Murder in Keswick

This is a quick little read, much like some of Conan Doyle’s original Holmes stories. Characters of Holmes and Watson seem very much in keeping with the originals.

Love this book - it really fills my expectations of the books written as a pastiches. This book is pretty close to Sherlock Holmes that I became happily lost in it - only one slight jarring note was Watson, he was just too, too...... - just not Watson enough. If you like Sherlock Holmes you will enjoy this, a good mystery that keeps you reading till the end.

NetGalley Description

"While on a well-deserved holiday in the Lake District to get away from the toils and troubles of London, Holmes and Watson find no respite. As soon as they exit the train they hear news of a grisly murder making its way around the murmuring commuters. A local aristocrat, Mr. Darcy, has been found missing his head!"

Thoroughly enjoyable read, very in keeping with an original Conan Doyle. The language and structure are true to formula and it is a well told tale wth Sherlock and Dr Watson engaging in the expected verbal exchanges. Well planned little mystery, maintained my interest till the end and kept me guessing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Books Go Social for the ARC.

I am very grateful to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book to read and honestly review.
Whilst I do not in any way consider myself an expert on Sherlock Holmes, i have had the enormous pleasure of reading everyone of the great detectives "Official" cases as written by his faithful companion Doctor Watson in the guise of the brilliant Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, i have also read numerous books featuring the world's first and of course best, and certainly most original "Consulting Detective" . This book rates very highly with regards to the originals in feel and style, and is a very entertaining mystery and one to which I am very pleased to say I solved before the great man divulged all to his faithful sidekick Watson.
The game is afoot.
So I suggest you enjoy this delightful engaging little read.

I love everything about Sherlock Holmes and this book is great. It has an original Conan Doyle vibe. Quick and very enjoyable read for me.

Hoping for relaxation and rest, Dr. Watson convinces Sherlock Holmes to take a trip to Cornwall. The very moment they arrive, however, they discover a murder has taken place. Once more, Holmes and Watson are on the case and pursuing a murderer.

The author here does a fine job in mimicking the 'voice' of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original Dr. Watson. We follow the mystery through the good doctor’s eyes, watching Holmes work his skills at the tricky mystery. The details of the murder make for an interesting case and, once the solution is revealed, I was mentally kicking myself for not paying more attention.

Also, I really hope Constable Wickham and Mr. Darcy are a nod to Pride and Prejudice.

Overall, it was a quick, enjoyable read, one which I would recommend to any Sherlock Holmes fan who enjoy a well written pastiche.

a great Sherlock and Watson story. could be written by Conan Doyle. While on vacation Sherlock and Watson are solving a murder. A lot of Suspense, no way to guess who the murderer is. Couldn`t stop reading.

Sherlock Holes and Doctor Watson are back on the case. A wonderful resurrection of the world's favourite sleuth. It had me thinking of the great Jeremy Brett dancing through the pages. Everything was as it should be. A good plot which was enjoyable even if i had come to an early conclusion which proved correct. There were still clues and twists which weren't expected.

Well worth reading for fans of Mr Holmes and fans of whodunnits in general.

The greatest problem facing a true fan of the great detective is the utter glut of books that freely use his name. All too often these works fail to do justice to Conan Doyle’s master creation, leaving the true fan disappointed and frustrated. Mr. Todd manages to channel both the detective and his creator in a wonderful work that fits easily dmingst the ranks of the original tales.

A typical Watson and Holmes story, not very long succinctly told, very much to the point in terms of detective work and deduction.

Both Watson and Holmes have decided to go to Keswick for a long awaited holiday. Holmes has been reluctantly dragged there for the good of his health but Holmes is looking forward to invigorating walks, boating and reading. It was not meant to be!

On arrival at the station, the townsfolk are in uproar - a decapitated body of a well known local gentleman has been found. Both detectives go directly to the constabulary and from there the story commences.

The story keeps apace with suspects and plots and following up on leads. The end was definitely not one I had in mind neither were the villains! Just like the way a good detective murder mystery should be.

Old fashioned but very pleasant reading.

This does remind me the original writings of Doyle and Sherlock's world. The same formula can be read with Holmes and Watson in this journey as they haven't even skipped a beat. Sherlock is back and he is investigating the Murder in Keswick.

What is not to like,love about a good old fashion mystery? This sure doesn't let you down! On reviews I don't like to reveal too much of the story because if you do that then what is in it for you to read the whole story? I will say you will not be disappointed and the characters are so very real! You will be taken into the situation and get to know the people involved! Enjoy!!🙈🙉🙊

Picturesque Lake District, summer season, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. What more can one want? Nothing. Well, one can want to see how Sherlock behaves on holiday... But one would have to wait indefinitely as The Death does not take a holiday, ever.

Mr Holmes and Dr Watson find themselves in English resort holidaying  solving a murder. True to the norm, Sherlock is being Sherlock and Watson... well, this Watson talks too much even for Watson. However, it all works quite well together. I even found the language a bit more brain-friendlier than Conan Doyle's.

Pastiche novels are always a very strange kettle of fish. When it works it is amazing. When it does not, it is horrible. The author gave himself a very heavy task and even heavier burden to walk in 'master's shoes. But, legend must live on. Mr Todd did a great job.

A very fun and cozy read, just like Lake District in summer.

