Sherlock Holmes: The Defaced Men

The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Series, Book 2

By: Tim Major

Narrated by: Tom Woosnam

Sherlock Holmes delves into the world of early cinema as motion picture groundbreaker Eadweard Muybridge begs him to solve a mystery that will keep you up all night.

1896. A new client at Baker Street claims he’s being threatened via the new art of the moving image …

Eadweard Muybridge, pioneer of motion picture projection, believes his life is in danger. Twice he has been almost run down in the street by the same mysterious carriage, and moreover, disturbing alterations have been made to his lecture slides. These are closely guarded, yet just before each lecture an unknown hand has defaced images depicting Muybridge himself, which he has discovered, to his horror, only as he projects them to his audience. As Holmes and Watson investigate, a bewildering trail of clues only deepens the mystery, and meanwhile, newspaper speculation reaches fever pitch. The great detective’s reputation is on the line, and may be ruined for good unless he can pick apart a mystery centered on the capturing, for the first time, of figures in motion, and the wonders of the new cinematograph.

©2022 Tim Major (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Not Holmes

Not the Holmes I associate with Conan Doyle. The character does not come across as eccentric so much as self-absorbed and oblivious and not that smart. Watson often seems irritated by Holmes and the reader is left wondering why he even hangs around. This audio version of Holmes is that of a dull fat not particularly articulate middle aged man. I’m still giving this two stars because it’s ok as a gumshoe story on murderous fights over patents and inventions and academic jealousies. Just not Holmes.

Do not

The story was boring and somewhat incoherent. You couldn’t tell any difference between the voices of the characters. I hated the fact in the story, Dr. Watson I was constantly whining and complaining about Sherlock Holmes.

Disappointment

The narrator’s vocal abilities were inadequate in differentiating characters. The plot had no sense of urgency, sloshing around from one arena into another.