The Sherlock Effect

A marvellous and entertaining read,that threatens to turn us all into detectives! Christopher Sherlock Webster had a father who was obsessed with the great detective, hence his middle name. Christopher, however was bullied at school and refused to have anything to do with the stories that his father enjoyed so much,and it wasn't until Christopher,aka Sherl,by his friends, became smitten by the stories that he became inspired by the exploits of the great detective. Sherl and his friend Mo Rennie, decide to start up an agency that will investigate Sherlock type problems and use the same investigative techniques of reason and calculated deduction. They choose the name The Baskerville Agency, and through careful advertising manage to get some cases to solve, 5 of which make up this book.
The 5 cases are well written, the words flow freely,and Sherl asks exactly the questions that spring to the readers mind. There is the excitement of trying to solve the case before the explanation is given, I managed to solve the first,The Fur Trade, failed with two , The Warminster Agreement and The Persistent Assignment, made a decent stab at the Gardener's Questions and solved the last one, which was The Balcony Scene.
We have blackmail, kidnaps,murders,UFO's, all beautifully created and they have a lovely old fashioned appeal to each story, despite being throughly modern in tone.They are great fun and make you smile at times. So easy to read and so satisfying.
My youngest son adores Sherlock Holmes, has read the books, seen the DVD's,visited Baker Street and has got the T- shirt. Last year,we took him to the New Forest for a birthday meal to Minstead. I casually remarked that the grave of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was in the nearby churchyard, and his joy and delight was complete!! This book comes out before his birthday in February, so this will be a total surprise for him, and I'm sure he will recommend this to his fellow Sherlock enthusiasts !!
I have really enjoyed this book and hope there will be others to follow. I have given this 5 stars. I have posted this review on Goodreads today.

I’m a big fan of Sherlock Holmes mysteries so was looking forward to reading The Sherlock Effect - a modern day twist on twist featuring an individual with Sherlock as his middle name due to his father’s obsession with the detective.

After his father dies, Christopher Sherlock Webster finds he has inherited the same obsession and along with his friend Mo, they set up the Baskervilles Detective Agency.

This book was pleasant enough and kept me entertained throughout. It features a number of ‘cases’ which enable the book to be read as a number of short stories.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thistle Publishing and the author for the chance to review.

This is not what I expected, but that's not a bad thing. Having Sherlock in the title I thought Sherlock Holmes. It is not Sherlock, but a character with the middle name. This character does solve crimes and the story is interesting. He may not be "Sherlock" yet this is an interesting book for a Sherlock fan or if you enjoy crime novels. Know what to expect and you'll enjoy.

A clever, original, and wildly clever take on Holmes that manages to breathe new life into the classic.

Thank you, NetGalley for a free ebook copy of this book in return for an honest review. This book is due to be published on the 25th Jan 2018. This was a quick read, as the writing flows well and it was very easy for me to become absorbed by the text. I liked the short story format, as it lends itself well to mysteries in cases such as these and makes the book feel like it's being read even faster (which then sucks you in more and the cycle repeats). I liked the odd little explanation as to why this situation came about and why the two men are involved in solving mysteries, and I would very happily read this book again. Along with the twists and turns of a mystery (which is both cosy and shocking), there were also a couple of funny moments which I enjoyed and were deftly woven into the storyline. It's not a groundbreaking portrayal of the "Sherlockian" genre, however for those who enjoy this sort of book it's a nice read and one that will be gotten through quickly and happily. I'm hoping that there are further stories released as I'd definitely pick them up and enjoy them.

This book is a collection of short story mysteries. If you like mysteries, you will like it. If not, it is still an enjoyable book.

I recieved a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
There are a bunch of cases in this book so it's reads like a short story collection.
Christopher Sherlock Webster sets up a detective agency with his best friend Mo...and they call it the Baskerville Detectives.
This is a great and entertaining book for fans of Sherlock Holmes.

Before his father dies in Sherls final year at school, Christopher Sherlock Webster holds his father responsible for his name and thus the teasing and bullying he receives all through school. The Reverend Allen Webster was certainly obsessed with Holmes, and bequeathed his extensive collection of Holmes memorabilia to young Sherlock. After the death of his father he is guilted into picking up the copy of the Complete Sherlock Holmes to sample the odd story and is himself soon a 'full-fledged addict'. After several failed attempts at finding his calling, Sherl and his best friend Mo, who inherits a small fortune from one of his uncles, rent a place around the corner from Baker Street, put up some pretty impressive advertising for The Baskerville Agency "just round the corner on 237 Crawford Street, London W.I. Will Investigate All Mysterious and Bizarre Occurrences". Mo feels it necessary to fix the place up in true Sherlock accessories, most of which Sherlock already owns, and provides a trunk of Holmes style wardrobe which he insists be worn while on the job. Sherl objects to the constant branding of Holmes-type clothing and most especially the deerstalker hat but doesn't argue convincingly against the wardrobe as the money for the entire venture is that Mo inherited. They received several calls complimenting them on their sense of humor, but paying jobs are slow to find them. Which explains why they jump at a chance to provide protection for blues singer Vicki Vine.

