Book Review ~ The Last Sherlock Holmes Story

Let's start by saying I love pastiches. Larry Millet's Sherlock books are what drew me into the world of Holmes, long before I ever read a Doyle book. I think I wrote that  few weeks back, yep I did. 

But "The Last Sherlock Holmes Story" by Michael Bibbin, may have altered that statement for me. 

Here is the synopsis from GoodReads.com :

"For fifty years after Dr Watson's death, a packet of papers, written by the doctor himself, lay hidden in a locked box. The papers contained an extraordinary report of the case of Jack the Ripper and the horrible murders in the East End of London in 1888. The detective, of course, was the great Sherlock Holmes - but why was the report kept hidden for so long? This is the story that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle never wrote. It is a strange and frightening tale . . "

Dibbin starts by letting reader know that all other stories where written by Dolye a friend of Watson's but this story was written by Watson himself, thus giving reason for not staying in true Cannon style. 
That is a lame excuse if you ask me, which you didn't but it's my blog so that is what you get. You can't just give your self an out for not researching and staying in true cannon style. And if that was the worst of it I could get by with it. Millet doesn't really stay in Doyle style either but at least it follows a more prescribed outline of a true Holmes story. 

Dibbin's continued to veer off course for me to much. 

Then it's the plot it's self, maybe if I hadn't just read Faye's excellent version of this same topic, I would have been less harsh of this account. But, Dibbin's style was wordy and not wordy in a good way, more predictable and disappointed. Also the twist at the end leaves all Holme's fan shaking their head.



~ Cassi
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