Customer Reviews

The Monster of St. Marylebone

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Quite a few authors use Sherlock Holmes as the protagonist, but not many are as interesting as this one. A serial killer and the Irish troubles of this time period are most important in this plot. Very enjoyable, and I hope the author continues to write more in this series.

Wayne Worcester's compelling portrayal of Holmes and Watson will appeal longtime Sherlock fans as well any reader who enjoys a complex, well developed mystery. This book will challenge the reader to rethink the relationship between Holmes and Watson. In his development of the protagonist, the author adds a dimension to the character not often evident in this genre. The settings were extraordinarily well depicted. This fascinating book kept me enthralled to the end and I look forward to more in this series.

This book captures the true essensce of Doyle's characters. It's not just another Sherlock Holmes story. This has character development and a rousing good plot. I highly recommend it.

Wayne Worcester does a magnificent job in his first book out, not only creating a chilling mystery but also making the characters of Watson and especially Holmes more human and vulnerable. For sure, this isn't Grandad's Sherlock but I found the Great Detective remains true to his character, even through trauma and a bit of romance. Watson is not just a note taker in this either; he is an intelligent man of action with hints of more depth than we've seen in long time. Nice period setting with a lot of Victorian England touches. The book is a thrill of minute and I could not put it down. I'm eagerly awaiting the second volume in the series.

This book is very much in the style of many recent Sherlock Holmes pastiches; that is to say, it is violent, slightly pornographic, and extremely offensive to the character and to the reader's sensibilities.

What is it that makes so many writers want to hurt and humiliate Holmes? It takes less skill to have someone hurt him and put him out of action than to show him using his reason to deduce the solution to a crime. It's so much more 'modern' to have him beaten, tortured, humiliated, and reduced to the same murderous level as the criminal. It also 'helps' if you have him swear and have at least one nude scene thrown in for good measure. (I might just help this wretched book's sales with that last statement, but trust me, there is nothing here worth spending the money on.)

If this sort of thing amuses you, then you might want to read THE MONSTER OF ST. MARYLEBONE. I found it, quite frankly, a disgusting read.

I tried to give it 'no' stars and your review meter won't let me. This single star is too good for it.

Whew! I couldn't put this one down! I stayed up late and finished all in one night, then reread it to see if I'd missed something! The insight into what goes through a deranged person's mind while committing horrible crimes was facinating. It lent a touch of reality to the story. Every horrible crime, including Jack the Ripper, was commited by a person, however deranged. I liked the emphasis on the reasons for the Monster's crimes. The abba clue was also great. Worcester captured Holmes & Watson, and indeed, London, perfectly. Great book! Quoth the Raven...

If you like stories which pit Holmes against Jack the Ripper, as I must admit I do, then this book is for you. It has all the ingredients of similar books like Murder by decree for instance. It will constantly keep you on your toes with excellent twists & turns. I belive that this is the first of a series by Wayne Worcester, & I am very much looking forward to the next.

I have read all of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories as well as a number of other short stories by the same (author). I have also read a number of other Holmes stories by various authors, I would recommend John T. Lescroart if you can get your hands on any of his out of print books.

The Monster of St. Marylebone was an enjoyable read, perhaps some minor disappointments. At one point in the book a word is uttered for which Holmes is unaware of it's meaning. It's extremely unlikely Doyle's Holmes would have been unaware of the meaning.

However all in all I would recommend this book to any fan of Sherlock Holmes. The plot moves along at a good clip and I am looking forward to other books on Holmes by this author.

This was very good, very thoughtful - I liked the way it started out. He did not however, fulfill most of his promises, really give us the conclusion that we hoped for - if you like Sherlock Holmes' pastiches, you will like this. If you like mysteries, this will come over as a little flat.

I would agree entirely with the reader who made the statement regarding modern language and the Abigail Masterson character being too modern as well (other revisionist text is sprinkled here and there). Furthermore, Holmes and Watson are much too emotional to stand with the more faithful pastiches of Doyle's characters; obviously, they were made to be more 'human', but something was lost in the process. This is not the familiar Holmes and Watson of yore. The setting is right but sadly the anachronisms were jarring to me; a case of the author wanting to have his cake and eat it, too.