Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are back – and the great detective and his friend are arguing about the necessity of installing a telephone in the house. Sherlock is anxious over the new technology whereas Dr Watson is convinced it will be the future.Watson is invited to visit an old country home, Belmont, along with a variety of other male guests. Connected by their interest in art and literature, … art and literature, Watson soon learns there is more about these men that meets the eye.
The tension heightens when one of the guests, Benjamin Morgan, is found dead, stabbed to death by an ornate silver letter opener.
The prime suspect is one of the other guests, Mr Gregson, who was the unlucky person who found the dead body whilst he was trying to make a telephone call.
Outraged that he is being accused, he is quick to defend himself. But with no other suspects the local police are struggling to catch a break. All leads quickly turn into dead ends until Watson persuades Holmes to travel to Belmont to investigate.
Together Holmes and Watson interview the visitors and access the crime scene for clues. However, their initial findings suggest that Mr Gregson is still the guilty man, especially when it is discovered that it was his silver letter opener and he had blood stained trousers.
As events unfold, Holmes surmises that perhaps Gregson was the intended victim and Morgan just an innocent bystander who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But when Gregson is found in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, Holmes and Watson are in a race against time to locate the murderer.
Was Gregson faking his attack to convince them of his innocence?
Was the original murder from a deluded madman or a crime of passion committed by the guests?
Who will fall victim to the telephone murders next?
‘Sherlock Holmes and the Telephone Murder Mystery’ is a thrilling detective novel from bestselling author John Hall.
Praise for John Hall:
‘A treat for any Holmes fan.’ – Tom Kasey, best-selling author of ‘Trade Off’.
John Hall spent many years in the civil service before becoming a professional writer specialising in crime fiction. His book ‘Death of a Collector’ won the Sherlock magazine’s competition for the best new fictional detective. He is also the author of ‘Sherlock Holmes at the Raffles Hotel’ and ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Hammerford Will’.
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I like that so many have taken up Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mantle to keep Sherlock Holmes alive and solving mysteries long after Doyle published his last Holmes piece in 1893. The entire premise of the great detective is so timeless the persona can be portrayed in most any time period from the Victorian Era right up to the 21st century. The character never seems to grow old or go stale.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE TELEPHONE MURDER MYSTERY takes us on holiday with Dr. John Watson who becomes embroiled in a murder mystery at a retreat for artists which, as the title suggests, boasts one of those new-fangled contraptions called a telephone, the merits of which are much discussed. Of course, the local constabulary is in need of help, and the Inspector assigned to the case has worked with Holmes and Watson previously. The stage is set. Murder, Holmes and Watson are soon all under one roof.
I found the story a bit more convoluted than many I have read, yet it remained engaging throughout. Hall does a laudable job of describing the mansion in which the murder occurs along with the surrounding countryside and village. The locale offers much in the way of bucolic serenity and quiet making the fact of murder all the more grotesque. The Holmes and Watson characters are rendered much as you would expect so the story fits quite well with the original canon.
If you count yourself to be among the Baker Street Irregulars, you will surely want to add this book to your library.
Very uninteresting, surprisingly!
Pretty decent attempt at re-creating Sherlock and Watson as Doyle wrote them.
A fun read, no pressure at all. Not as good as Arthur Conan Doyle, but close. Just a fun light read to pass some time.
Very entertaining
Good book!
A Sherlock wannabe. Not worth the time.
I love Sherlock Homes and Dr. John Watson. This particular novel was a fast read, The story line revolving around the period in history where the telephone was making it’s appearance and how it plays out in the novel is quite interesting. The characters are fairly well described although I noticed a few errors in the read where a character’s name was inserted by mistake for another’s. No matter, it was easy enough to follow. I appreciate the attention to detail in the descriptions of the mannerisms, the colloquialisms of the period, the clothes they wore, how important the habit of tea-time was to the era and to the story. Holmes and Watson are up to their usual high standards of collecting details, from the obvious to the minute. Give it a go folks, it’s worth it!
It was a well written novel in the style of Conan Doyle. Enjoyable read
John hall has Conan Doyle writing to a “T”. Feet book.
If you’re a Holmes fan, this book will pass the time well enough. Wasn’t thrilled with the twist at the end, but for the most part it was entertaining.