Customer Reviews

A Double Barrelled Detective Story [with Biographical Introduction]

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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.

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.