Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Twain Papers
“It may not seem much to you, Mr. Holmes. In fact, it may better gather the sympathies of Dr. Watson here. But, the truth of the matter is, someone has stolen my life.” In the silence that followed this extraordinary statement, Clemens pulled out his cigar case and quietly asked, “Do y’all mind if I smoke, gentlemen?” So begins a case where visiting American author, Samuel Clemens, has come to Sherlock Holmes for assistance. Holmes and Watson set out to track down the thief among a myriad of guests staying at the famous Langham Hotel. Suspects abound, yet another pressing question arises for Dr. Watson. Will one of them, a woman from his past, steal his heart?
Reviews
Sherlock Holmes & The Case of the Twain Papers has again captured Doyle’s characters much in the way that Brett and Hardwicke played them on screen. There is the usual banter, deductions, observations and bits of humor. The use of historical events, people and places is nicely woven in. The personality of Samuel Clemens, as himself and as Mark Twain, is true to character. Riccard has even taken several of Twain’s actual quotes and inserted them in ways that fit the context of this adventure.
There is a nice pacing to the story and it continually pulls the reader forward. Again Riccard has put forth some theories about canonical questions without forcing actual solutions upon the reader. An added bonus for Holmes fans to ponder.
