As one who truly loves the original, I found most of the stories in this far-fetched and far more dark. More dark and strange than most pastiches, even. It was like someone taking Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to a rave party or something -- it was 20th century writing with 19th century (okay early 20th century too) characters. I just didn't care for it.

I thought this book was going to be better than it was, especially after reading Marvin Kaye's other Holmes anthology, "The Resurrected Holmes". I was disappointed in the slim pickings in this volume. Only a few of the stories were actually good and worth reading. Some, like "A Ballad of the White Plague" and "Vittoria, the Circus Belle", are flat-out strange. It was quite a disappointment, especially for Holmes fans.

The third (and currently last) of editor Marvin Kaye's Sherlock Holmes collections (the previous two being 'The Game's Afoot' and 'The Resurrected Holmes'), this volume continues the good quality of the previous two.

In general, I found the majority of the fifteen stories in this book to be worth a read. The only real failure, in my view, was 'The Little Problem of the Grosvenor Street Furniture Van', but I readily accept that this is due to my personal tastes. The story is notionally written by Arthur Stanley Jefferson (better known by the name he acted under, Stan Laurel) and is a slapstick comedy story. I've never been a fan of slapstick, and even if I had some fondness for it I'd rather see it in its best medium, something visual.

Having said that, the other 14 stories were all fine with me. I'll take the opportunity to specifically mention 'The Affair of the Counterfeit Countess' by Craig Shaw Gardner, which proves that you can tell a successful Holmes story and still be funny, and 'The Secret Marriage of Sherlock Holmes' by Shariann Lewitt, which lives up to its title (!). Both these step outside what one might expect in a Sherlock Holmes story and pull it off well.

Again, I think it's immoral to borrow this great name if one hasn't the slightest intention to bring it to life. This name means not only the person himself, but also a beloved genre of detective stories and a cherished memory of good old days when they were thriving. One can forgive an awkward imitation, but not most stories in this collection, where the person named Sherlock Holmes is certainly not the best and the wisest man I've ever known.

The basic premise of this book is to have contemporary famous authors write stories in the styles of deceased famous authors ostensibly working from notes of Sherlock Holmes' cases left behind and never written up by Dr. John Watson. With me so far? Good. This book is obviously an experiment and as such it fails overall. Perhaps three of the stories are outstanding, so much so that they measure up to the best of the original canon. Most do not really reflect the styles of the putative authors but that is not always a flaw. The "Hemingway" tale, for instance, is far better written and much more entertaining than anything Papa ever wrote himself. Another flaw, significant to dedicated Sherlockians, is the glaring lack of familiarity with their subject shown by too many of the authors. One wonders if they have read many Sherlock Holmes adventures or at least watched teleplay versions. Two or three of the stories are absolutely excrement and never should have been included in this collection. Outstanding among the latter is the story by "Jack Kerouac." In his introduction, the editor admits that the tale has no relationship whatsoever to Watson's notes on a Holmes case. In attempting to read the first few pages, it becomes patently clear that the story lacks other important elements like a plot, characters, and a purpose for existing. The editor's reasons for including this piece are beyond even the powers of the Master to deduce. Although the premise of the collection is certainly original, it is ultimately unsuccessful and hopefully will not be repeated. Far better to have writers recreate stories in the voices of Watson and Holmes themselves rather than in the false voices of others.

'Resurrected Holmes' is a somewhat convoluted idea well-executed. It is a collection of short Sherlock Holmes stories supposedly written by other well-known authors. In other words, the actual authors who wrote the stories had to write them in the style of the purported authors, who were supposedly endeavouring to write in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Watsonian voice.

Now, that may or may not take your fancy. What is needs to be said is that, by and large, the stories in this volume are of an excellent quality, so even if the literary conceit that is the book's starting point fails to please you, the stories themselves should.

For true Holmes completists, each story is one of the unchronicled stories referred to by Watson in his accounts of Holmes' investigations (with the exception of the final story, which reveals the truth behind 'The Adventure of the Second Stain').