This novel is a laugh a minute. Sherlock fans are going to find it compelling and laugh at themselves. Non-fans will find it hilarious and laugh at we Holmes fans, too.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Raymond Kay Lyon, and Thistle Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

The Sherlock Effect is a homage to Conan Doyle that he would be proud to acknowledge. It compliments but doesn't copy the iconic detective and his powers of observation. Growing up Christopher Sherlock Webster found his name a burden. But after his Holmes-obsessed father passes away, he delves deeper into Conan Doyle’s stories and discovers that he too has an affection for Holmesiana and a talent for deduction. With his marketing friend Mo Rennie, he opens an agency devoted to solving the type of unusual crimes that Holmes himself would enjoy. Christopher may be a tad bit reluctant to dress the part (Mo insists it is important for branding), but he addresses their unusual cases with enthusiasm and perception.

I was very impressed by the creative mysteries Raymond Kay Lyon created to challenge Christopher. The stories were unique and had no graphic violence so they are easily enjoyed by Holmes fans young and old. I enjoyed The Sherlock Effect and I hope that Raymond Kay Lyon follows it with another collection of stories featuring Christopher Sherlock Webster and Mo Rennie.

5 / 5

I received a copy of The Sherlock Effect from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

The Sherlock Effect is a collection of five short stories following Christopher Sherlock Webster, known simply as Sherl, and his friend, Mo, as they set up a detective agency called Baskerville's. They aim to solve crimes using the methods of observation and deduction most associated with Sherlock Holmes.

Things I liked about this book:

1. The Cover: The Benedict Cumberbatch-esque silhouette dominating the front was enough to make me squeal with excitement.

2. The Holmesian theme: I've recently finished all fifty-six short stories and four novels of the Sherlock Holmes stories for the second time and was still left wanting more. This book definitely helped to fill the massive gaping hole left behind by the Arthur Conan Doyle stories, and also helped with my serious withdrawal symptoms from the BBC's most recent modern adaptation.

Things I disliked about this book:

1. This book differs from that of the original Sherlock Holmes stories in that it is narrated in the first person by Sherl himself. I feel that this takes away a little from the mystery surrounding the detective, and I wonder if the book would have been made better if it was written from the point of view of Mo in a similar way that most of the original stories were written from the perspective of John Watson.

2. I guessed the solution to two out of the five mysteries. This isn't necessarily a bad thing (because it's fun to feel like a clever genius sometimes), but in this case, I would love to have been derailed and blown away by a twist or two. This never really happened in any of these stories.

In the end, a major appealing feature of this book is it's association with the world of Sherlock Holmes. I was left wondering if this book would have stood on its own without this association; if Christopher Sherlock Webster was just Christopher Webster and he set up a detective agency named something other than Baskerville's perhaps. I think the answer is yes. It's fun to draw parallels with a Holmesian world, but I believe that this book does also stand on its own as a strong collection of mystery short stories.

While this does not live up to the Sherlock stories I adored growing up, this new modern take on Sherlock was a pleasant enough read. I liked the short story aspect of it which make it a quick read.

A Fine Holmesian Diversion

Since it seems that anyone nowadays can write a story or book featuring "Sherlock Holmes" there are a dizzying number of choices out there. To me, most of these copycats and knockoffs suffer from trying way too hard to capture and copy the lightning in a bottle that was Doyle's actual Sherlock Holmes character.

This book follows a different and wiser course. It is set in modern times, (well, the 1990's, when the book was originally written). It features a character who more or less falls into a marketing scheme to set up a Holmes-style detective agency. (His middle name is Sherlock and his Dad was an obsessive fan.) Allied with his pal Mo, this Sherlock adopts Victorian era clothing and starts to play detective. The fun here is that as the action progresses our Sherlock develops more Holmesian characteristics, and the cases taken on by the duo begin to feel more and more like legit Holmes casebook cases, (murder, deception, fraud, blackmail, sometimes a red herring hint of the weird or occult).

This is all worked on a few complementary levels. Each case is a fair enough mystery, with suspects, clues, sometimes a bit of action or a twisty touch. Sherlock and Mo work well as a Holmes/Watson team, or at least their version of such a team. The supporting characters feel very much like the sorts you would find in an original Conan Doyle story. Even the reliance on the deductive method, (which is a bit shaky in the earlier cases), gets better over time.

