Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Review: A Man Named Baskerville by Jim Nelson

Sysnopsis:
He took on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and he lost. Now he wants revenge.In 1888, Sherlock Holmes slayed the spectral hound haunting the Devonshire moor, thereby laying to rest the curse of the Baskervilles once and for all. The perpetrator escaped into the night and was presumed drowned, consumed by the murky bog...

In truth, the criminal mastermind survived the night to nurse his wounds and plot his revenge against Sherlock Holmes.

"A Man Named Baskerville" recounts the life and times of Rodger Baskerville, exiled heir to the esteemed family's fortune. His journal records his adventures from the Amazon rainforests to the beaches of Costa Rica to Victorian England, where he attempts to take his rightful place at Baskerville Hall. Along the way, he peels back the layers of family secrets and scandals untold in Dr. Watson's account of the demonic hound haunting the Baskervilles.

Most of all, he describes a Sherlock Holmes unlike the legendary detective you think you know.

"A Man Named Baskerville" retells the infamous Arthur Conan Doyle mystery in a way you've never read before. It's a sizzling new take on a classic hailed as a masterpiece of the English language, named one of the most influential books ever by the BBC and Le Monde, and beloved by Sherlock Holmes fans worldwide for over a century.

It's a rousing adventure, from start to finish. What's more—it's a Sherlock Holmes story unlike any you've read before.

~ ~ ~

This is the much needed backstory of the character of Stapleton from Conan Doyle's "Hound of the Baskervilles". It is exceedingly  well done and in keeping with Conan Doyle's original story. Over the course of a few days, and whilst he is being hunted by not only Holmes and Watson but also the local posse, Stapleton / Baskerville's earlier life is recounted.  

This reflection, in diary form and narrated in the first person by Stapleton / Baskerville, is taking place in "real time" following his escape into Grimpen Mire.  This alternate version of current events are related through the eyes of Stapleton / Baskerville, and are written in such a way as to elicit empathy for the narrator.

Heartily recommended for lovers of Holmes and those looking to add to their own Sherlock Holmes collections. Definitely one for my own!

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