The Mysterious Press
The Mysterious Press
The Mysterious Press
An outstanding collection of fifteen stories featuring Sherlock Holmes from the acclaimed author of the Sherlockian novel Dust and Shadow and the Timothy Wilde trilogy.
Internationally bestselling author Lyndsay Faye was introduced to the Sherlock Holmes mysteries when she was ten years old and her dad suggested she read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story “The Adventure of the Speckled Band.” She immediately became enamored with tales of Holmes and his esteemed biographer Dr. John Watson, and later, began spinning these quintessential characters into her own works of fiction—from her acclaimed debut novel, Dust and Shadow, which pits the famous detective against Jack the Ripper, to a series of short stories for the Strand Magazine, whose predecessor published the very first Sherlock Holmes short story in 1891.
Faye’s best Holmes tales, including two new works, are brought together in The Whole Art of Detection, a fascinating collection that spans Holmes’s career, from self-taught young upstart to lauded detective, both before and after his faked death over a Swiss waterfall in 1894. In “The Lowther Park Mystery,” the unsociable Holmes is forced to attend a garden party at the request of his politician brother and improvises a bit of theater to foil a conspiracy against the government. “The Adventure of the Thames Tunnel” brings Holmes’s attention to the baffling murder of a jewel thief in the middle of an underground railway passage. With Holmes and Watson encountering all manner of ungrateful relatives, phony psychologists, wronged wives, plaid-garbed villains, and even a peculiar species of deadly red leech, The Whole Art of Detection is a must-read for Sherlockians and any fan of historical crime fiction with a modern sensibility.
“The Whole Art of Detection belongs on the top shelf with the very best of Doyle’s Holmes stories. Author Faye has captured the language, locutions and inventiveness of the original tales as well or better than any author I can think of. It is absolutely essential reading for any—and every—aficionado who cherishes the real thing.” —Nicholas Meyer, author of The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
“A great pastiche requires an uncanny ear for Watson’s voice as well as a talent for a compelling story. Fortunately, Lyndsay Faye has plenty of both gifts, as she already proved in her near-perfect Dust and Shadow. For those who despair that Arthur Conan Doyle only gave us 60 stories of Holmes, rejoice! Here are 15 more treasures!” —Leslie S. Klinger, editor of The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes
“The Whole Art of Detection is a meticulous depiction of the Victorian world and the criminal goings on that gave us Sherlock. The London of the late 19th Century is awash with would be criminal masterminds who must be contained. It’s a great look at the London of Holmes and the threats that emerge from an active criminal underground.” —Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, author of Mycroft Holmes
“As full of wit as it is of twists, The Whole Art of Detection is a clever collection of deeply satisfying stories that capture the essence of Doyle’s work while marking an impressive addition to the Holmes canon.” —Graham Moore, author of The Sherlockian and The Last Days of Night
“A new Lyndsay Faye book is always noteworthy but for those Sherlockians among us who take our pastiches seriously, The Whole Art of Detection is a special cause for celebration. Faye’s mastery of Watson’s narrative voice and skilled plotting are, at this point, to be expected; as is her period research, which manages to be dazzling and unobtrusive at the same time. But it’s how she treats the Holmes/Watson relationship that is unique. The humor, the familiarity, the deep affection, the occasional arguments and hurt feelings—Lyndsay Faye is matchless at rendering the very human people at the center of the most famous partnership in fiction. Truly, The Whole Art of Detection is a textbook of friendship.” —Curtis Armstrong
“If Lyndsay Faye’s byline weren’t on the cover, readers might deduce that the Sherlock Holmes mysteries in The Whole Art of Detection actually came from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Her 15 short stories expertly re-create the style and substance of the originals in every way. These “lost” Holmes and Watson adventures are clever and exciting. And while the tales are altogether new, they also feel immediately familiar.” —David Martindale, Star-Telegram
(Fort Worth, TX)
“Edgar-finalist Faye . . . presents pitch-perfect Watsonian narration . . . [An] outstanding collection . . . All impressively add psychological depth to the friendship, plausibly exploring personal dynamics in the wake of traumas such as the loss of Watson’s wife and Holmes’s apparent return from the dead, in a way that will resonate especially with fans of the BBC’s Sherlock.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Faye’s wonderful collection of pastiches is rooted in a little-understood fact about the Holmes canon: the stories are not about Holmes; they’re about Watson observing Holmes . . . There are mysteries here and razzle-dazzle deductions . . . but the real attraction is the power of these 15 stories to make the originals glow even brighter. For Holmesians to read, then treasure.” —Don Crinklaw, Booklist (starred review)
“The impressively varied puzzles not only provide the detective the chance to display his famed powers of deduction, but increasingly humanize Holmes by putting him more and more on the side of the angels, giving him the chance to free women from perilous unions and save innocents from deception and fraud. Faye also restores Watson to Holmes’ side and allows the relationship between the detective and his biographer to mature and mellow without altering either man’s essential character. It’s refreshing to see Holmes be Holmes. Fans and neophytes alike should cheer Faye’s reinvigoration of Conan Doyle’s hero and his panoramic world.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“All [15 tales] have the distinctive style and creativity of Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories. It is a book Sherlock Holmes devotees will want to savor with small samplings.” —Ben Boulden, Mystery Scene
