Sherlock Holmes at the Varieties The Sherlock Mysteries Book 14 eBook Val Andrews
Download As PDF : Sherlock Holmes at the Varieties The Sherlock Mysteries Book 14 eBook Val Andrews 
A year has passed since the pair’s unexpected reunion, and an evening full of entertainment awaits them. Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr Watson.
Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr Watson are guests at 'Murphy's Theatre of Varieties'; however, both are unaware that their own detective double act will soon take centre stage.
On arrival, Watson discovers much has changed inside the former London music-hall; although the owner, Mr Murphy himself, remains the same.
During a fleeting encounter with Mr. Murphy he reveals all is not well. A recent series of mysterious incidents have damaged the theatre’s reputation, threatening a precarious future.
On the case, both Holmes and Watson greet allegations of supernatural activity with their accustomed scepticism, yet various ghostly sightings as well as a further sequence of near fatal mishaps begin to suggest something mysterious is happening.
George Robey, an up-and-coming English comedian, together with the theatre itself emerges as the intended targets of the suspected paranormal calamities. But with no clear culprit to speak of and an increasing number of ghoulish assertions to decipher; Holmes is driven to desperate measures in his attempts to solve it all...
Sherlock Holmes at the Varieties transports the reader into a forgotten era of show business where the most accomplished performance comes from Holmes himself
Sherlock Holmes at the Varieties The Sherlock Mysteries Book 14 eBook Val Andrews
Since Arthur Conan Doyle began writing his Sherlock Holmes stories back in the 1880's, many of those stories, along with Holmes, Watson, and most of the other popular characters from the Holmes canon, have been in the public domain for a number of years. As a result, a veritable plethora of Holmes pastiches of widely varying quality have been written over the past few years. One of the more prolific of the "new" Holmes authors was Val Andrews, who brought a unique point of view and a great deal of specialized knowledge to his work. Many of his Holmes stories involve some combination of magic and theater of Holmes's era, which was no surprise since Andrews was a ventriloquist and accomplished writer on the art of illusion as well. He brings these strengths to bear in "Sherlock Holmes at the Varieties.""Varieties" is a 70-page novella set in the days following Holmes's return from his apparent death at the Reichenbach Falls. He's a calmer, mellower Holmes now as he and Watson again share their Baker Street quarters, and he takes on various cases. However, "Varieties" doesn't begin as a Holmes investigation at all. Instead, he decides to treat Watson to a night out on the town and a trip to a popular music hall of the day, The Varieties. Mystery isn't far away though, as, during intermission, Holmes and Watson overhear the theater owner complaining about mysterious acts of vandalism and petty theft that are beginning to spook some of the would-be patrons. Rumor has it that the mysterious goings on were caused by the ghosts of past performers who had died in and around the theater. The ghostly mischief turns considerably more serious when, in front of Holmes and Watson's eyes, George Robey, the show headliner, narrowly avoids being crushed by a heavy weight dropping from the rafters.
Although "Varieties" is billed as a Holmes mystery, in reality, the Great Detective, Dr. Watson and the mystery itself are really secondary to the story's main subject, the world of musical theater at the beginning of the 20th century. Andrews is an expert on the subject, and he has his various characters provide one history lesson after another about the theater of that day. Readers will learn about the way shows were organized and how the theater had, for monetary reasons, morphed into what by then resembled classic vaudeville. Andrews also explains a good bit about the actual buildings themselves. The material seems quite authentic. Even George Robey, the most prominent non-canon character in “Varieties,” was an actual performer of the day who eventually became a well-known character actor in movies.
However, in order to impart all these tidbits of information on the reader, Andrews has to engage in a large number of information dumps, and, since he adheres to the customary Holmes convention of having Watson serve as narrator, various characters, including Holmes himself, have to engage in lengthy monologues on these subjects. Andrews doesn't integrate this material into his main storyline all that well, either, so the story often moves at quite a slow pace. The information about the theater does help a bit to cover up the fact that, as a mystery, and as a Holmes mystery in particular, "Varieties" is not all that interesting. The solution in general is fairly easy to guess, so much so that even Watson sort of stumbles on parts of it. To make matters even more frustrating, Andrews structures the story so that Watson (and of necessity the readers) aren't there for much of the key action. At one point, Holmes literally sends him away on a shaggy dog hunt.
