This is an anthology of stories that happen in the world of Sherlock Holmes. But these are not stories told by Dr. Watson. Instead, they are stories from the people surrounding Holmes. Stories are told from the point of view of Irene Adler, Inspector Lestrade, one of the Baker Street Irregulars now grown and successful, another Scotland Yard detective working on his first case and Mrs. Hudson.

We get to see Sherlock Holmes from the outside from those whose lives intersect with his but who aren't writing from the viewpoint of his best friends. While the cases are interesting what is more interesting is seeing Holmes from these alternate views. He is seen as a remote character but one who has a hidden reservoir of kindness and willingness to help others. In particular, his relationship with Mrs. Hudson and with Dr. Watson seen by others is interesting.

Lyndsay Faye is known for her work in this world. She has written several novels that intersect with the Victorian world of Holmes and her writing is a worthy continuation of the narratives of Watson. My favorite story was the one of the young detective asked to solve the murder of a young girl as his first case and how the various characters came together to create a successful answer to the case. I listened to this anthology and the two narrators both did an excellent job. This book is recommended for mystery readers and those fascinated by Sherlock Holmes.

I'm a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes in any form, so I was very excited for this one. I was pleasantly surprised and consider the "voice" very similar to the original tales. I listened to this in bits and pieces and I found myself really looking forward to the chunk of the day when I could get lost in the world of Holmes for a bit. Hearing things from other characters that we didn't get a viewpoint from in the original tales was nice. Overall, I'm impressed!

This book was good. Kind of an interesting take on Sherlock Holmes where you catch glimpses of his cases in the past as new points of view are used to tell new stories.

Fantastic stories set in Sherlock Holmes' London. The writing is very evocative of Conan Doyle, and the stories are very true to the original.

My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to review this audio book.

This is a collection of short stories by supporting characters from the world of Sherlock Holmes from their perspectives. This was just Ok for me. Author did an excellent job of creating the feel of that world but my issue was just with connecting with the dialect and rhetoric of some of the narrators.

I loved this collection of stories! I adore Sherlock Holmes and Lyndsay Faye really captured the spirit and voice. It can be tricky to write in a well-beloved series but she did an excellent job. I listened to the audiobook which was great.

Oh, how I love all things Sherlock Holmes! I grab every retelling or spinoff I can get my hands on and I love how many really unique takes there are on such an old, beloved series. This is no different.

In this series of short stories, Dr. Watson has implored friends, acquaintances, and colleagues of Holmes to tell the stories of their encounters with the detective that had not made it into Watson's published stories. Irene Adler, Inspector Lestrade, and Mrs. Hudson take up the call, along with some lesser-known characters from the original canon.

I was astounded how Faye managed to write this delightful group of stories, each very realistically in the voices of such varied characters, and managed to faithfully replicate the style of the Sir Author Conan Doyle's original stories. I am impressed.

My favorite story was "The Adventure of the Stopped Clocks" narrated by Irene Norton (nee Adler). I just thought Faye really brought Adler to life. Mrs. Hudson's story is likely the least faithful to the originals but it is funny and fresh and I loved it.

I would recommend this book to all Holmes fans.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this advance reader copy. This is my unbiased, honest review.

I’m this book of short stories we follow the lives of five different people who Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson helped to solve mysterious cases.

I absolutely loved hearing the first section from the perspective of Irene Adler (as we know her from the books and movies). Her inner monologue is so interesting and her high self esteem made me smile. We should all think so highly of ourselves! I also loved the last section from Mrs. Hudson’s perspective. This story was filled with fascinating insight into the inner workings of Holmes and Watson!

This was such a fun listen for fans of Sherlock. I loved the quirky random info dropped in, which only a Holmes book would offer (like the number of different penguin species). I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys the Sherlock Holmes books or movies!

Thanks to Netgalley and HighBridge Audio for the audio arc!

This addition to the Sherlock Holmes canon is based on the premise that some of Holmes' acquaintances and colleagues wrote stories about the detective in their letters, diaries, journals, and scrapbooks. Six of these stories have been found in a safe deposit box, and are being published in this book, edited by Lyndsay Faye.

