Customer Reviews

The Darlington Substitution Scandal and the Sherlock Holmes Reichenbach Mystery

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Mayhap we all have an apocryphal Sherlock Holmes tale simmering somewhere in our brains. Judging by the quality of writing and performance, this story would have best served Arthur Conan Doyle's legacy by remaining on the back burner.

Davies is one of the best writers of Sherlockian pastiches, and the two short stories presented here are fine examples of his work.

As those well versed in Doyle's Holmes will recall, "The Darlington Substitution Scandal" is one of the many cases mentioned in Watson's narratives that were never actually written as short stories or novels.

Here, Davies has taken the title and formed a good plot around it, fleshed-out with such detail and in such a Watson-like narrative voice, that one could actually believe the story to be part of Doyle's canon.

Since a few other stories offering an alternate explanation of the events occurring at the Reichenbach Falls have been written, I wasn't as impressed with "The Reichenbach Secret" but it also features a credible Watsonian tone and spirit, and therefore is worth a listen or two.

The only blight on this otherwise excellent CD is that the quality of the recording is quite poor---poor enough to be distracting, in fact. The sonic defects here go well beyond ordinary tape hiss, such that some post-production noise reduction should've been deemed a necessity.

If you're a real Holmes fan, rent this disc without hesitation; just be prepared to listen intently in a few spots when the recording quality is at its most irritating.

Even without a graphic picture this work is most striking to listen to ...
With wonderful music and an incredible portrayal of a full cast by one person. this work should be a must for all Holmes fans.