Holmes and Watson. It is a pair of names that has been synonymous with crime and mystery for over 100 years. But what if Holmes wasn’t a master detective? Instead, Holmes is a wizard – and he’s not a very good one at that! What if Dr. John Watson was the brains of the operation and it is his skills of deduction that brought London’s criminal element to justice?
He’s Getting Better
Warlock Holmes and the Hell-hound of the Baskervilles is the second book in the Warlock Holmes series of novels. Written by comedian G.S. Denning, the Warlock Holmes books are a mash-up of mystery, spoof, and parody. The first book, A Study in Brimstone, was laugh-out loud funny. Being Denning’s first work, it was a little unpolished at times. So, does the sequel surpass the first book or do the adventures of Warlock and Watson hit the sophomore slump?
Hell-Hound of the Baskervilles takes place 6 months after the events of A Study in Brimstone. Warlock Holmes, for better part of words, has been rendered incapacitated by Dr. Watson after Professor Moriarty possessed the body of so-called master detective. (But he’s getting better!)
When a potential client arrives at 221B Baker Street, it’s up to Watson to take up the case of recovering a missing artifact. Since Watson is really the genius behind Holmes’ reputation, this mystery should be easy as pie. As the case deepens, Watson learns that the item he’s tasked to find can restore people to a less horizontal position. Adding to the suspense Dr. Watson must beat agents of Moriarty to it first. Should he fail, let’s just say this might be a one-man show from now on.
From the Journals of Martin Freeman
Book two is filled with several short stories based on some very popular cases of Holmes and Watson. A couple of them may be little more obscure to the average fan of Sherlock. There’s a definite nod to Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in every adventure with a touch of Terry Pratchett thrown in for good measure. Yet, no matter how I read these tales, I can’t help but hear Martin Freeman narrating Dr. Watson’s recounts of Victorian Era crime. (That also means I picture Benedict Cumberbatch as Warlock. Only he’s a complete buffoon instead of an arrogant ass.)
Madcap on the Moors
The title story is based on perhaps the most well-known Sherlock Holmes adventure of all: The Hound of the Baskervilles. It provides a top-notch spin on the hellish canine that haunts the British countryside. This episode also discloses the origin of Warlock Holmes, which I didn’t think was such a great idea.
The parody of Warlock Holmes works in that the so-called master detective couldn’t find his way out of bed without the help of Watson. He can perform magic but only because he doesn’t really know what he’s doing. Yet this origin almost makes Warlock kind of brilliant in an accidental sort of way. When the story returns to the present, Holmes is stupid again. So either writer G.S. Denning made a continuity error or there’s more to the legend of Warlock Holmes than meets the eye. I’m really hoping it is the latter.
In many ways, Hell-hound is superior to it’s predecessor. The second book was a lot less goofy than A Study in Brimstone; except for the tricycle race to the death in story four. (But, that was an okay escape into the absurd.) Book Two reads much better and I cannot wait until May, 2018 when book 3 is published. Only then shall I feel confident to decide if the revelation of Warlock’s early days was a mystery best left unsolved or not.
Worth Consuming.
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
Review originally published June 13, 2017 on outrightgeekery.com
