDFHV RI Sherlock Holmes: Cry of the Innocents by Cavan 7HOHYLVLRQ$FWLQJ ZKLFKIRFXVHVVSHFL¿FDOO\RQ 7KH Scott. 7LWDQ%RRNV 2017, 358pp. £7.99. (pbk) 4XDWHUPDVV([SHULPHQW , 'RFWRU:KR and 6XUYLYRUV , This is Cavan Scott’s second Sherlock Holmes is exceptionally interesting, but its relevance to us is SDVWLFKH D ZRUWK\ VXFFHVVRU WR KLV ¿UVW 6KHUORFN tangential. +ROPHV &U\ RI WKH ,QQRFHQWV is historically well 6ROYLQJ 6KHUORFN +ROPHV 3X]]OH