Member Reviews
This book features a younger Sherlock and a different sidekick, but it is true to the spirit of the Doyle version. There's less depth to the characters, less Holmesian sleuthing magic, and a less compelling plot, but the overall tone and execution works perfectly well for a reader who just wants, once more, to get their Holmes on.
First time reading this series. The mystery kept me guessing and I enjoyed the characters & the setting
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I am a long time Sherlock Holmes fan and this new take on his mysteries did not disappoint. This story follows a younger Holmes who is helping his friend Mr. Stammford solve the mystery that is upsetting his cousin. I really enjoyed this new version and was a fun new twist for me. The author did a great job writing and sticking with what we love about Holmes. I look forward to more adventures with young Holmes.
Enjoying these young Sherlock Holmes books a sight more than I expected to. Would heartily recommend them. Well plotted and with interesting characters, not least that of the fledgling detective.
I truly liked this book; being a huge Sherlock fan, I knew I wouldn't be disappointed.
I was delighted to see that this was written in such a genuine style to the original Sherlock stories, and that, despite certain changes, it still felt like I was reading an original.
We encounter Sherlock in the early stages of his sleuthing career, thus there was no indication of Watson. He was instead accompanied by Stamford, whose cousin provides the two with a highly intriguing case to solve.
Lily was concerned about her freshly wedded friend. Stamford goes to check on things and discovers Mr Clark (the husband) has lately died....and thus the investigation begins. I liked how the inquiry was slightly hampered for Sherlock because the pair were so junior and had no authority or history of Sherlock's name yet, so any information had to be grasped at every moment. This made it the more satisfying when clues, theories, and solutions were discovered.
I had a lot of thoughts about what had happened, and some of them were correct - but, as with all Sherlock puzzles, the fun is in the process. I'm always interested in any alternative take on the original Sherlock Holmes stories, which is why this caught my eye. @Sapere Books @Netgalley #historicalfiction #mysteryandthrillers
📱E-Book Review📱
Sherlock Holmes and the Persian Slipper
Linda Stratmann
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I absolutely loved this book - as a big Sherlock fan, I knew that I wouldn't be disappointed by this.
I was really pleased to find that this was written in such an authentic style to the original Sherlock stories and although some aspects were altered, it still felt as though I was reading an original.
We meet Sherlock in the very early stages of his sleuthing career and as such there was no sign of Watson just yet. Instead, he was accompanied by Stamford, whose cousin presents the pair with a very intriguing case to solve.
Lily was worried about her friend who was recently married. Stamford went to check things were well and finds Mr Clark (the husband) recently deceased....and so the investigation commences.
I loved that, for Sherlock, the investigation was thwarted somewhat because the pair were so junior and had no authority or history of Sherlock's name yet, so any clues had to be grabbed at any opportunity. This made it even better when clues, theories and solutions were found.
I had plenty of theories about what had happened and in some cases I was right - but as with all Sherlock mysteries, the joy is all about the process.
Great story and brilliantly written - absolutely loved it!
Arthur Stamford is pressurized by his cousin Lily to visit an old friend of hers
who has written letters which indicate that allwas not well in her very hurried
marriage. Arthur arrives at Coldwell to find he is a bit too late. John Clark is
dead shot with his own pistol found lying by his bed. No forced entry, neither wife
nor housekeeper heard the shots, no strangers loitering around and the first
suspicion falls on the wife once the police get their hands on the letters she wrote
to Lily.
Stamford persuades Sherlock Holmes to come to Coldwell and pursue the case. It is not
the usual Holmes classic. John Clark is really not Jihn Clark, but several characters
rolled into one. The reveals come slowly and the actual murderer was a total surprise.
How it was done was quite convoluted too.
A Holmes and Watson is good and in this case Holmes and Stamford was an equally good
combo.
I'm always interested in any alternative take on the original Sherlock Holmes stories, which is why this caught my eye.
When I read a book like this one, I know what it is I'm hoping for, and in this case, the story met my expectations. It felt original, but at the same time, retained the classic feel of Sherlock Holmes that I was hoping for, and it was a very light, easy read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.
This is the first book by this author that I have read. It was one of the few books that I dismissed all my work to sit down and finish the last few chapters. It was an excellent read with well-developed characters and a storyline that kept you guessing till the end. I enjoyed the way it was written as a story being retold. I don’t usually like a lot of description but this was written in a way that made it interesting and was not overdone. A very enjoyable read and I hope to read more by this author. I received this as an ARC from Netgalley and freely give my review.
I love a good Homes book and this one didn't disappoint at all. This is a story of the young Sherlock yet still how the quirkiness of the older Sherlock which I loved.
This is the story of the murder of John Clark and is told by the student doctor Stamford some years after the even took place. It is told in a way were there are questions and answers, there is secrets and surprises and there are clues of course.
This book is good too as it has a bit of humour and a light hearted way to it which makes it so easy to read. The pace is perfect and the story held my interest and intrigued me so I wanted to read more. It is a great read and I was very entertained by it and all the antics in it.