In some cases (for example, 'The Adventure of the Boulevard Assassin' and 'The Madness of Colonel Warburton', ascribed to Jack Kerouac and Dashiell Hammett respectively) the voice of the putative author occassionally overwhelms the Holmesian nature and may be a substantial distraction for those reading this book purely as a Sherlock Holmes collection.

However, some of the stories are good enough to warrant the price of admission alone. I particularly enjoyed 'The Adventure of Ricoletti of the Club Foot (and his abominable wife)', notionally written by P.G. Wodehouse, in that it managed to be both a convincing Holes story while also being a comedy of manners that its putative author might well have appreciated.

Marvin Kaye knows his Sherlock Holmes, and this volume plainly displays his (and the contributing authors) deep-felt love and admiration for the Holmesian canon. Recommended.

The author of this book has taken a few facts in Jeremy Brett's life, and has let his imagination soar -- not good to do when writing a biograghy. Manner's depiction of Brett is inaccurate, misleading, and insulting. Not for someone who wants the real story behind the Holmesian actor. I recommend "Bending the Willow" by David Stuart Davies as a truer telling of Brett's story.

If only I could rate this book less than one star ... very disappointing to anyone who is interested in learning more about Jeremy Brett. I put this book down before I half finished it, and feel he has been dishonored.

You get an insight into Jeremy's character and exactly why his Sherlock Holmes is brilliant. I have often wondered why he wasn't as big a star as his English counterparts, certainly the talent was there. This book is heart-warming and gut-wretching.
It will keep you captivated. A good read.

It's hard to do this book justice. Let's start with a few quotes:

"I opened the cover to the first page, brown with age but clearly very readable in a smooth handwritten style that shouted out the date of the first entry ... November 1, 1888."

"My mind's eye peered deep into the smoky veil of time which
cleared as I read on."

"In 1940 world war appeared to be evident."

"The man ran back to the sedan, firing at us continually until he was safely in the sedan which was already speeding away from the rest area into roadway traffic."

Discerning readers may wonder if these lines aren't misplaced submissions to the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest: On my honor, they are not. ('Sic' to all, by the way.) Nor were they selected after a complete read; how could anyone do that? They were chosen at random when (after starting the first chapter in the belief that this was a credible Conan Doyle/Sherlock Holmes pastiche) I realized the truth: this is an amazing book and its merits should be appreciated more widely.

Especially among those considering buying it. In a word (okay, just a few): Don't, unless you teach creative writing and want between one pair of covers, examples of every fault known to the craft. This may not be the worst writing ever published, but it is way the worst I've ever seen.

This book had not only an author but a publisher and most amazing of all, an editor. I cannot help wondering: Why?

The premise is on a par with the writing. But I won't reveal it. See, I'd have to read a lot more to figure it out, and I've got more important stuff to do today, like empty the kitty litter box ... even though I don't actually have a cat. Okay, just a minor part: Adolf Hitler was a direct descendant of Moriarty.

Possibly I've missed the point: This could have been intended as a send-up. If so, it's a marvel of the genre, and in millenia yet to spring flaming into golden (or otherwise) existence, bringing with them yet untold events, it will become a cult classic, with fans forcefully proclaiming across the many centuries their favorite lines.

In that case, I like "In 1940, world war appeared to be evident."

There is nothing unusual about another Sherlock Holmes novel - not even one in which the Great Detective is pitted against the best known uncaught criminal of the nineteenth century, Jack the Ripper. Where 'Bloodguilty' varies from the pack is in that the Holmes portion of the book is only about one-half; the rest is taken up with the twentieth century consequences of the actions of the Ripper.

The story revolves around a diary of Dr. Watson kept hidden by the Baker Street Society, who "both guard and insure the immortal continuance of the world's greatest consulting detective and his faithful chronologist, Dr. Watson." The good doctor has specified that this diary not be released until 100 years after the last entry. And now it is time to reveal the truth about Sherlock Holmes and the man who was known as Jack the Ripper...

But, the legacy of the Ripper lives on, and will stop at nothing to prevent the truth getting out.

Fairly well-written, the story doesn't contain too many twists and turns that can't be predicted, but exactly what tack a particular author would take with this kind of story isn't predictable. Raymond Thor produces a creditable effort, but not one that is not necessarily superior to other efforts.

