Piccadilly Books seems to find the twist in whatever it publishes to bring out a blend of enjoyment and practicality. This title certainly is no exception.

What a delightful book! Jeff Brown from Alaska exudes enthusiasm in his book about two topics which seem to be his passion; namely Conan Doyle's Holmes and Magic. Fortunate for us readers/magicians, they are intertwined with lovely effect and outcome. A number of prominent magicians are thanked in advance for their being instrumental in putting Mr. Brown's collection together. Among them are Max Maven, Martin Gardner and Martin Lewis. As Mr. Brown says in his introduction, the book, "...won't transform you into a skilled conjuror a trained detective. It will, however, enable you to combine effects of magic with the tales of the world's most well known sleuth, and give your audience a reason for the magic to happen."

Throughout the twenty-nine magical effects you glean much of the author's insights into the methodical minds of Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson. There is some very fine suggested patter and storyline as well as a rating system for effect difficulty ranked by one to four pipes, as in what Mr. Holmes seems puff upon when he thinks, me thinks. In any case, for the magician with a familiarity of basic card work, sleights and mentalism effects, nothing presents a challenge in handling. It is all in the story and presentation. Mr. Brown is on the money when he says you will, "...give your audience a reason for the magic to happen." with his work. As a full time children's/family entertainer myself, I know first hand how schools, camps and related don't typically wish to throw money at silly magic shows without meaning. Selling my programs about safety and nutrition, to name a couple, are the reasons for being a winner in my market. Jeff Brown is meticulous in his approach to choreograph the magic and the mysteries of Sherlock Holmes and therefore making it easy to create an entirely themed program or series. As he is a contributing member of the venerable magician's EG, this is no suprise.

All the effects tie in one way or another with villains of Mr. Holmes or a storyline from one of Conan Doyle's novels. They are replete with details. Quotes of Holmes', titles of books, scenarios, scenes, background and even landmarks are provided. I felt for the layman some of the effects are not quite explained thoroughly enough and unless they are inclined to search out in a magic resource more info on a handling, they might skip over one to another more easily grasped. But, Mr. Brown does recommend to follow up, such as when he provides one simple card force method but suggests to seek out others. Trying to be of further help, clip art is included, nicely done I might add, to photo copy for the reader's use in making up some of the effects.

I give this a four pipe rating out of four pipes and heartily recommend it to be added to your magic library. Ten USD is so low, it is almost criminal .

This book encapsulates some of the best writing available in the Holmes Canon - it ranges from gems like the Speckled Band to the only one where Holmes (almost) lost his heart to a woman - Irene Adler and her Scandal in Bohemia. Holmes has an ageless charm. He is the most portrayed fictional character on film, it is well worth one's while to peruse the Sherlockian Canon, and this book is a great beginning point

Since the day an impoverished Southsea doctor named Arthur Conan Doyle first put pen to paper and created Sherlock Holmes, the congenial detective has become acclaimed as one of the legendary figures in world literature.

Read from one side of the world to the other for nearly one hundred years, Holmes has attracted more detailed study and inquiry than perhaps any other single character in fiction and has also raised a band of enthusiasts whose numbers now run into millions.

Over the past century, the "Great Detective," as he is popularly known, has been the subject of countless articles, newspaper reports, memoirs, letters to the press, and illustrations -- not to mention libraries of books. These reflect not only the man, his cases, and his faithful assistant Dr. Watson, but also the people to whom he is not just a fictious character -- but a criminal investigator to be analyzed, explained, and compared. A far-ranging collection of such diverse material has been brought together in a unique souvenir of the making of a legend. Herein the reader will find some of the best, the most illuminating and frequently most amusing items to appear about the famous detective partnership.

The contributors include Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, his wife, Lady Conan Doyle, Dorothy L. Sayers, Frank Swinnerton, Edmund Pearson, Wyndham Lewis, Irving Wallace, Ronald Knox, and Christopher Morley.

The book will prove a delight to Sherlockian and general reader alike, mirroring as it does one of the most extraordinary literary phenomena of all time.