Absolutely brilliant. Everything was done so well. I was transported into that era while reading. The language was straight forward and easy to follow and understand. Sherlock Holmes was brilliant as always, Mr. Stamford, his witty companion and all the other characters were unique. The plot and the mystery was very intriguing and had everything you want in a good murder mystery. Beautiful. The extra information at the end was very enlightening and piqued my interest to do some more research on my own. I will definitely be recommending this book to my students and looking out for more from this author.
Thank you so much to the author and publisher as well as net galley for the access to this ARC copy.
Thank you, Linda Stratmann and Sapere Books, for access to the early release copy of the book.
The book is well written and flows along nicely. The book recounts earlier a case in an earlier time in Sherlock’s life. The plot is well imagined and is consistent with expectations for a Sherlock Holmes story, with the exception that there is no Dr. Watson because the story predates when Sherlock meets Dr. Watson. In Watson’s place is Arthur Stamford, who is also a good companion and confidant to Sherlock.
I also appreciate the author including background material at the end of the book to show some of the Sherlock Holmes chronology. Clearly, she has done her research.
An interesting novel following in the footsteps of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The author does a great job of keeping true to the characters from the original writings. The story itself is intriguing and will hold your interest. Overall, a good story that will hold the interest of the mystery enthusiasts.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Medical student Mr Stamford sets out to visit his cousin’s friend, Una, who has been sending letters detailing a concern for her new husband’s behavior. Stamford arrives at a house in shock: the husband was shot dead by his own pistol. Immediately, Stamford summons his acquaintance, Sherlock Holmes, to make sense of the sinister mystery at play.
This was a delight to read! I really love this author’s take on how a young Sherlock Holmes might have handled his early cases. And, as always, Stamford is an excellent foil for the budding detective. There is even a touching moment when Holmes admits that he is Stamford’s friend, an admission he seldom makes.
The case, on first glance, seems straightforward. Who killed John Clark? There is no trace of a break-in. But it soon becomes more complicated as Mrs. Clark admits she doesn’t know much about the man she married. With the official police investigator eager to believe the obvious answer, that the wife killed her husband, Holmes has to untangle many threads to get to the truth.
Readers who enjoy tales of Holmes as a young man will surely continue to enjoy this series.
Thanks Netgally for this wonderful book , I really enjoyed ot. It was so simple and clean language as a foreigner,the plot was so good. I liked the narration the description of the characters, I really lived in that period, I felt I was there.so well done Linda.
Identity theft, marital trickery and murderous shenanigans are some of the ingredients you will find in this delicious Victorian whodunit masterfully investigated by a taciturn young man called Sherlock Holmes.
Brilliantly plotted with lots of twists and turns and blessed with a terrific cast of exquisitely drawn characters, this 4th addition to Linda Stratmann's highly entertaining series is a marvellous criminal romp from start to finish!
Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for this great ARC
I was given a copy of this book for review.
I have always been an avid Sherlock Holmes fan since being a young man. The story is based prior to Dr. Watson's meeting with Mr. Holmes and in his place is Mr. Stamford. It does read like a Sherlock Holmes tale but does lack some of the prose and style of Cannon Doyle..
It is an enjoyable read and better than some other Home's styled books I have read. I am pleased to have added this one to my collection.
A fairly good plot and well written. Mr Holmes is in character as an ingenious detective who spots clues that others miss. All in all a good read. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Sapere Books for an advance copy of Sherlock Holmes and the Persian Slipper, the fourth novel related by Arthur Stamford to feature the early career of Sherlock Holmes.
Stamford’s cousin Lily is worried by letters she has received from her friend, Una Clark. Mrs Clark has inherited a property in Essex and got married, but she is perturbed by her husband’s secretive behaviour. Lily presses Stamford to visit to make sure all is well, but when he gets to Coldwell Mr John Clark has died in the night from a gunshot wound, fired from his own gun through the Persian slipper it was kept in. Fortunately Sherlock Holmes is able to come to Essex to investigate.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sherlock Holmes and the Persian Slipper, which has a wonderful mystery and a suitably convoluted solution. In the spirit of Conan Doyle’s originals the story is told years after the events took place, in this case by student doctor Stamford, who is rather more starstruck than Watson. I like the sense of homage.
I’m not quite sure how to describe the novel. Obviously there is the murder of John Clark, but there is also the question of who he actually is and that takes up a fair amount of the narrative, because his wife knows nothing about him, except that he was kind and they were happy. I found it engrossing as the secrets come tumbling out. Some are guessable, but others come as a surprise, especially the killer’s identity and the motive behind it. I was blindsided by that one and the very Victorian way it was revealed.
The plotting is clever and the execution is good with a steady stream of reveals and more questions to be answered. I found it to be quite light hearted in its approach in that there is the odd dash of humour, a touch of irony and the theatrical absurdity of John Clark.
Sherlock Holmes and the Persian Slipper is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.