Customer Reviews

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes (A Sherlock Holmes Mystery)

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The title of this,Estleman's second Holmes pastiche,pretty much tells you what to expect .The Stevenson classic is sufficiently well known to have coined a term ,"Jekyll and Hyde personality",that even non-readers are familiar with and thus we get no suprises in the outcome of the novel.Readers will know the true identity of the evil Edward Hyde and the pleasure to be derived from this book is in how the great detective finds the truth and the adventures he and the redoubtable Watson go through en route to the satisfying conclusion in the laboratory of the good Dr Jekyll
The book has pace and the Hansom cab chase in chapter 11 in particular is a model of crisp narrative leavened with neat touches of humour There is even a bar room brawl to keep the plot stirring merrrily

The affection for Doyle and Stevenson is evident and the book is a thoroughly satisfying page turner with enough nous not to outstay its welcome at a tad under 200 pages
Read it if you like Holmes,good Victorian thrillers or just like having fun with a lively tale

On the heels of "Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula" came this second pastiche, in which Holmes & Watson battle R.L. Stevenson's legendary doctor/monster duo. Stevenson has a cameo at the end, and the whole affair is a well-done, gripping adventure in the true Conan Doyle spirit.

This is one of the best "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" follow-up books I've ever read. It really catches the spirit of Old Victorian London, and the storyline is most of the times credible. Even though you know the ending and you know Dr Jekyll's secret, this book still manages to be exciting, and it is very well-written indeed. The only argument is, when you know the original "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" well, many of the facts in this book are alredy known to you, and it's a bit boring to read them all over again. But still, a very good book, and I recommend it to Holmes and Jekyll fans alike.

Although I have read some "pans" of Loren D. Estleman's works, I thought "Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Holmes" was very well done in the re-telling of a familiar mystery, applying the familiar methods and byplay which Holmes and Watson exhibited in Doyle's "canon." First of all the time - 1886 - of Stevenson's novel would have been also that of Holmes. Although the original tone and spirit of Doyles' works have been carefully imitated, there is also much originality in the action and wit in this writing. The final dramatic confrontation between Holmes and Jekyll/Hyde is rather finely done and the final chapter of the meeting of Holmes and Robert Louis Stevenson adds very much to the reading. For those who do not prefer the many Sherlock Holmes pastiches and prefer the "canon", I would suggest they read "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes" before passing judgment.

This is the other of Estleman's Holmes pastiches, along with the Dracula book. This one is a bit more coherent, with regards to the plot: a lawyer approaches Holmes, and wants him to investigate the circumstances surrounding one of his oldest clients, who's also a friend, and who's changed rather oddly in recent months. The client has also willed everything to a stranger, and the stranger in question appears to be a loathsome wretch.

The old friend and client turns out to be Dr. Henry Jekyll, of course, and the friend to whom he's left everything is his alter ego, Edward Hyde. The principle difficulty of the book, such as it is, is that we already know the main twist of this plot from popular culture. Nevertheless, Holmes and Watson pursue Hyde through London energetically, especially after he kills a member of Parliament, and the Queen asks for Holmes' help.

This is a good book, and I enjoyed it. As I said, the ending is somewhat of a let-down, because we already know what's going on, but it's still fun.

The plot is a bit contrived, a combination of the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with Holmes and Watson involved. Better than I remember the original Robert Louis Stevenson tale, though it has been 60 years since I read that.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes is the follow-up to Shelock Holmes vs. Dracula (or The Case of the Sanguinary Count). The book works on many levels. It is an entertaining mystery. It is an excellent continuation of the adventures of Holmes and Watson. It is a loyal crossover with Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. And of course, it's a fun read!

What I enjoy most about author Loren Estleman's Holme's novels is that he handles all the characters and their "crossover meetings" with the utmost respect. This is clearly evident with the foreword which explains why Dr. Watson never originally published the encounters with Jekyll and Hyde (the foreword in itself could work as a standalone novel).

Equally enjoyable is the "Word After" by Loren Estelman where he gives some insight into his intial writing of the novel and the pros and cons it has seen since publication. As a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I can say that this book does full justice to Conan Doyle's masterpiece. If you haven't read either the Hyde or Dracula encounters with Holmes, do yourself a favor and pick them up...because the game is clearly afoot.