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Kissing Sherlock Holmes
Book Wenches
3 Crows Press Literary
Nymphs
~Literary Nymphs
Dragon Minx, Reviewer
August, 2011
4.5 Nymphs
Kissing Sherlock Holmes is the
latest release by writers McKinney & Wylis. I admit it. The quirky
title for this book caught my attention first but the idea of
turning the classic mystery characters of Holmes and Watson into
lovers while they solved a crime is what made me want to read this
story. It’s a crazy notion but it’s also what makes this writing duo
so successful…they think outside the box.
The thing that’s immediately
obvious about this story is that the writing style matches that of
the time period in which the book is set, reminding me of the many
classic mystery books I’ve read and B/W movies I’ve seen. I really
appreciated that the authors’ writing closely matched that of the
originator of the Sherlock Holmes and Watson characters. It shows
their attention to detail and their willingness to do the research
necessary to get a historical era right.
Holmes in love initially seemed a
little odd but it was nice seeing this normally rigid man open his
heart up. But what I really loved was the author’s creative
explanation for what made him act so arrogant and cold to people
around him…even Watson at times. Then there’s Watson. This man is
much more experienced in the ways of physical relationships than
Holmes but one kiss from the man he’s been friends with for years
turns his world upside down. McKinney and Wylis handled the change
of emotions and relationship between both men well, making their
transition from friends to lovers believable.
You don’t really know about the
secrets the villain is stealing or how it’s happening until the
latter part of the story but it becomes apparent fairly early on who
the person might be. But even so, it didn’t stop me from enjoying
the story, as snippets of information revolving around the villain
is intermittently placed throughout the story, keeping my
interest.
Put all this together in an
English country house with some interesting secondary characters,
witty dialogue and a few chuckles and you have all the components
needed for an enjoyable read. Give this one a try.
~Book Wenches
Bobby D Whitney, Reviewer
August, 2011
Rating - 5
When I came across Kissing
Sherlock Holmes by T.D. McKinney and Terry Wylis, I could not pounce
on this book quickly enough. Truly, how can one resist Sherlock Holmes,
the ultra-famous brooding, manic-depressive detective and cokehead?
There is something completely romantic (regardless of his infamous
misogyny) and mysterious about him and his uncanny deductive abilities.
While I’m not generally that into fan fiction, this book is a definite
exception, because the authors have done an excellent job remaining
faithful to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters even as they give them a
new and definitely non-traditional spin.
Given his contempt of the female
gender, it seems appropriate that a romance featuring Sherlock Holmes
would pair him with his dedicated sidekick and biographer, Dr. John
Watson. In this story “my dear Watson” takes on new nuances of caring.
It rings of love and close friendship instead of the slightly pompous
and superior air we might otherwise expect on the part of Holmes.
While Kissing Sherlock Holmes is a
romance at heart, the plot revolves around a mystery almost as much as
it does the relationship between our two heroes, who are much too
involved solving their case to spend a lot of time on the more physical
aspects of their love. The central mystery is well-conceived and
involving, and as I read, I found myself changing my mind several times
regarding the identity of the culprit. And although the final revelation
came as no particular surprise to me, the journey to discovery is a very
enjoyable one indeed.
Although the narrative has a slightly
warmer tinge than Conan Doyle’s original text, the authors capture the
essence of Holmes and Watson very precisely in this book, and I never
doubted for a moment that they were “authentic” characters. Holmes is
rude, unsympathetic, and prone to black moods, drug use, and depression.
Watson is his complete opposite. They are three-dimensional, thinking
and breathing characters who really do complement each other perfectly.
Having only read a few of the
original Holmes and Watson stories, I now wish were more intimately
familiar with them, because I think I’d have had a ball noticing even
more similarities and differences between those stories and this one. As
it is, I enjoyed becoming immersed in this story and witnessing Holmes
and Watson find a happy ending together. If you are at all a fan of
Sherlock Holmes and 221B Baker Street, then I highly recommend Kissing
Sherlock Holmes. It is very well-written, highly absorbing and
undeniably romantic.
~Three Crows Press
Cecelia Ryan, Reviewer
August 29, 2011
4 3/4 Stars
Before I begin a
review of this particular title, I must first confess
that I am a Holmes fan from way back. The first book I
ever owned that I bought with money of my own was the
complete Sherlock Holmes. To say he is important to me
would be a great understatement.
And this novel does
him justice in a way many, many takes simply do not. So,
as a canon purist and book fan, I’m happy enough to say
that the characters between these pages are actually
Holmes and Watson, not two people borrowing their names,
as I find is so often the case in novels like this. This
makes me unspeakably happy.
But
this is not only a book for canon purists convinced that
Holmes and Watson were at it. Even a passing knowledge
of who Sherlock Holmes was would be more than enough to
enjoy it as a nice little mystery/romance. The details
like Holmes’ lime cream and heavy shag tobacco,
references to incidents past and repetitions of familiar
phrases certainly make for a delightful Easter egg hunt
among those who have read the stories religiously, but
the uninitiated, I think, would still enjoy a good
story.
There is also the
added advantage here of a pleasantly Doyle-like mystery
going on as Holmes and Watson’s romance blossoms as
well. I will be the first to admit that I spent the
first ten pages or so with a look of complete horror on
my face, honestly believing that everything was going to
go completely the wrong way, despite knowing I was
reading a book guaranteed to have a happy ending for our
heroes. That kind of writing takes skill, and whilst the
voice isn’t quite the same as Doyle’s, I’m not sure I’d
want it to be. The combined voices of T. D McKinney and
Terry Wylis are very pleasant, and the language and
structure was suitably Victorian not to be off-putting.
Even the characters
not originally belonging to Doyle were believable,
likeable where they were supposed to be and otherwise.
All in all, a very enjoyable read, and one completed for
me in a single day with only the most necessary of
breaks.
My complaints (as
there must be some) are few and probably only relevant
to me and others as prone to being sticklers for the
rules. There were one or two historical blips, which I
will allow you to spot for yourself; since they were
very minor and not truly important in the grand scheme
of things, and the whole thing could have done with one
last proof-read – I was particularly thrown at one point
by the mention of two adjourning properties, among a few
other instances of what would appear to be a spellcheck
gone wrong. However, this is hardly a fatal flaw.
Others may complain,
I suppose, that the sex scenes lacked description.
Given, though, that this was told in the first person
and that this is Watson,
I would say that they were perfectly appropriate for the
characters. In other words, I say bah unto you.
As such, I am happy
to give this novel 4 3/4 out of 5 stars and would
heartily encourage anyone who likes the idea of Sherlock
Holmes having it off with his Boswell to read it without
hesitation. And I may stop writing in decidedly
Victorian tones at some future point.
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