Further Associates of Sherlock Holmes

Everyone knows Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. The average reader will probably also recognize Moriarty, Mrs. Hudson, and a few other names. But what about Langdale Pike or Violet de Merville? Would a reference to Lord Holdhurst or Mordecai Smith mean anything or simply soar past, unacknowledged?

Several of those lesser characters enjoy another brief moment in the sun in Further Associates of Sherlock Holmes, a short story collection populated by former clients, suspects, and other inhabitants of the Sherlockian universe. With a sandbox this expansive to play in, the authors involved clearly had a field day, imagining how these cases affected characters in the future, whether they ever crossed paths with Holmes again, and even adding their own signature surprises to the canon.

Although there are a few clunkers in this collection, there are also some great stories that stand alone and make you want to go back and revisit the originals. That’s the sign of a wonderful tie-in: it enhances and shines the original as much as it adds to it.

And these Further Associates of Sherlock Holmes definitely get their due here.