The Haunting of Torre Abbey [Hardcover]

Carole Bugge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000

"Watson, do you believe in ghosts?"

With this question, Sherlock Holmes shatters the calm of a quiet evening in their London flat and, with Dr. John Watson at his side, embarks upon a particularly strange case. Holmes has received a request for aid from Lord Charles Cary, whose family is seemingly being threatened by ghosts in and around the family manor. The manor is Torre Abbey, a twelfth-century monastery in Torquay, Devon, and it has a long history of hauntings. While skeptical of the supernatural, Holmes does believe that the Cary family is in danger-a belief which proves to be horrifyingly accurate when, shortly after they arrive at Torre Abbey, a household member dies suddenly, mysteriously, and seemingly of fright. As strange sightings and threatening apparitions become almost commonplace, Holmes must uncover the secrets of the haunted abbey and the family that lives there if he is to have any hope of protecting the living and avenging the dead. In a case that taxes his wits, and seems beyond the reach of his usual methods, Holmes must grapple with his most deadly and unforgiving foe.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her second attempt to capture the spirit of Holmes and Watson, Bugge is more successful than in her first, The Star of India, but nonetheless the novel is marred by a mawkish sensibility not present in the original series. This time the Great Detective and his sidekick return to the site of The Hound of the Baskervilles, where they confront a strange household haunted by another figure out of legend--the ghost of a monk decapitated in the 14th century. Situated in Devon, the Torre Abbey monastery was converted in the 17th century into the manor house of the aristocratic Cary family. Three family members--siblings Charles and Elizabeth and their recently widowed mother, Marion--still live there with their small staff: a cook and her bastard son, a chambermaid and a butler. Lord Charles entreats Holmes to visit after he and his fragile sister see a ghost. Holmes quickly ascertains that everyone in the small household has a secret, but he and Watson must still conduct a seance, a foxhunt and a walk on the moor to uncover the human agents behind apparently supernatural events and a very real murder. Once again Bugge's careful period descriptions capture the trappings and incidentals of Conan Doyle's novels, but readers will find her version of Holmes a bit more sentimental and not as sharp as the indelible original. Agent, Susan Ginsburg at Writer's House. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Lord Charles Cary contacts Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to seek their help in protecting his mother and sister from the ghosts that haunt the Cary manor house--formerly a monastery--in the resort town of Devon. Holmes and Watson arrive just in time for a murder, but before they can solve the crime, they must sort out the guilty secrets held by Cary, his family, the servants, and the neighbors. In her fourth novel, Buggedoes a compelling and realistic job of bringing Holmes and Watson back to life. She offers a complicated plot, the appealing atmosphere of the Victorian resort, and much fascinating information on ghosts, seances, and medieval English history. Her brisk plot and concise prose are a welcome relief from many Holmes re-creations, which too often collapse under the weight of excessive period detail and unwieldy language. Suggest this one to Holmes buffs who liked Nicholas Meyer's take on the sleuth in the deerstalker hat. John Rowen

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312245572
• ISBN-13: 978-0312245573
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,087,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "A Wonderful Mysterious Atmosphere", September 9, 2001

By 

cmi (Birmingham, AL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Haunting of Torre Abbey (Hardcover)

From the first time Holmes and Watson enter the ancient monastery, now family manor, you feel the chill that permeates the stone walls. Carole Bugge' has created an ambience that suits two of literature's most beloved fictional characters perfectly. She has given us a ghost, a seance, well defined mysterious characters and, certainly not least, Holmes and Watson together again. I found myself caught up in finding out what was "really" going on in the secretive family of Lord Charles Cary. I felt a part of the author's well described Victorian, dark abbey on the moors atmosphere. The characters are interesting and all have you looking at them for more answers than they are ready to divulge. I enjoyed Holmes and dear Watson as the author lovingly guides them from page to page.I did not purchase the book to compare Ms. Bugge's style of writing to Sir Arthur's. I will always know exactly where on my bookshelves I can find the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and can revisit them whenever I want. I wanted to read a new book that brought Holmes and Watson to the moors again and to an intriguing place called Torre Abbey, which possibly hosts a ghostly presence. I wanted to delight again as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson find themselves in the midst of another case which, perhaps, was not as it seemed to be. I wanted to read a well executed and enjoyable mystery ....and, I did in The Haunting Of Torre Abbey!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book, March 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Haunting of Torre Abbey (Hardcover)

The first book I read by Carole Bugge was "The Star of India", and I liked it so much that I was happy to see that she was coming out with another Holmes novel. "The Haunting of Torre Abbey" is great--suspenseful, full of intriguing characters, and it has a good plot. I read it all in one day, because I wanted to see what happened next. If you like her Holmes novels, you'll probably also like "Who Killed Blanche DuBois?", which I also recommend.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Depends on one's tolerance for Holmes imitators, July 5, 2006

By 

Elizabeth A. Root (Laurel, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Haunting of Torre Abbey (Hardcover)

Imitating a famous author is risky: some fans always resent it.

I have read all of Sherlock Holmes, although I wouldn't consider myself to be a true devotee. I truly enjoyed this novel. I wouldn't take it for Arthur Conan Doyle, but it was good to be back in that ambiance.

The story was obviously inspired by the Hound of the Baskervilles, although the plot and characters are different enough to be pleasing. A young nobleman inherits only to find that his estate seems to be haunted by figures out of local legends. I was a little taken aback by Holmes' frequent comments, regarding the possible occult aspects of the story, along the lines of "there are more things in heaven and earth ... ". At first, it seems tactical, but he says it right up to the end, which would certainly be a switch. Holmes actually doesn't think that the ghosts are real and seeks a human perpetrator.

The reader who is tolerant of imitations and wants another story something like Holmes, may enjoy this. Others should probably reread the originals.