‘Sherlock Holmes: The Crossover Casebook’

Recently Moonstone Books put out a great collection of Sherlock Holmes stories: “Sherlock Holmes: The Crossover Casebook.” As the title implies, all the stories have Holmes meeting or teaming up with various well-known characters, both real and fictional. In some ways, I was reminded of the series of “Tales of the Shadowmen” collections from Black Coat Press.

Some people confuse crossover stories, thinking them all part of Philip José Farmer‘s Wold Newton Universe idea. But actually, only a couple of stories in this collection should be considered proper WNU stories.

Here’s a rundown of the stories in the book:

• Martin Powell: “Sherlock Holmes in the Lost World” has Holmes and Dr. John Watson journey to the Lost World found by Professor Challenger. The Professor has gone missing, most likely on a return expedition and he is needed. They are accompanied by the Professor’s daughter, a competent adventurer and scientist in her own right. (Frankly, she makes for an interesting character who deserves to appear in future stories, hint, hint.) Thing is, Arthur Conan Doyle introduced a daughter for Challenger in the third story, “The Land of Mist,” named Enid who is nothing like the daughter in this story.

• Chris Sequiera: “The Scion of Fear” is a sequel to the Holmes novel “The Sign of the Four.” That is the story where Watson met his future wife. Puts a finale to that story.

• Martin Gately: “The Petrifying Well” has Holmes working with T.E. Lawrence (“Lawrence of Arabia”) during Holmes’ retirement and before Lawrence has left England. This story is written as if by Holmes and not Watson.

• Win Scott Eckert: “The Adventures of the Fallen Stone” has Holmes met some of the Holmes pastiches who became more characters in their own right: Harry Dickson, the “American Sherlock Holmes” created in Germany, and the English Sexton Blake. Morris Klaw‘s (the “dream detective” created by Sax Rohmer) daughter also appears. This story is a sequel to Farmer’s “The Adventure of the Peerless Peer,” though enough info is given in the story that you can get away with reading it without having read “Peer.” This is the first part of a pair (or series). I wonder where the next part will appear?

• Joe Gentile: “The Secret of Grant’s Tomb” Has Holmes working with one of his early literary rivals, Professor Van Dusen, the “Thinking Machine”.

• Howard Hopkins, who also edited the book: “The Haunted Manor” has Holmes solving what seems to be a mysterious case, with Calamity Jane along for the ride.

• Barbara Hambly: “The Adventure of the Sinister Chinaman” has Holmes and Watson in America, where they help a Chinese-American magician from being blamed for kidnapping a child. They are assisted by someone who may be the Wizard of Oz!

• Matthew Mayo: “The Folly of Flight” has Holmes and Watson work with French gentleman-thief (and sometime amateur detective) Arsene Lupin in solving the murder of a French balloonist.

• Richard Dean Starr: “Sherlock Holmes and the Other Eye” has Holmes solve a case that clears Aleister Crowley of a crime. Sadly, there wasn’t much interaction between the characters.

• Larry Engle and Kevin VanHook: “The Adventure of the Magician’s Meeting” has Holmes work with Harry Houdini to expose a crime hidden behind a seance.

• Matthew Baugh: “The Adventures of the Ethical Assassin” has a return of the King of Bohemia, as Holmes has to protect him against an assassin. He meets up with Ivan Dragomilov, head of the Assassinations Bureau, Ltd. This character was created in an unfinished story by Jack London, which was finished and turned into a movie. Check it out if you’ve never seen it.

• Will Murray: “The Adventure of the Imaginary Nihilist” has Holmes met with Col. Richard Henry Savage, a real individual who was an inspiration for both Doc Savage and The Avenger. This story ties in with a real novel written by Col. Savage.

• Don Roff: “The House on Moreau Street” has Holmes dealing with the nephew of Dr. Moreau, who is trying to carry on his work. Dr. Thorndyke, another literary “rival” of Holmes, also makes an appearance.

• Chris Sequiera: “The Adventure of the Lost Specialist” is a different story that has a return engagement with Professor Moriarty. To say more would give too much away.

Now this collection is supposed to be all original stories, but I did find out the first story was reprinted from another work. I don’t know how many others are original; I hope all the rest are. As a bibliophile, I want this information given in books, ideally in the indicia or elsewhere in the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would love to see a second volume along these lines.