For any reader that loves Sherlock Holmes or any type of mystery, this is the perfect book for you. This book has many stories that create intrigue in your mind. Because this is a Sherlock Holmes novel, it has the obvious characteristics of Sherlock Holmes, the keen observation and the bizarre cases. I have read this book twice and the stories still kept my attention. This book is NOT boring. Along with being a great read, this book has English easy enough for younger students to understand. I highly recommend this book for any person who likes mysteries.

To me he will always be THE Sherlock Holmes. Regardless of what other people feel about Basil Rathbone, Carelton Hobbs, Clive Merrison and even Jeremy Brett, John Gielgud will always be the perfect Sherlock Holmes. And Ralph Richardson will always be the perfect Watson. Together they eclipse the whole of their peers, simply by the way they portray the master detective and his dear friend. That is the way Sir arthur wrote them, and that is what you will hear in these stories. My only complaint is that they cannot contain every scene that Doyle wrote for each story, but such were the constraints of 1950's radio (or 1990's radio for that matter). The episodes were written with a clear understanding of drama, and acted with the skill of master performers. What stands out to me is the mutual respect that Holmes and Watson share, as opposed to the browbeating that Rathbone dished out on Nigel Bruce's Watson ("Do you have to be so dense!"). And the mysteries are darn good besides. If you want to introduce someone, particularly a young person, to the world of Holmes you can do no better than this set. These are the tapes that endeared not only Sherlock Holmes to me, but dramatic radio and the skills of John Gielgud as well. You will love them.

This is one of the longest Sherlock Holmes stories (along with Hound of the Baskervilles, The Sign of Four and A Study in Scarlet). The story begins in the English countryside with the apparent murder or suicide of an American at his estate. The reader is then taken to America in flashback, where the story leads up to the events in England. Indeed, Holmes and Watson are not the central characters for a large segment of this book, which is unusual in the series.
The story concludes back in England with yet more plot twists, including the unseen hand of the evil, and longtime Holmes nemisis, Professor Moriarity.

The Sherlock Holmes Triviography And Quiz Book features hundreds of trivia about the world's most famous detective, answering such questions as whether or not Sherlock Holmes ever uttered the phrase "Elementary, my dear Watson". Kathleen Kaska draws upon the entire Sherlock Holmes canon, plus the hundreds of films and thousands of radio and television programs that featured the detective and his inimitable partner, Dr. Watson. A "must" for all fans of the literature's greatest detective, The Sherlock Holmes Triviography And Quiz Book is enhanced with 75 separate quizzes, asking probing, intriguing, fun questions related to all of Conan Doyle's 56 stories and four novels.

What a delightful collection of Sherlock Holems tales!

For the record, Three Tales of Avarice includes "The Adventure of the Priory School," "The Red-Headed League" and "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle."

British actor Edward Hardwicke does a marvelous job assuming the role of the famous sleuth. And his portrayal of Dr. Watson is superb as well.

In fact, Hardwicke's characterizations are among the best I've ever heard. He takes on the voice and personality of each character in the stories and does so in such a compelling way that I found myself so engrossed that I nearly drove off the road listening to his performances. (And they say cell phones are a distraction!)

If you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I have found these readings by Hardwicke to be the best available. Unfortunately, they're going out of print as fast as I can type this review.

So if you want to hear a wonderful actor read stories from one of the world's most lauded authors, please do not hesitate a moment. Buy these delightful stories on CD as quickly as you can!

I am relatively new to the world of Sherlock Holmes and I very much enjoyed this compilation of stories. The book contains 5 short stories. Each story was well-developed and contained just the right amount of mystery. I particularly liked the last of the stories, "The Adventure of Jackthorn Circle". What an ending!!

The book cover indicates that this is the first book for this author (although you wouldn't know it based on his writing). I will be sure to buy future books by Mr. DiLisio.

Have listened to The Speckled Band, The Naval Treaty, Case of Identity, and other stories in the Audiocassette series published by Durkin Hayes, featuring Edward Raleigh. I carry them in my glove compartment for long drives when I want to keep my mind active. Of the various British actors who have played Holmes on tape, Raleigh sounds the most convincing.