Holmes needs some rest,at least Watson thinks so. So they(Watson )decide to spend some time in Keswick, a village in the beautiful Lake District. On their arrival at the station they are confronted with some agitated travellers. Apparently a beheaded body has been found along the road. The body seems to belong to Mr. Darcy,a well respected local gentleman. Holmes and Watson visit the local constable who is more than delighted to have the masterly mystery solver by his side. For once ,the local village constable is not depicted as a slow thinking idiot who can not take an initiative. And so they solve this crime with Holmes his usual panache.
There have been quite a lot of Holmes stories published of late,but to be fair not all of them recreate the right feeling...but this one does,the setting (Holmes in the countryside)is believable,Holmes and Watson their attitude is what it is,the characters and their behaviour is consistent with the original stories,the lenght(178 pages)is just right and the crime and its solution is reminiscent of A.C. Doyle.

As often happened back when Sherlock took a vacation, another mystery finds him, in this case a grisly murder, followed by a break-in at the now-widow’s house.
Unlike most attempts at writing a Sherlock novel, I enjoyed this one right off the bat. It sounds authentic. For instance, there was a clue in the laundry that rang true to Arthur Conan Doyle, subtle but I got it. What happened after, and her aim with the shotgun, only strengthened my theory. (In the end I got it right. . . except for the actual murderer. Sigh.)
Read it in a couple of hours on a burning summer afternoon. Only problem is the next day I couldn’t remember any of it.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5

In hopes of a little rest and relaxation, Dr. Watson convinces Sherlock Holmes to take a holiday to the Lake District. Upon the train arriving Sherlock and Watson hear about a murder victim nearby where the gentleman’s head was missing. Sherlock cannot pass up solving a mystery that others deem a difficult case.

Being a fan of Sir Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes I was excited and nervous to read this book. I was very pleased how well Author William Todd’s Sherlock and Dr. Watson was able to mimic the tone and voice of Doyle’s. Sherlock is as brilliant and mysterious with his sleuth abilities as ever. Dr. Watson is still a loyal friend and gentleman who although insightful can never seem to match Sherlock’s abilities of deduction. The mystery had a wonderful plot with the Victorian era feel. There was plenty of red-herrings woven into the storyline to keep the reader engaged in the story until the end.

Murder in Keswick was a quick enjoyable read. I recommend this book to Sherlock Holmes fans as well as anyone who loves a good mystery. I received a copy through NetGalley and opinions expressed are my own.

"Murder in Keswick" eBook was published in 2018 and was written by William Todd. Mr. Todd has published seven novels and novellas. 

I categorize this novella as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the late 19th century in England. The primary characters are, of course, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. 

Watson and Holmes are attempting to get away from London and their constant load of cases. Traveling to the Lake District is supposed to let them relax, but when they arrive they discover that a local has been found dead and his head is missing. They soon find themselves drawn into the strange case. 

Was he murdered by the gypsies in the area? By a business competitor? By some other party set to reign terror on the local community? Only Holmes will be able to discover the who, and why of the murder.  

I enjoyed the 3+ hours I spent reading this 178 page mystery. I read almost every novel with Holmes and Watson as the main characters I can find. This one is consistent with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's own stories.  The cover art is OK. I give this novel a 4.4 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

A nice Sherlock mystery that, in my opinion, hews a bit closer to the slower pace and relatively non-salacious plotlines of the original Doyle stories. There are no underground sex rings or drug smuggling related deaths, for instance, and although there's some hanky-panky we're not really getting in the muck here. As such, this novel sit sits a bit apart from the contemporary expansions of the Holmes' mysteries and could be perceived as too tame for the modern mystery/crime fan. If you're receptive to this style, however, I think this is a strong recommend.

It had been a long time since I read Sherlock Holmes mysteries and this book came as a pleasant surprise. Written on the similar lines of the original series, Murder in Keswick does justice to the Sherlock Holmes mysteries.

Sherlock's art of deduction is praiseworthy. His plan to catch the burglar at Mrs. Darcy's home is mind-blowing. And, as usual, Watson is kept out of the whole action. As I was reading through, I could imagine Jeremy Brett as Sherlock and David Burke as Watson, back in action.

There were tiny clues here and there, and like Watson, the reader has no idea as to why Sherlock mentions such trivial things. And in the end, one realizes that the trivial things were not as 'trivial' as it seemed to be!

I really liked the author's writing style. The characters are well-matched. Mrs. Darcy and Mrs.McGlinn, both play a strong role in the story. And it goes without saying that Sherlock Holmes is one of the best detectives out there!

The ending is excellent and unexpected. Murder in Keswick is a short but excellent read. The story is well-developed. The suspense keeps you hooked on to the book till the end.

If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, then Murder in Keswick is THE book for you.

Even a master detective deserves a break now and then. But, it's not to be. In this classic Sherlock Holmes mystery, Holmes and Watson end their vacation before it starts to help the Keswick constabulary solve the murder of Mr Darcy, who unfortunately loses his head...really loses his head...and is found on the side of the road. Holmes and Watson follow their usual methodology with all of the twists and turns you'd expect when reading a mystery. A quick but enjoyable read.

An entertaining and intriguing crime mystery, Sherlock Holmes at his finest. I find his falling into despair and the taking of drugs a bit much, all this because he had no crime to solve, a bit of an insult, a slur on his esteem character I would say. But no matter the book was indeed a captivating and interesting one.

Interesting and an enjoyable read. I really liked it. I don't know what else to say. It was a good book.

In this pastiche Watson forces Holmes to take a vacation to the Lake District. Conveniently, for Holmes, their arrival is met with news of a headless corpse, and of a local burglary. The burglary victim is a prickly widow who seems less than interested in helping the investigation. The servants are equally cagey. Of course this is no match for Holmes, who works with the local investigator to solve the case. In general this was a pretty good homage to Holmes. It's a good choice for those who enjoy seeing him outside of London.