"The Adventure of the Stopped Clocks"

Sherlock Holmes' former nemesis Irene Adler (now Irene Norton), whose opera performances are a hit on the stages of Vienna, is in London with her solicitor husband Godfrey. Godfrey has been asked to help his brother Gilbert sell securities in exchange for shares of a peppercorn plantation in Sumatra.

The securities deal seems shady, and - on top of that - all of Gilbert's heirloom grandfather clocks have been stopped. Needing help to figure out what's going on, Irene consults her frenemy Sherlock Holmes, who helps resolve the situation.

*****

"The Song of a Want"

Henry Wiggins, now a solicitor, was one of the Baker Street Irregulars when he was a boy. In this story, Wiggins recalls the time he and his best friend Meggie were homeless waifs on the streets of London, pilfering to survive.

The children met a disoriented man with a violin, who turned out to be a young Sherlock Holmes. The children assisted Holmes and Sherlock later returned the favor when Meggie fell into the clutches of a creep known as the Lullaby Doctor.

*****

"Our Common Correspondent"

Inspector Geoffrey Lestrade of Scotland Yard is put off by Sherlock Holmes, whom Lestrade views as a supercilious know-it-all. However, when a spinster named Wilhemina Sparks moves out of her boarding house and disppears, Lestrade needs Holmes' assistance to find her.

It seems Miss Sparks had been corresponding with a gentleman for some time, and went off to marry him, but no one knows the man's name or location. (This is the late-1800s version of online dating.)

In this story we learn Lestrade feels compelled to help women in trouble because his sister was in an abusive marriage that ended tragically.

*****

"The River of Silence"

When a beautiful teak box containing a human arm is found in the Thames River, Scotland Yard Detective Stanley Hopkins gets the case. Hopkins admires Sherlock Holmes and is happy to have the consulting detective help look into the incident. Higgins and Holmes consider all possibilities, from medical student pranks to murder.

*****

"The Gospel of Sheba"

Mr. Arthur Davenport Lomax, a sub-librarian at the London Library, is always willing to help patrons with their inquries.

Mr. Theodore Grange consults Lomax on the subject of black magic, explaining that - for business reasons - he joined an occult group called The Brotherhood of Solomon. It seems the Brotherhood is falling apart because a grimoire owned by a member is making the other participants sick.

Events lead Lomax to consult Sherlock Holmes, who helps devine the problem.

*****

"A Live Well Lived"

Sherlock Holmes' landlady Martha Hudson thinks back on her long association with Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, who have rented rooms in her house for more than two decades.

Meanwhile, boxes from an unknown person keep appearing at Mrs. Hudson's door, which she brings to Holmes to investigate.

This is a fun story because Mrs. Hudson includes recipes for dishes she prepares for her her tenants, like batter fried oysters and bacon wrapped brisket of beef.

*****

I've provided the bare outlines of the stories, which also delve into the lives of the characters, their observations about Sherlock Holmes, and the methods Holmes uses to solve mysteries.

I enjoyed the audiobook, narrated by Dan Calley and Polly Lee, and highly recommend it to Sherlock Holmes fans.

Thanks to Netgalley, Lyndsay Faye, and Highbridge Audio for a copy of the book.

Letting you know right now that if you are not a fan of Sherlock Holmes, we just can’t be friends.

This is a novel filled with short stories featuring different characters that we all know and love, as well as a few new ones. Irene Adler has always a fascinating character to me, so that part/ story was right up my alley. As what the story that followed Mrs. Hudson’s character. The writing was really creative, and I loved all the perspectives.

Thank You to Lyndsay Faye and High Bridge Audio for the audio-digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

These were short stories about Holmes side characters some you know and some you don’t, unfortunately it did not have the same appeal for me as Faye’s Holmes books do. I found I didn’t care enough about these characters to keep my interest, it was easy to walk away and not come back to it.

