A Double Barrelled Detective Story [with Biographical Introduction] [Kindle Edition]

Mark Twain (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Mark Twain is at his irreverent best with this hilarious parody of the 19th-century mystery - two seemingly unrelated narratives are spliced together, the author interjects himself as a character, and Twain even provides literary criticism of himself midway in the text. A Double-Barreled Detective Story is a delightful spoof of the mystery genre, then in its infancy, introducing the reader to Sherlock Holmes as he has never been seen before or since. Far from his usual elegant London haunts, the great detective is caught up in a melodramatic murder mystery of love, betrayal, and vengeance in a rough California mining town - and dealing with characters named Ferguson, Wells-Fargo, Ham Sandwich, and Fetlock Jones.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 99 KB
• Publisher: Digireads.com (July 1, 2004)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000FC1WIC
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read. Entertaining and amusing., September 18, 2011

By 

DavJohn (Phoenix AZ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Double Barrelled Detective Story (Kindle Edition)

Twain is one of my favorite authors. He usually adds some turns that I don't expect, and this is no exception. It's a fun read, and is as entertaining and amusing as I would expect.

4.0 out of 5 stars From One Master to Another, January 11, 2012

By 

Carlos - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Double Barrelled Detective Story (Paperback)

As a fan of the mystery genre, I'm always glad when someone turns me on to something new. Here's a brilliant marketing scheme: What if Mark Twain writes a Sherlock Holmes detective story? I can't say that it's a classic, but it is one highly entertaining book.

"We ought never to do wrong when people are looking." These are the very first words spoken in this clever and demented little story. Archy Stillman may have been born out-of-wedlock, but he was blessed with incredible olfactory senses -- like a bloodhound. When he's sixteen, Archie's mother convinces him to find his biological father and ruin his reputation, extracting a little payback. Five years later, the nephew of Sherlock Holmes kills someone by blowing up his cabin. Holmes uses all of his preposterous scientific methods to reach his brilliant conclusion, only to be disproved by Archy's amazing sense of smell.

This is Mark Twain having a little fun with the mystery genre. If you're a fan of either, I think you'll find this to be an enjoyable read.