If you like Sherlock Holmes, you will like this book. The stories are told in the same manner as the original stories, and every other Sherlock tv show I can recall. The set up is a little clunky, of a son who hates Sherlock Holmes until his fanatic father dies and he reads the books, and his friend sets up the agency in Victorian style for marketing value, but if you get past that, the stories are amusing. A good read for Sherlock Holmes fans, but maybe too much of a stretch for non-fans.

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.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

☆read a book published in 2018☆

Dive into a world of Sherlocky-Homes (see what I did there?)

This book was a great read and I loved how different each story was from each other. I must confess unlike Christopher Webster I'm sad to say I've never actually read any of Holmes adventures. I know what's wrong with me? But luckily (at least it doesn't seem too) you don't need any knowledge in the adventures of Holmes and Watson, as these stories are inspired by the literary detective and go with there own flair.

Each story became progressively "less obvious" as I made my way through the book. Though my favorite was still one of the early ones about Ufology. I should say for the record I never conclusively figured out the case before Sherl, not sure what that says about me or the author? The characters were really likable and not as I thought they'd be assholes, full of themselves which is always a nice turn of events.

I guess I should actually talk about the characters I keep going on about. The setup of the story is similar (of course) to Sherlock Holmes; you have Christopher Sherlock Webster (yes his name really is Sherlock, dad was a tad bit obessed) he starts an Detective agency with his mate Morris "Mo" Rennie (who is the stories Watson) and each story is the two of them solving each case, simply as that! though I will say every case is thought out and approached differently.

For example, my favorite case The Warminster Assignment Sherl (as Webster is called) has a terrible flu and send Mo to do the case, until a problem arises and Sherl is forced to go. Each case (for the most part) deals in the practical universe and every case no matter the scenario has a bases in reality and the here and now. With that said there are points when some of the stories dip into the shall we say, deep end of what is believable. But the characters do acknowledge that there are limits that are probably not going to be provable. Usually.

Each story is really enjoyable, plus this book is a quick read even if you're like me and have never read a single tale about Sherlock. Oh, and on a said note I was curious about the qualifications of becoming a private eye were, and to my surprise you don't have to have a background in law enforcement or have any degree other than your high school diploma as well as a license, cause I was wondering how Webster and Rennie were able to legally do this job without years of experience.

The more you know!☆

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,

In this fictional crime-fighting mystery, we find a man whose Pastor father chose to give his son the middle name of Sherlock after his favorite author Sir Conan Doyle famous London private detective. With the help of a close friend, the two open a private detective agency called Baskerville's where they furnish the interior to resemble one in which Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Watson would find to their liking, with a violin in the corner of a fully equipped room straight from an antique store. To further the marketing of the Sherlockian theme, Christopher Sherlock Webster wears clothes similar to the original Holmes would have worn. I admire the way the author Raymond Kay Lyon and his publishing co. Thistle Publishing followed the same format that put each case into its own short story again similar to the way the original canons was published. Each story was a walk back into the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Watson that both the characters start to emulate wonderfully. I highly recommend this novel to any mystery book lover plus I can see this becoming a series in the future. This story was lent to me to read through NetGalley in exchange for an "honest" opinion of my thoughts on the book. Thank you, #NetGalley, #TheSherlockEffect, #RaymondKayLyon #BookReview

Now I know I have so many other books to review before this one but when I saw this on Goodreads and the fact it was available on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it.

I am a complete and utter Sherlock Holmes fan girl. I have been since I was four or five and watched Jeremy Brett in the ITV adaptations with my mum (I later read the books too), so a character who’s obsessed with Sherlock Holmes was right up my alley.

They story starts with a brief history of how Christopher Sherlock Webster was saddled with his unusual middle name by his father and how he and Morris Rennie end up setting up Baskerville’s private detective agency.

It’s followed by five short stories written in a similar style to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes or The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes but they are written by through Christopher or Sherl (Morris’s nickname for him) point of view rather than his Watson Morris Rennie.

Fur Trade - Famous singer Vicki Vine’s boyfriend is kidnapped by extremist animal rights activists, twice, after she was pictured posing in fur.

The Warminster Assignment – A star journalist goes missing after investigating UFO sightings

The Persistent Admirer – A young woman is being stalked by someone who claims to be in love with her.

Gardeners Questions – Millionaire and gardening enthusiast George Beaumaris asks the duo to investigate his fiancée after she starts acting strangely.

The Balcony Scene – Kevin Tripp, managing director of X.E media (an adult entertainment business) receives a death threat from someone called the Mad Monk, he asks the detective pair to provide him with 24 hr protection but will it stop the Monk?

I absolutely loved this book. Would I have liked it as much if it hadn’t been Sherlock themed? The answer is probably yes. Each story is so different, with humour throughout and doesn’t take itself too seriously
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I found out it was originally published in 1997 and there has been an attempt to modernise it a little bit but there’s still a bit of old style language like Ghetto-blaster or video recorder. Also I did figure out most of the endings but it was still an immensely enjoyable read.

I really hope the author has more of these stories to be published!

Overall a perfect book for Sherlock fans and people who love a cozy mystery.

Christopher Sherlock Webster received his unexpected middle name because his father was obsessed with his well-known namesake, Sherlock Holmes. The new London based private investigation firm, The Baskerville Agency, got its start when Christopher was approached by his college pal, Morris Rennie. Morris proposed the agency, and because both Sherlock and Mo were at a point where they were ready to find a transition in their lives. Mo would finance the agency, Sherlock would provide the brains, and they would share the profits 50/50.

Besides reviewing the early history of The Baskerville Agency, the book is a collection of first-person reports of five early cases thrust upon the new agency. The cases are interesting to read, but are not as satisfying as those by Arthur Conan Doyle. I found the first one fairly simple to solve long before reaching the end of the story. The last was a bit uncomfortable (I did not finish it) as it dealt with the production of pornography. The other three were somewhere in between - though none measured up to the original canonical Sherlock Holmes collection of works. Having said all these things, the stories are worth reading and provided several evenings of entertainment.

This edition is the third printing from a new publisher of a book originally written in 1997. Though it has been 20 years since the original was published, I expect there is little chance that additional works in this series might be forthcoming - but one can hope.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

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.

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.

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

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.

Yet another Sherlock derivative. Not badly written. Combines 5 quick short stories of various crimes being solved through "analysis" and thought. Only gripe would be - please when you throw in a foreign country (South Africa), it would be really vaguely responsible given the current global audience for books and the huge South African diaspora if you bothered to do a little research, AND keep your facts straight. On page 125 its the "School of Psychiatric Medicine in Cape Town" and on page 143 it's the "Institute of Psychiatric Medicine in Cape Town" neither which exists. The University of Cape Town has a Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health. As far as "institutes" are concerned there is the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP). A simple google search will give you this information.
Further more, there is no language called "South African" and it's really annoying to hear of Afrikaans referred to as such.

This book was a real let down. I love Sherlock Holmes and after reading the description I thought this was going to be really good.

This book is split in to five short stories I think the book would have been better if it concentrated on one story.

It was a little bit dated as well it would have been nice to have it more modern

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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.