This was one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a long time. I was caught up in it from the first page and couldn't put it down! I just had to find out what was going to happen next. The story is a little terrifiying because it seems so plausible. The author guided me through each chapter with just enough to keep me wanting more. Now that's a great book!

This collection is definitely not Dexter at his best. The book reads like the sort of thing he does when he is thoroughly bored and has nothing better to do. If you must insist upon reading it borrow the book from your local library. It is a good way to catch Morse on one of his off days.

Fans of Dexter's Inspector Morse series will probably be a little disappointed by this book, since only five of the ten collected stories actually have the cantankerous Thames Valley detective, and with a few exception those stories tend to be the shorter entries of the batch. But still, this is a very readable collection of mysteries and other crime stories, one which as a whole tends to lean more toward the light-hearted rather than the serious. Probably the high point of the collection is not a Morse story but a Sherlock Holmes tale, in which the perrenially overshadowed Dr. Watson finally gets a little bit of recognition.

Overall not a stellar collection, but easily an enjoyable lazy afternoon's read.

While I am a great Morse fan and enjoyed the short stories involving Thames Valley's finest, I particularly enjoyed Dexter's turn at Sherlock Holmes. I was truly impressed with his ability to emmulate Doyle's literary style and to capture the essence of those well-loved characters. But, what I loved most about this short story was the wonderful ending and Watson's role in it! Dexter's homage, though loving, also manages to poke a little fun at the greatest literary detective.

I saw this book in the bookstore and it looked like a sports lovers dream. After receiving it, I realize it was a mistake to buy. There are so many errors in this book they aren't even worth describing. Also, the college names section doesn't even give a backround on the names. The book reads like it was written by old men.

Contains much info on sports nicknames, but the many errors are maddening, especially since a lot of them could have been eliminated by anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of sports. Examples--book states that "Orioles" was first applied to a pro baseball team in 1833; several NFL teams are placed in the wrong division/conference; the Indiana Pacers are alleged to have taken their name from the ABA team; they actually WERE that ABA team. I could go on--one entry mentions the 7th game of the World Series, that series went 4 games. Many ommissions--in the list of origins of team names, it is not stated how, for example, the Devil Rays and Marlins got their names.

Who in known as Euro-Magic? What College is know as the Fighting Hurricanes? What was Julius Boros's nickname? Has the Golden Bear ever meet the Golden Jet? Well this book can certainly answers these questions.

The complete book of sports nicknames is one of, if not the most, complete text ever written about nicknames. Comprehensive and detailed from a to z for both persons, teams and just about anything else related to sports.

This book is not a novel that tells a story, what this book does, however, is give you a glimpse of the person or team and a brief synopsis of the meaning of the nickname. A very quick and easy read.

Priced to fit anybody's budget this book will make and excellent gift for the true sports fan. Keep it by your side and you'll have a ready reference when someone asks What the nickname of George Halas?

Don't waste your money on this book! It does have a few useful bits of info but if you think you could build a gun using this book, think again. The black and white photos were so over exposed that you can't make out any detail, the drawings were so faint that half of them couldn't be seen and nearly all of them didn't have any dimensions.I'd suggest Gerard Metrals book "A Do-it Yourself Submachine Gun" if you have access to machining equipment.It's packed full of prints.Also try Bill Holmes later volumes 3, 4, and 5. He did a much better job on those.

I read this book 2 times, and then from the back once because the gun you end up buy trying to make is in the last two pages.There is also no mag in this book ,as long as you have access to the one in the book you should have a good chance at building one.

This book is pact full of information. Stuff people interested in mechanical things and guns should know. If you want to make, buy, or own a gun you should read this. A must read.

Terrorism by John Pynchon Holms and Tom Burke is useful to only two groups: readers who know absolutely nothing about the subject, and those familiar with the topic who need a quick index. The former group will get a shallow but broad introduction to terrorism, the latter a reader-friendly glossary of names, terms, and dates.

As an aside, this book originally was published in 1994. After September 11, 2001, in another egregious example of exploitation of the tragedy, the opening chapter was revised and dedicated to the terrorist attacks on Washington, New York and over the skies of Pennsylvania. The September 11th timeline, like the book as whole, is a comprehensive but contains nothing new.

