The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Ectoplasmic Man [Paperback]

Daniel Stashower (Author)

Book Description

Series: Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | Publication Date: November 17, 2009

When Harry Houdini is framed and jailed for espionage, Sherlock Holmes vows to clear his name, with the two joining forces to take on blackmailers who have targeted the Prince of Wales.

It’s a case that requires all of their skills — both mental and physical. Can the daring duo solve what people are calling “The Crime of the Century”?

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s timeless creation returns in a new series of handsomely designed detective stories. From the earliest days of Holmes’ career to his astonishing encounters with Martian invaders, the Further Adventures series encapsulates the most varied and thrilling cases of the worlds’ greatest detective.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Magician Daniel Stashower pairs [Sherlock Holmes] with Harry Houdini (who was a friend of Conan Doyle) in a romp that cleverly combines history and legend, taking a few liberties with each. Mr. Stashower has done his homework...This is charming...it might have amused Conan Doyle." - New York Times

"Stashower’s clever adaptation of the Conan Doyle conventions--Holmes’s uncanny powers of observation and of disguise, the scenes and customs of Victorian life--makes it fun to read. Descriptions and explanations of some of Houdini’s astonishing magic routines add an extra dimension to this pleasant adventure." - Publishers Weekly

"Stashower has done a fantastic job on several levels. He has captured the flavor of Holmes as well as anyone I’ve seen recently (better than Nicholas Meyer, to my taste). He has done a good job with Houdini, thanks I presume to his own background in stage magic. And he has put the two together in an excellent mystery. I enjoyed this book immensely."- Drood Review

"In his first mystery, Stashower paired Harry Houdini and Sherlock Holmes to marvelous effect." - Chicago Tribune

"Cleveland native Daniel Stashower’s first novel is one of the better, and possible the best recombinant of the Arthur Conan Doyle style and characters since Nicholas Meyer resurrected the genre in 1974...Stashower understands the Sherlockian Weltanschauung perfectly, and has recreated it in loving, often sly detail....Stashower has invested the magic sequences of his book with a suspense and excitement worthy of both the great escape artist and the legendary creator of Sherlock Holmes." - The Plain Dealer

About the Author

Daniel Stashower is a novelist and magician. His works include: Elephants in the Distance, The Dime Museum Murders, The Beautiful Cigar Girl, and The Ghosts of Baker Street, an anthology of Sherlock Holmes stories.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Titan Books (November 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1848564929
• ISBN-13: 978-1848564923
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #791,652 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #65 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > Sherlock Holmes

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but should have been GREAT, October 5, 2010

By 

Don Snyder "The Idea Guy" (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Ectoplasmic Man (Paperback)

A very good Sherlock Holmes book, but the pairing of the ficitional detective with the larger than real life Houdini should have made for a wilder ride. There should have been more opportunities for the two protagonists to work together. It would have even been more acceptable to see them pursue two independent courses of investigation before uniting in the end to defeat the villains. Houdini (ironically) spends much of his time locked in a jail cell and not in pursuit of the men who framed him for a robbery.

If you're looking for a better team-up between the great detective and the great escape artist, I recommend "Arcanum" by Thimas Wheeler. Though Sherlock Holmes himself isn't in the novel, the book is an occult thriller about a secret society whose members include Houdini as well as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Arcanum

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Master Magician and the Master Detective Meet!, October 18, 2010

By 

Sand under foot (North East, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Ectoplasmic Man (Paperback)

I was very excited to find this book. The idea of Houdini and Sherlock Holmes uniting sounded very intriguing. I started this book and found it to be very enjoyable. I liked how even though Holmes and Watson are not in their youth when this story takes place, there really isn't much evidence. Holmes and Watson act like they did in any other Sherlock Holmes story. My only compliant about this novel is that it seems that the author wrote the most about Watson in this story. I feel that when I read a Sherlock Holmes, Holmes should have some part in the action. I will make an exception for Hound of the Baskervilles though - that's a classic. But all in all, this book was an enjoyable novel to read for fans of both Harry Houdini and Sherlock Holmes.

5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfactory transaction, October 22, 2011

By 

H. C. Jennett Jr. (Midwest) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Ectoplasmic Man (Paperback)

If you want reviews for an uneventful, why require they be so long. I got it in a reasonable amount of time. It was what I expected. Can do that with a check list!!