“The release of Faye’s collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories, The Whole Art of Detection, could not have come out at a better time. Quite frankly, the public cannot seem to get enough Holmes . . . Terrific . . . The feat that Lyndsay Faye has pulled off with The Whole Art of Detection is nothing short of amazing. The stories flow nicely into each other, and all leave you wanting more. It’s not so much that she’s paying tribute to Sherlock Holmes, but more like she’s directly channeling the spirit of the late, great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.” —Ray Palen, Bookreporter
“A stunning collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories inspired by the original Arthur Conan Doyle classics . . . Faye expertly channels Watson’s voice as official biographer of the famous detective, and this collection would not be out of place among the very best stories of Sherlock Holmes . . . Lyndsay Faye’s wit blends charmingly with Conan Doyle’s style, bringing a new voice to the timeless tales of Sherlock Holmes. She manages to honor the original work without sacrificing her own voice while also concocting mysteries worthy of Holmes’s prodigious talent for deduction. This is absolutely a must read for anyone with an interest in Sherlock Holmes or mysteries set in Victorian London, whether they are new to the genre or longtime fans of Holmesian plots.” —Ardi Alspach, Criminal Element
“A thrilling collection for Sherlock fans . . . Faye easily captures the essence of Holmes and Watson, both in voice and style. Readers will feel as if they are in the cozy confines of 221B Baker Street right alongside this often feuding and sometimes teasing pair of old friends or, better yet, sitting beside them in a bouncing carriage as they race to rescue a would-be victim from an otherwise heinous end.” —G. Robert Frazier, BookPage
“The mysteries are satisfying . . . A fun read.” —Historical Novel Society
“Sherlockians will be delighted, as will Faye’s many fans. A nice companion to The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories, edited by Otto Penzler.” —Library Journal
“Faye’s prose seduces readers with familiar cadence and beautiful imagery, all while briskly unraveling story after story with clever plots and colorful characters . . . The Conan-Doyle touch is in full bloom in The Whole Art of Detection. Faye has a true gift for style and a fun eye for story . . . Throughout, the writing shines. Faye’s effortless prose mirrors Conan Doyle’s poetic sensibility and his flowing, elongated sentence style.” —Mark Stevens, New York Journal of Books
“Readers will delight in these beautifully told tales about the beloved duo of Holmes and Watson, and will surely find themselves returning to this collection again and again.” —Elizabeth Rowe, Bookish
“Faye has a grasp of Watson and Holmes’ partnership that few authors manage to bring to life on the page in quite the same way. Here we see playful teasing, uproarious arguments, protectiveness and fondness, and a way of interacting that can only come about from decades of knowing each other . . . An amazing collection, and you will want to have it on your shelf.” —Elise Elliot, John H. Watson Society
“An outstanding collection . . . The writing is excellent and it is enjoyable to note the contrast between Holmes more maer of fact prose and Watson’s more floridly descriptive writing.” —Tonstant Weader Reviews
“Imaginative, daring, and extremely well-written.” —Not a Book Snob
“I loved this book . . . This collection gives the reader the feeling that we are back there again at 221B, sitting invisibly by their fireplace and listening to them discuss their cases. Like the original canon, these are all cracking good stories, and the yrun the gamut of the strange, the unusual, the criminal, and the bizarre.” —Reading Reality
Listed on Publishers Weekly spring 2017 announcement in the mystery & thriller category
From “The Adventure of the Beggar’s Feast”
When Holmes had given his promise, I readily agreed despite my perplexity, and the three of us walked to the back of the warehouse, entering a smaller room. A sharply descending staircase was revealed at the back of this chamber, and on the subterranean level, we found ourselves in a hallway lined with more unclaimed furnishings. Mr. Marwick reached behind a featureless bookshelf, and with the smallest click of a concealed lever, it swung to and revealed itself a doorway.
“My God,” I breathed.
“I never imagined I’d see it in person,” Holmes added lowly. “Thank you for your confidence, Mr. Marwick.”
The spacious room we entered, quite as long as the warehouse above us and filled with the happy sounds produced by flowing wine and rollicking cheer, was unmatched for opulence against any I have ever heard report of in England. It was walled in alternating dark carved rosewood and panels of mirror, while above our heads six enormous matched chandeliers blazed forth like small suns.
On every surface was heaped the most sumptuous presentations of food.
And the people! Such elegance I had never before seen amassed in a single congregation, nor have I witnessed a gathering where the guests seemed to be enjoying themselves and each other more. Every attendee was bedecked in silk, velvet, and lace, and on every face a giddy smile shone forth. Then, with a comprehensive start of understanding, I noticed that a man a few yards distant from me had not shaved in months or perhaps even years, and that another neighbor was missing the furthest joints of three of his fingers, very probably due to their having been severely frostbitten.
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