Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #177405 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 132 pages

Customer Reviews

Sherlock in Minnesota, series 2, Volume 2
This is the author's second Sherlockian pastiche. The earlier book, "Sherlock Holmes and the County Courthouse Caper," was set in rural Minnesota in the 1880s while this one is set in St. Paul, in 1896.

While I found the earlier book interesting, this second novel is a distinct improvement. Once the reader grows accustomed to Holmes' presence in St. Paul and to the absence of Dr. Watson, the entire situation becomes much more comfortable. The earlier book had something of an adventure story about it while this one feels like a normal, urban Sherlock Holmes case. The author has included a good deal of historical fact and a number of historical characters in the narrative and Holmes seems to absorb the history and the background quickly and thoroughly, yet he remains always an English outsider, detached, observant and analytical.

It is quite odd to find Holmes at ease with a foreign environment, yet it is also natural, given his professional detachment and his observer's view of the world. He always seems to accept the society around him at face value and to see the current situation as a modestly interesting example of Genus Homo in action. The author has perfectly captured this aspect of Holmes so that he never seems appalled, affronted or shocked by behavior, but rather mildly curious and interested in this particular set of eccentricities. His investigation is careful, thorough and conducted with as much cooperation with the local police as can be managed.

The historical characters that wander through the book are true-to-life without being idealized. Their achievements come along with their oddities and even the several fictional characters seem as alive and as real as the historical ones. The mystery is well constructed and not easily solved while the characters are interesting and have a reality about them that is rare in a Sherlockian pastiche.

Reviewed by: Philip K. Jones, April, 2009.

Fun read
This is and interesting tale spun in a Minnesota geographic framework that extends westward from the Twin Cities, through St. Cloud and Willmar, to Browns Valley, near the South Dakota border. In addition to a mystery that Sherlock Holmes helps solve, the reader is treated to a lot of history of the Twin Cities and those towns further west. Once you read this book, you'll want to also read Falkingham's other Holmes mystery tale, County Courthouse Caper.

Highly recommended ! A must read ! A +++
That may very well be the best book I have ever read ! I've already purchased a couple extras to use as gifts. Who is this Falkingham fella ? Where can I find more of his work ?