The Merchant of Death
by June Dixon & Donald Monat
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Book Summary Information
Author: June Dixon & Donald MonatEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-03-05
ISBN: 0595489702
Number of pages: 182
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc.
Book Reviews of The Merchant of Death
Book Review: Holmes and anachronisms
Summary: 3 Stars
The Merchant of Death
Type of material: Trade Paperback
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. New York, Lincoln, Shanghai
Author: June Dixon & Donald Monat
Price: $13.95
Review: This is the first Sherlockian novel I know of by this set of authors and they have done a reasonably competent job for a first effort. Much of the narrative will be comfortable for Sherlockians. Mrs. Hudson and Inspector Lestrade are much as they always are and Mycroft is busy protecting the Empire. Holmes and Watson interact in familiar terms and the Baker Street Irregulars are on the job.
Holmes accepts a commission from an actress to find a missing suitor and things begin to go awry. The suitor was not a suitor, the actress was a bit more than she seemed and the villain turns out to be a familiar face from the past. Mycroft is holding everything together and Sherlock is loosening strands faster than Mycroft can weave them back tinto place. As usual, Lestrade gets lost, Watson disobeys Holmes and the villain is one step ahead of both of them.
Unfortunately, the basic premise of the villainy is flawed and no reasonable explanation is offered, if the authors are even aware of the difficulties their plot faces. As my undergraduate degree started out in Physics, I can assure the readers that the plot includes very serious anachronisms and immense impossibilities. Aside from that, it was an interesting tale and included good characterizations with realistic action sequences.
For serious Sherlockians, the tale is probably not worth the cost, as the action-orientation and the fairly simple plot line will scream "Pastiche." For those who enjoy this form of tale, it will be a pleasant experience and an easy return to the Gaslight Era. Informed readers will understand my comments about anachronisms and impossibilities without my having to disclose the plot line if they consider the immediate cause of Einstein's letter to Roosevelt in 1940.
Reviewed by: Philip K. Jones, July 2009.
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