Sherlock Holmes: The Montana Chronicles [Perfect Paperback]

John S Fitzpatrick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 23, 2008

For the first time, here are the long-lost records of four intriguing mysteries solved by the famous English detective Sherlock Holmes when he traveled to Montana in the late 1800's. Using his inimitable eye for clues, his astounding deductive reasoning, and - when necessary - clever subterfuge, Holmes solves a very public murder at the famous Opera House, a supernatural theft of gold at a mine near Georgetown Lake, the disturbing threats to Copper King Marcus Daly's most famous racehorse, and the sudden odd behavior of a miner's wife. As usual, these cases were recorded by Dr. John H Watson, Holmes' affable companion and chronicler, but Watson's accounts were lost for more than a century. They were recently discovered in an old safe in the Hearst Free Library in Anaconda by researcher John S Fitzpatrick, who edited the manuscripts for publication. Not only are the actual crimes unique and challenging, but the stories are filled with fascinating details of life in early-day Montana - details that amply illustrate Holmes' superb powers of observation. This immensely entertaining book is certain to delight all fans of detective stories, mysteries, and Sherlock Holmes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Sherlock Holmes: the Montana Chronicles is a 239 page trade paperback with a not too far-fetched premise for the tardy publication of its century-old manuscripts. Editor Fitzpatrick is contacted by the elderly librarian of his childhood, who has found an old safe in the Hearst Free Library in his hometown of Anaconda, MT, filled with manuscripts sent by Dr. John H Watson in 1899 to the then-librarian. Current librarian Marian Geil has chosen to contact our Mr Fitzpatrick, not only because of their long acquaintance, but also because of his love of mysteries and the legend that his granddad had worked as the local sheriff with none other than Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. I decided to read the last of the book's four tales first because the title "The Mysterious Woman" caught my attention. It reminded me of a 1940s Bette Davis film involving mistaken identity between sisters. The mystery turned out to be easily solved, but there was a twist at the end and the tale is well-told. The third tale, "The Ghosts of Red Lion", taught me more about mining than I'll ever need to know at a cocktail party. Two disturbers were Watson's claim that Holmes would probably ingest cocaine in order to stay awake during a nighttime stakeout (this is repeated in "The Tammany Affair") and...a first for me...much ado about Watson's use of the privy! But it is a good yarn with a motive of revenge behind the mystery. "The Opera House Murder", the lead story, was very good indeed! It had enough foreshadowing to have the solution make sense and enough red herrings to keep me from deducing too early "whodunit"! My last read, though the 2nd in the book, "The Tammany Affair", involves the racehorse of Marcus Daly, a real-life fixture in Montana mining in the late 19th century who was known as the "copper king". Holmes gives Watson a really good compliment when -- trying to convince Watson to leave London on behalf of a racehorse in Montana--he says, "You've forgotten more about horseflesh than I'll ever know. I expect you will be critical to the investigation." This is also a setup for another of those cases where Holmes is working outside our view, providing for a surprise ending that has a particularly harsh impact on Watson. Overall I give this effort an A- with demerits for misuse of cocaine and potty talk! --Terri Haugen, The Sound of the Baskervilles

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 239 pages
• Publisher: Riverbend Publishing (April 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193183296X
• ISBN-13: 978-1931832960
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #581,986 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sherlock Holmes: The Montana Chronicles, June 16, 2008

By 

D. Galt (Helena, Montana USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sherlock Holmes: The Montana Chronicles (Perfect Paperback)

I enjoyed this book immensley. I have been a resident of Montana nearly 90 years ( and yes I needed some help to get this review on the computer). The author, does a wonderful job of weaving in characters of historical significance to Montana. I remember my parents talking of these people and I remember some of the buildings and places in the story. It is very good and held my attention for the two days it took me to read it. I enjoyed the book enough that I bought several additional copies for my sister and brother.
A Senior Citizen
Helena Montana

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sherlock Holmes: The Montana Chronicles, July 23, 2008

By 

Barney Considine (Missoula, Montana USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sherlock Holmes: The Montana Chronicles (Perfect Paperback)

This book is fun. Arthur Conan Doyle, it is not. Montana history, it is not. Nevertheless, it is fun. The author's claim is that a long-locked safe contained manuscripts written by Dr. Watson which chronicled five cases that brought him and Sherlock Holmes to Montana. All center about the Butte-Anaconda area. The details are accurate enough as to the geography and time that the reader will enjoy speculating about people, events, and places. In many cases, the speculating will not be difficult.

The cases are plausible as Sherlock Holmes stories. Most of Watson and Holmes' mannerisms are also plausible. The investigative approaches are equally credible. To go into details here would reveal too much. This book is a necessity on the book shelves of avid Sherlock Holmes fans and of Montana history nuts. For others, reading it will be fun. If it sparks an interest in the history of Montana, Butte, and Anaconda; the author provides references leading the reader to factual sources.

The concept is open-ended enough to allow sequels. Anyone reading this first volume will quickly buy the next if there is one. You won't regret getting this one and reading it, just in case there is another.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Mix of Montana and Mystery, June 10, 2008

By 

Charles Norris (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sherlock Holmes: The Montana Chronicles (Perfect Paperback)

Sherlock Holmes: The Montana Chronicles is an imaginative work that's a welcome addition to the panoply of works which has extended the life and breadth of experience of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective. Larry Millett, through his series of five Holmes novels set in Minnesota, showed that Holmes' incredible detective skills could be successfully employed in the pursuit of evildoers in America.

The Montana Chronicles likewise returns Holmes and Watson to the good old USA but has expanded upon the approach taken by Millett in several favorable ways. First, the venue has been changed to Montana, a place with its own mystique and a most interesting frontier history. Second, the author has successfully integrated figures from Montana's past into the story narratives. And, third, the book includes a number of historical photographs from near the turn of the century which help draw the reader into the stories.

I liked all four of the short novels presented in the book but preferred The Tammany Affair above the others, simply for the adroit way in which it used that portion of Montana history popularly known as the "War of the Copper Kings" as the setting for a mystery set around a racehorse.

I also give the author great credit for crafting stories with intricate, but not obtuse, plots that develop in a well-paced, but measured, way. It was a comfortable writing style, and I would not hesitate to purchase another book by the same author. Hopefully, he'll have something additional on the market in the not-to-distant future.