Polly Lee is a favorite narrator but unfortunately my brain did not like the narration of Irene Adler I just don’t feel like she would sound like that and yes I know in canon she is American but the accent in this one just didn’t work for me. I liked her narration of Mrs. Hudson much better! Dan Calley’s narration was well done.

Okay re-reading what I just wrote it sounds like I hated the book and I did not I like it well enough it just didn’t feel enough like a Holmes book for my personal liking.

These were still well written good stories.

3 stars

I received this book from the publisher HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

I tried, but this is clearly not a good fit for me. I made it to about 40% but kept getting distracted and didn't care enough to go back to listen to what I missed nor was I excited about another 6+ hours. I think someone who enjoys Sherlock Holmes type stories already could enjoy it. Now I know I'm not that person .

Thanks to HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

Interesting but not really my cup of tea. Well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Observations by Gaslight by Lyndsay Faye
Narrators, Dan Calley, Polly Lee
I enjoy almost all Holmes inspired novels and short stories, some more than others. This one was a little bit hit or miss for me. I thought Irene Adler seemed too modern sounding in some of the phrases she used but the story was enjoyable. I did not like the Lestrade story and skipped most of it. I kind of faded out on Stanley Hopkins too. The Henry Wiggins episode was very interesting and caught my attention more than the previous ones. Arthur Lomax and his wife were very sweet together and with a happy ending. My favorite was Mrs Hudson with a little mystery, a little romance and some recipes too.
The narrators did a good job with only a few mispronunciations and good characterization.

I was very excited to see another Holmes and Watson book by Lyndsay Faye, and love that this follow many of the Conan Doyle format of multiple shorter mysteries in one tome.

This was an excellent addition to the series, allowing us to see more of Irene Adler and experience Sherlock Holmes through different narrators and take a deeper dive into character's backstories.

The only negative is the narrator - I did not feel like the voice matched the stories and did not enjoy her narration. This one is probably better enjoyed as a book than an audiobook.

I adored this! Since childhood, I have loved the tales of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and this helped me with my addiction! Lyndsay Faye is a great writer and in this group of short stories, she captures Sherlock Holmes from different perspectives than that of Dr. Watson!
In these short stories, we hear from Irene Adler on another adventure after A Scandal in Bohemia. Irene as we know is married now and she is suspecting something outlandish with the financial dealings with her husband and his brother. So, she goes to Sherlock for help. We also hear from Inspector Lestrade, Stanley Hopkins, and Mrs. Hudson along with a few others.
Each story has some form of mystery that we have come to love from the Sherlock Holmes stories, letters, inner thoughts, and even a few recipes.
This is a pretty fast read. The Editor of the book was attempting to assemble the different stories in chronological order, and this was great! What I loved the most about these short stories is that the reader gets a different perspective of Sherlock and Watson, from different people and the reader gets to see different aspects of their personalities.
I adored this and I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves Sherlock Holmes stories and this would definitely be a treat for any reader!
I listened to the audiobook and it was great! The narrators were a great choice for the different characters, and they even had the accents of the characters! I loved it!
Thank you Netgalley and Highbridge Audio for the extraordinary opportunity to read and review this collection, it was definitely a fascinating treat!

I love nearly all things Sherlock Holmes and Observations by Gaslight is no exception!
While the setting remains Victorian England, these stories have a much more modern feel. This portrayal of Sherlock Holmes has similarities to the Holmes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but it depicts him as a more vulnerable, sympathetic human. Lyndsay Faye tells us that he is insufferable, that he is prickly, that he is standoffish, but the Holmes she writes is one who laughs often and cares deeply. The style of writing is also a departure, with people and relationships filling the bulk of storytelling and overshadowing any strange and mystifying events requiring Holmes's powers of deduction.
Despite the differences between this collection and classic Sherlock Holmes stories, I loved Lyndsay's take. I do enjoy confounding mysteries, but I can't help but admire the new depth and life she brings to a beloved character and his companions.
Dan Calley and Polly Lee were lovely, calming narrators for the stories, with the single exception being the first story narrated by Polly with an American accent. I shoulder the blame for being unable to find Sherlock Holmes stories read with anything other than an English accent a jarring distraction.