So, these ended up being tasty morsels, (there are five cases in the book). The lead characters were engaging and the Holmes part was fun without being tedious, heavy-handed or false-feeling. The writing was fine, and served well the generally fast pace. Touches of humor some clever banter spiced things up. All in all this was a fun find.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I didnt know what to expect from this book, being a Sherlock fan I hoped it wouldn’t disappoint and over all it didnt. A nice selection of stories all quiet different from each other with a nice Victorian feel to them.

Review

After his father gave his son the middle name of Sherlock it did not bode well for Christopher Webster at school. The book opens with hoe Christopher and his father became estranged and then, after his fathers premature death, Christopher is drawn to Sherlock Holmes. Years later he meets an old school friend, Mo, who proposes they set up a detective agency in the mode of Sherlock Holmes. Christopher agrees. And so comes into being The Baskerville Detective Agency.

We are then treated to five stories, or files, each one tells of Christopher and Mo’s adventures into the world of private investigation. The stories are terrific, a bit quirky as you would expect from the Holmesian style, and each builds on the other with regard to the character and relationship of Christopher and Mo.

The tales and characters are delightful and well written. They evoke Sherlock Holmes, and Dr Watson, whilst being given a modern setting. Enjoyable and well worth a read.

Rating: 4*

With thanks to Thistle Publishing for this eARC via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A collection of five short stories, of a British consulting detective with a middle name of Sherlock, whose business partner has styled their agency in the aesthetic fashion of a Victorian 221B, complete with deerstalker cap and tail coats. Except the bizzareness of the intentional aesthetic costuming, these are decent tales in the spirit of classic Sherlock Holmes adventures without being a direct retelling. I found this a rather enjoyable light read.

Content note: drug addiction, pornography industry, hypnotherapy, blackmail,

I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, and always on the look out for books that emulate him, and this book did not disappoint.

Christopher was bullied at school when they found his middle name was Sherlock (his father was huge fan) and refused to have anything to do with the books, after the death of his father, he is filled with guilt and decides to read one the Sherlock Holmes book, and from there is hooked, and with his friend Mo sets up a detective agency, trying to solve typical 'Holmesian' cases.

Very entertaining, recommended for fans and non fans of Sherlock Holmes.

I really enjoyed this book and felt it was a great modern take on Sherlock Holmes. The first thing that caught my attention was the cover. As a lover of Sherlock, the cover immediately grabbed my attention and I'm glad I requested it. The reason I am not giving this book 5 stars is because I think it would have felt more at home if it was written in Mo's POV rather than the first person narrative with Sherl himself. I always enjoyed hearing things from what was inside Watson's head but it's probably just my preference. This was more of a collection of short stories which I LOVED! I was able to squeeze one in here and there when a Holmes fix was needed! I enjoyed the characters and thought the mysteries were fun! This book definitely has all those nice Holmesian feels and would recommend it to other fans!😄

Love this book, I was so fresh and new, yes it is based on Sherlock Holmes, but not really. Set in modern times, but with a nod to the past, I really enjoyed it - I hope there will be more.

The book is a page turner. Starting with the sorrow of being named the same as famous detective, thankfully only middle name, the row with his father and lastly become the namesake itself.

As a fan of Sherlock in the HBO series, it offers me other story about private detectives. The crime itself is not always gruesome-murder, instead it also offer a refreshing tale of millionaire whose wary of his fiance and what happen behind his back.

Consisting of 5 cases, the plot sometimes easily predicted but sometimes there’s twist that will surprise us. Overall it is a very enjoyable reading. I recommend this for reader who love light mystery.


Thanks netgalley and thistle publishing for providing the copy.

Opening with a short back-story we learn that Christopher Webster's father was an avid Conan Doyle fan, giving his son the middle name 'Sherlock', which didn't bode well for young Webster during his formative years. Later estranged from his father and following his father's death, Christopher is drawn to Sherlock Holmes and ends up reading the Holmes' cannon. Years later an old school friend, Mo, propses 'Sherl' (Christopher) sets up a detective agency based around the infamous Sherlock Holmes, completing their office with Victorian-era and Sherlockian memorabelia, going so far as to give Sherl an authentic wardrobe sans deerstalker, all to market the newly-formed Baskerville Detective Agency.

From here readers are presented with a series of five short stories, each one covering a case investigated by Sherl and his long-term friend, Mo. The cases/stories themselves were fun, mostly believeable and progressed in difficulty but for the amateur-sleuth reader, the earlier cases will probably be fairly easy to solve. However, I liked that Sherl isn't a brainiac and that Mo, unlike Watson, is more interested in marketing the business than cataloguing cases. Indeed, unlike Conan Doyle's stories that're narrated by Watson, Lyons has presented his detective's cases in a first-person narrative. This may not appeal to traditional Sherlock fans but with so many pastiches out there, I found this approach refreshing.

