Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders [Hardcover]

Larry Millett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1998

To the delight of all Holmes and mystery fans, a second intriguing manuscript is "unearthed": a strange and terrible tale of the celebrated detective's 1896 return to Minnesota, the scene of Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon, a work praised by Sherlockian experts for its outstanding authenticity. There, in the "dead tough" city of St. Paul, bustling with its annual Winter Carnival, the son of a noted businessman has disappeared. It is the eve of his wedding, but even before Holmes can search the Ice Palace where he was last seen, the young man's fianc*e inexplicably gives her bridal gown away. The case takes Holmes to the highest levels of power and corruption--and into a battle of competing wits with one Shadwell Rafferty, a genial, giant, Irish saloonkeeper who specializes in "discreet investigations." To penetrate the dark heart of the matter, Holmes must brave the Mississippi's frigid waters and confront the villain amid the roar of rockets, in one of the most thrilling episodes "Watson" ever committed to paper.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's January 1896 when railroad magnate James J. Hill summons Holmes and Watson to St. Paul, Minn. (as he did in Millett's Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon, 1996). Wealthy Jonathan Upton and Laura Forbes are soon to be married in the rotunda of a large and elaborate ice palace, a traditional part of the city's annual Winter Carnival. But Upton is missing, and Miss Forbes seems strangely unconcerned about his whereabouts. The fathers of the pair, both prominent businessmen, are the primary financiers of the palace, and Jonathan's disappearance has become the hot news story of the day. Soon after his arrival, Holmes encounters a friendly rival, Shadwell Rafferty, whose card reads, "bartending and discreet investigations," and who is working for the senior Upton. The stakes are raised when Holmes and Rafferty discover the severed head of young Upton encased in a block of ice inside the palace, and they are upped further when the senior Upton is killed and Miss Forbes's brother is attacked. Millett's Holmes is a fair replica of Conan Doyle's original, but the real triumph here is Rafferty, who lights up each scene in which he appears, adding a distinctively American bounce to a solid, complex mystery distinguished by its vibrant portrayal of 19th-century St. Paul. Holmes fans may feel free to tip their deerstalkers. Author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Millett has once again taken Holmes and Watson out of their usual Baker Street lodgings to the remote landscape of Minnesota. In this adventure they are trying to locate Jonathon Upton, a young man who has disappeared days before his wedding. The detectives soon find the game is afoot and there is more than one missing person to locate. Murder, blackmail, and revenge in the snow-covered city of St. Paul? Millett knows the history of the area and has done a good job of capturing the personalities of Holmes and Watson. Simon Prebble is excellent as he portrays each of the characters with variations in accent and intonation. This abridgment is recommended for all public libraries, for a new Sherlockian pastiche is a treat for any "Hound"!?Theresa Connors, Arkansas Tech Univ., Russellville
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670879444
• ISBN-13: 978-0670879441
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,140,823 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Elementary attempt, my dear Watson., April 29, 2000

By 

Mark Savary "moon_city" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders: From the American Chronicles of John H. Watson, M.D. (Paperback)

At first blush, this book has it all. Not only did the author do
copious amounts of research, but the very concept of a grand winter
"palace" constructed of ice is very intriguing. There is a
bizzare killing, worthy of Holmes and Watson, and even a radically
different location in which the "Deductive Duo" can be put
to the test.

With all the book has going for it, the wonder for me
is that the book goes nowhere at all.

Sadly, for all the wonderful
research the author has made into 19th Century St. Paul, ice palace
construction, and even a year in which Holmes would be available to
take the case, the book just does not deliver.

Not only is the
"voice" off the mark, but the process of investigation is
muddled at best. As with many modern versions of Holmes and Watson,
the "voice" is obviously present-day. In addition, writing
true Holmesian deduction is harder than adding lots of action and a
few trifling theories which are meant to pass for the great
detective's abilities.

In this book, Holmes is constantly at the
mercy of events, as opposed to being able to define, predict, and even
control events. There is also little or no evidence of the classic
Holmes methodology.

Holmes stories work best when the evidence is
right there in plain sight. However, where we (through Watson), can
see the stain on the carpet, the strand of hair, the placement of
furniture, the remains of cigar ash, and so on, only Holmes can put
the puzzle together because he has observed the importance of the
trivial.

In this book, all of the evidence is gathered by proxy; a
telegram, a letter, a courier, a phone call, whatever. Holmes does
little or no actual investigating or deducting, and what there is is
rather mundane.

The book has good action sequences, but the
"duductions" are really more of a point by point recap of a
given action sequence.

The Shadwell Rafferty character is okay, but
I wonder why the author simply did not do a series based on him rather
than Holmes and Watson. It would have made more sense, given the
author's obvious love for historic St. Paul.

There have been three
books (so far), in which the author spirits Holmes and Watson away
from the fog-enshrouded streets of Victorian London to Minnesota. One
or two trips I could see, but a whole series strains credibility for
me. After all, it isn't as if a trip from England to Minnesota was
particularly quick and easy in 1896, even compared with just a trip to
the harbors of New York or Boston.

The book also goes on way too
long, as if the author was simply did not want the story to end. The
ending is far too drawn out, and Holmes (not to give away anything),
gives a detailed account of the killer's actions without any regard to
one of the characters who will be most impacted by the grisly
details. And that character is seemingly not affected at all!

I am
not sorry I took the time, but I'm not looking forward to the other
two Holmes books by this author. All in all, I would say this was a
good read, but not great.

Perhaps the author's next effort would be
better spent on a Shadwell Rafferty series, now that he has
established the character. It would also allow him to indulge in his
love of historic St. Paul, Minnesota.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great History along with a Good Mystery, January 19, 2002

By 

J. J. Carew (Green Bay, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders: From the American Chronicles of John H. Watson, M.D. (Paperback)

Larry Millett combines his knowledge of the history of the Twin Cities with a mystery involving Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. So how does it come off? This is one of the better Sherlock Holmes pastiche I have read, and believe me, I've read a LOT of them.

The history lessons I received from reading the book are a definite treat since I visit the Twin Cities several times a year and know the areas talked about. But even if you are not familiar with the Minnesota cities, a map and Millett's detailed descriptions help the reader visualize the cities at the turn of the century.

The Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson characterizations are very good; there are not too many instances where the reader would say "Oh, come on. Holmes would never do that." That is how I judge pastiches.

I thought this story the best of the first three Larry Millett/Sherlock Holmes endeavors.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great history, bad dialogue, February 12, 2001

By 

Jamison Penny (River Falls, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders: From the American Chronicles of John H. Watson, M.D. (Paperback)

This installment kept my interest with all of the historical details that Millet threw in. As a St Paul history lesson, the book could be no better. The mystery was also very tightly woven, and it had me guessing as to the killers identity (almost) to the very end. What the book lacks is the kind of interesting dialogue that is needed to keep the drama alive. Most of the dialogue is pure exposition, and drags on for page after rambling page. Nobody talks this way! Also, many of the characters hardly develop beyond stereotypical figures of the time (the wealthy tycoon, the busy newspaper man, the spoiled society brat). While these are all important flaws, the overall story is good and will keep you interested, just like Millets previous (and better) Holmes book, The Red Demon. I am sure I will eventually pick up the next installment, but I am in no real hurry after being slightly dissapointed by this one.