The biggest problem I had with "Varieties" was that it just didn't seem or read like a Sherlock Holmes story. Holmes still likes his violin and makes his usual off-the-cuff deductions about people, but these deductions seem contrived instead of flowing from the narration as they did in Doyle's stories. And, while I'm no expert on Holmes, the character in this story seems like he's had a heavy dose of Xanax. In fact, although Holmes and Watson are the main characters, the story feels quite generic, lacking the distinctive Holmes touch. It wouldn't surprise me if Andrews, to boost his story's marketability, took a generic period mystery and somewhat clumsily reworked it as a Holmes tale.
I actually wish Andrews had written a simple historical mystery; his material on the theater is quite interesting. But he doesn't seem to be able to create a convincing Holmes and Watson or a Holmes mystery. Based on the entertainment value of the background material, I'm giving this story a mild recommendation, but those who are interested in the "actual" further adventures of the Great Detective should look elsewhere. The game's afoot in many places, but not so much at the Varieties.
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Sherlock Holmes at the Varieties The Sherlock Mysteries Book 14 eBook Val Andrews Reviews
Holmes and Watson are hired by Mr. George Robey in what seems to be
protecting valuable instruments, but are things what they seem? Also
what does it have to do with ghosts. Worth a read. A short quick mystery
Delightful and entertaining tale of my favorite detectives. Holmes is at the top of his game as usual and Doctor Watson is as charming as ever. The story is fast paced and I loved every single minute of it! Highly recommended for any fan of Holmes.
I am a Sherlock fan and Val Andrews does a very good job, he puts you in that Victorian mood that is must. Be warned they smoke a lot, more than in the "real Conan Doyle books" but I find it appropriate for the time period, the case is interesting and the deductions are quite nice.
This book was a pleasant surprise.
Peter
Here's another slender Sherlock Holmes pastiche from the prolific British journalist, theatrical historian, Sherlockian and magician Val Andrews. And this one brings Andrews' interest in theatrical history back to center stage.
A somewhat mellower Holmes is freshly back from the Great Hiatus (post Reichenbach Falls), and takes Watson out for an evening at Watson's favorite Music Hall... but the Hall has undergone an evolution into a Variety Theater (somewhat like America's vaudeville). The Hall's owner brings a seemingly minor problem to the attention of Holmes and Watson, but the problem soon becomes serious as several murder attempts are aimed at comedian and singer George Robey (an actual historical character, as are some of the other performers we meet in the course of the adventure), and Robey simultaneously finds a priceless violin in his collection, in place of a copy he had built himself as a hobby!
The murder attempts, the violin, a mysterious ghost or ghosts haunting the Hall, and a number of other plot turns are all connected by Holmes at adventure's end, of course. But the real interest here is Andrews' recreation of a vanished Golden Age of British "vaudeville". I enjoyed it all.
"Sherlock Holmes at the Varieties" is an interesting and entertaining pastiche by Val Andrews. Andrews has done a good job at capturing the essence of Doyle's iconic characters of Holmes and Watson. Dr. Watson's narrative is enjoyable and brings the reader into the story. The plot is well crafted and it keeps one guessing.
"Sherlock Holmes at the Varieties" begins with Holmes suggesting that the two friends attend a show at the music hall. Watson finds the theatre much changed; no longer is it the casual Music Hall of yesteryear, now "Murphy's Theatre of Varieties." Thus, it is now a variety show with no "chairman" announcing and coordinating the acts. Now one must purchase a printed program! There are neither tables to sit at nor any drinks to be ordered; instead, there are now rows of red push seats. Still, they have an enjoyable evening until the question of the theatre's ghost is raised. And soon, accidents begin to happen, and Sherlock's interest is peaked.
If you are a fan of Holmes, then this short story or about 100 pages is one that you will enjoy. This is the perfect story for a nice evening beside the fireplace. There are many imitators of Doyle's famous creation, and Val Andrews is one of the better writers of this genre.