That said, I felt Sherl and Mo as characters fell a little flat. Other than being new to detective work, little is said about them and apart from the introduction there's little character development. If there is to be a sequel I hope we're given a little more insight into the lives and minds of our heroes.

Overall The Sherlock Effect is a fun, quick read, with a nod to Doyle but without attempting to be an imitation of his work. Well worth a read!

A cleverly written easy read that is a tribute to Sherlock Homes. Christopher Sherlock Webster and his friend Mo Rennie solve 5 cases. This is an enjoyable read with a good concept.

Originally published some 20 years ago, this collection features five intertwined investigations, written in the spirit of the greatest detective of all time. The modern-day protagonist originally hated his middle name – ‘Sherlock’ of course – with which his Holmes-obsessed father had burdened him. But ‘Sherl’ gradually develops a similar fixation with scientific deduction, and starts up Baskerville’s detective agency in partnership with a pal. His partner acts as a substitute for Dr Watson, which gives Sherl plenty of opportunity to expound upon his theories. In theory, his speciality is rigid application of the Holmesian method of deduction… although in practice these stories lack the idiosyncratic insights and impressive intellect of Conan Doyle’s original.

Set at the end of the 20th century, each standalone story offers a single investigation into the kind of crime which might’ve attracted the attention of the great man himself – a missing journalist who could’ve been abducted by UFOs; the kidnappers who ransomed the same person twice. Sherl’s stories feature a cast of characters which reflect current concerns: pop stars, animal right activists and a suspicious stalker. They’re written in modern language without any pretentions towards mimicking Conan Doyle’s style, and each episode contains a cornucopia of clues, typically British supporting characters, and plenty of red herrings.

In keeping with the original stories, these aren’t shockers or thrillers, but gently entertaining and pleasantly puzzling mysteries. Initially, Sherl’s discomfort at playing his role (complete with period costume) is reflected in the somewhat uninspired opening investigation – but the writing tightens as the character becomes more proficient in the later stories. So if you’re not immediately struck by the first story, I’d suggest you stick with it.

There are moments which didn’t work for me – when Sherl gets involved in fisticuffs, for instance; that being the more normal role of the Dr Watson character. It also felt a little strange that these investigations were related in the first-person, from Sherl’s perspective rather than being told by the faithful companion. Similarly, I suspect that if you’re a fan of the Benedict Cumberbatch TV series then these will seem somewhat twee and maybe a little lacking in cryptic wit. (It can’t be a coincidence that the figure on the cover illustration looks a lot like BC — don’t be misled! These are NOT stories from the TV show).

Instead, this is a selection of solid mystery stories in the grand old English tradition, even down to uncanny happenings and things that go bump in the night. They don’t lean too far towards nostalgia or intellectual obscurity, nor do they feel like a pastiche of the original Sherlock stories. A pleasant afternoon’s entertainment.

7/10

Being a fan of the BBC series, I was curious to see how this author would put his mark on the Sherlock franchise.

And it was interesting! I like it. This book is like a collection of short stories about a man whose middle name is Sherlock, and his friend Mo who proposed this endeavor, and they set about solving crimes and mysteries. Each story could be a little longer but the short stories are varied enough to not make you sick of following Sherl and Mo. It's just the right bite size. It makes it ok to put the book down and pick it up again on a new story.

Hope there'll be another collection soon as this was most interesting. Towards the end though, I was trying to apply similar tactics as Sherl. Hahaha. I was close but not quite close enough. Hope they are able to sustain the business, as money is never discussed here...that would simply not do.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for introducing this author and book to me.

A very good and solid traditional mystery. Well written, good plot, with well described characters.
I really enjoyed and recommend it.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Thistle Publishing

I lap up anything Sherlock related and I really enjoyed this series of cases. This was a very entertaining book and I’m looking forward to more from this author.

A thoroughly enjoyable read giving a new spin to the well loved Sherlock Holmes stories. Because the book is made up of smaller stories it made it very easy to read as you can dip in and out of it, great book!

If you like Sherlock Holmes stories, this is the book for you. Sherl and Mo are solving criminal cases. fun to read

A good quick fun read. A few short investigative cases for a modern day Sherlock. Probably not your cup of tea if you're looking for hardcore detective novels, but it was fun and entertaining.

Recommended for something to read while commuting.

Well thought out pack of punches told from the perspective of a modern incarnation of Sherlock Holmes. The mystery stories were pleasantly surprising. Told from Holmes' rather than Mo's POV- it gives a refreshing insight that doesn't make it feel like a Doyle wannabe. Highly recommended.