Terrorism offers a glossary of countries, groups, people, and weapons used by terrorist groups today. As a reference book it comes in handy and some of the info is good, but check up on anything ya find, cause ALOT of the material is inaccurate. Much of the weapons info is totally off base. It even lists the G11 as a weapon in modern terrorism.
Nevertheless, it is a good source for a broad overview of terrorism in todays society. If ya dont know anything about the subject and want some basic info, get the book. But if ya want really accurate info, go somewhere else.

(...) I easily found an entry for Osama bin Laden on page110, al-Qaeda on page 126, and also noted that the 911 attacks were covered in detail in the beginning of the book on pages 8-16. If you're looking for a straight forward introduction to terrorism and terrorists give this one a try.

I just want to reinforce the value of Rory Coker's review. This is one of the only books in my life which I have stopped reading IN THE MIDDLE. Thats how bad it is. The situations are preposterous, and, to true Holmes fans, the character of Mycroft is nothing like the all knowing, all powerful, but never moving figure from the Canon. Avoid at all costs - life's too short!!

Compared with a genre classic like Mark Frost's 'The List Of Seven' this, the third Mycroft Holmes novel scores for being almost entirely incident, plot and suspense free. Instead 'The Flying Scotsman' limps along using the killer-on-a-train scenario until the reader snores. The authors (Quinn Fawcett is a pseudonym for two writers combining) might as well be writing about my mother's shopping list. Avoid.

Unlike many who have "reviewed" this book prior - this is NOT a Sherlock Holmes novel. It is, however, a great piece of work, painstakingly documenting period England and quite entertaining. Shame so many think because Mycroft appears so stodgy and sedentary in the canon that there can't be more than meets the eye. I daresay someone described as Mycroft is by Holmes and Watson wouldn't remain in a high government position long! It's also clear they weren't close. So let it go. Enjoy the read!

I am saddened by this book. The author is consumed with hatred and Unforgiveness. She could have done so much better. Socrates once wrote: "Whoever practices forgiveness will see how high he can climb towards the peaks of life. We only learn to forgive,remembering but leaving behind suffering, hate and rancour. We can forget that archeological memory that permanently lives in the past and we can live each day intensely, opening hence the doors to a joyful tomorrow full of plenitude." Miriam is destroying her life by living in the past. I feel sorry for her. Reading this book is a waste of time. I would not recommend it.

Miriam Arnold Holmes tells in great honesty about her childhood as a member of the Bruderhof. She relates her adjustment to the world outside, the difficulties she had in facing her problems. I can identify with much of what she writes as I too grew up in the bruderhof. I appreciate all she expressed in her book. It took guts to tell all she did. Very touching how she tells of her family relationships and the struggle to remain faithful to the vows she took. The bruderhof did not receive this book well as there were too many skeletons brought out of the closet by Ms Holmes. If only the bruderhof made this and other books, by former members, available to their membership, they could learn so much that would be of help to them in their daily life. This book is a valuable tool in learning the affects of a closed society on one individual.

Miriam Arnold, who grew up on the "inside", tells her story without fear. She is one fiesty woman. Miriam Arnold shares with us her life amongst the "Arnoldleut" ("Arnold People") or Bruderhof, as they prefer to be called. The whole Bruderhof story is not a pretty picture, even when they tell it in their books. Sooner or later they will likely reunite again with the mainstream Hutterite Movement. At that time it will be necessary to uncover everything. Miriam presents issues that will likely be "looked at" very closely by the Hutterite leadership of the day. Whether her story is totally accurate or not, I can't really say, but I do know her viewpoint (and that of hundreds like her) will get a good "hearing" at that time. The Great Change will come. The Truth will win out. Miriam Arnold is no "outsider". She lived the "life". The Bruderhof/Arnoldleut group (or leadership?) will have to give a fuller account at the NEXT reuniting with the Hutterites. I can guarantee that. This in no way reflects upon the many sincere people who are among them, but there are two sides to every story, it seems. Hmmmm!