Worst Sherlock Holmes book ever seen. Oh yes, I have read many. I love Sherlock Holmes, but this author does not know Dr. Watson any. Frankly, if the writing was any worse... I would think it was a comedy and done on purpose. England in the 1800's was quite different than what I see. Do some research by going to a library and reading history books on that era. Characters are stiff and wooden lacking any vitality or energy. Please do more research before you write about a subject that is so dear and near. I gave the book two stars, but it deserves zero.
Since Arthur Conan Doyle began writing his Sherlock Holmes stories back in the 1880's, many of those stories, along with Holmes, Watson, and most of the other popular characters from the Holmes canon, have been in the public domain for a number of years. As a result, a veritable plethora of Holmes pastiches of widely varying quality have been written over the past few years. One of the more prolific of the "new" Holmes authors was Val Andrews, who brought a unique point of view and a great deal of specialized knowledge to his work. Many of his Holmes stories involve some combination of magic and theater of Holmes's era, which was no surprise since Andrews was a ventriloquist and accomplished writer on the art of illusion as well. He brings these strengths to bear in "Sherlock Holmes at the Varieties."
"Varieties" is a 70-page novella set in the days following Holmes's return from his apparent death at the Reichenbach Falls. He's a calmer, mellower Holmes now as he and Watson again share their Baker Street quarters, and he takes on various cases. However, "Varieties" doesn't begin as a Holmes investigation at all. Instead, he decides to treat Watson to a night out on the town and a trip to a popular music hall of the day, The Varieties. Mystery isn't far away though, as, during intermission, Holmes and Watson overhear the theater owner complaining about mysterious acts of vandalism and petty theft that are beginning to spook some of the would-be patrons. Rumor has it that the mysterious goings on were caused by the ghosts of past performers who had died in and around the theater. The ghostly mischief turns considerably more serious when, in front of Holmes and Watson's eyes, George Robey, the show headliner, narrowly avoids being crushed by a heavy weight dropping from the rafters.
Although "Varieties" is billed as a Holmes mystery, in reality, the Great Detective, Dr. Watson and the mystery itself are really secondary to the story's main subject, the world of musical theater at the beginning of the 20th century. Andrews is an expert on the subject, and he has his various characters provide one history lesson after another about the theater of that day. Readers will learn about the way shows were organized and how the theater had, for monetary reasons, morphed into what by then resembled classic vaudeville. Andrews also explains a good bit about the actual buildings themselves. The material seems quite authentic. Even George Robey, the most prominent non-canon character in “Varieties,” was an actual performer of the day who eventually became a well-known character actor in movies.
However, in order to impart all these tidbits of information on the reader, Andrews has to engage in a large number of information dumps, and, since he adheres to the customary Holmes convention of having Watson serve as narrator, various characters, including Holmes himself, have to engage in lengthy monologues on these subjects. Andrews doesn't integrate this material into his main storyline all that well, either, so the story often moves at quite a slow pace. The information about the theater does help a bit to cover up the fact that, as a mystery, and as a Holmes mystery in particular, "Varieties" is not all that interesting. The solution in general is fairly easy to guess, so much so that even Watson sort of stumbles on parts of it. To make matters even more frustrating, Andrews structures the story so that Watson (and of necessity the readers) aren't there for much of the key action. At one point, Holmes literally sends him away on a shaggy dog hunt.
The biggest problem I had with "Varieties" was that it just didn't seem or read like a Sherlock Holmes story. Holmes still likes his violin and makes his usual off-the-cuff deductions about people, but these deductions seem contrived instead of flowing from the narration as they did in Doyle's stories. And, while I'm no expert on Holmes, the character in this story seems like he's had a heavy dose of Xanax. In fact, although Holmes and Watson are the main characters, the story feels quite generic, lacking the distinctive Holmes touch. It wouldn't surprise me if Andrews, to boost his story's marketability, took a generic period mystery and somewhat clumsily reworked it as a Holmes tale.
I actually wish Andrews had written a simple historical mystery; his material on the theater is quite interesting. But he doesn't seem to be able to create a convincing Holmes and Watson or a Holmes mystery. Based on the entertainment value of the background material, I'm giving this story a mild recommendation, but those who are interested in the "actual" further adventures of the Great Detective should look elsewhere. The game's afoot in many places, but not so much at the Varieties.
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