• The Papers of Sherlock Holmes: Volume 1

  • By: David Marcum
  • Narrated by: Simon Shepherd
  • Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (93 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Papers of Sherlock Holmes: Volume 1  By  cover art

The Papers of Sherlock Holmes: Volume 1

By: David Marcum
Narrated by: Simon Shepherd
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.68

Buy for $18.68

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Spanning events over thirty years, Volume I of The Papers of Sherlock Holmes relates narratives of Holmes and Watson's days in Baker Street, as well as particulars of Holmes's supposed retirement.

Follow along as The Master and his Boswell travel from the streets of London to the Kent countryside, to Oxford and Sussex.

Written in traditional canonical style, these stories provide fresh details of Holmes's world. Join us as we climb the seventeen steps to the Baker Street sitting room, where Holmes and Watson prepare to begin their next adventure. The game is afoot!

©2013 David Marcum (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Papers of Sherlock Holmes: Volume 1

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    50
  • 4 Stars
    19
  • 3 Stars
    13
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    42
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    43
  • 4 Stars
    18
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Overall this is a dud

I'm usually a fan of well-written Sherlock Holmes pastiches, as long as they are written with the basic facts of Sir ACD's original works intact. This book is a hodge podge that strays greatly from the known narrative. The novella of the extended Holmes family is particularly annoying to me. The gifted narrator's rendition of Holmes is sing-songy and so unlike Holmes that it is distracting. However, the narrator's portrayal of Watson is excellent. Overall, don't bother with this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A middling Holmes pastiche

The stories herein are just that, stories. There is little in the way of mystery and our protagonists feel as though they're just along for the ride.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Papers of Sherlock Holmes

Mr. Marcum, needs to keep finding more lost or hidden papers. A very well done novel. New Holmes Family information was great!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

as bad a narration as ive ever suffered through

Actually could have enjoyed this story with the very weak plots, especially since much of it was set in my home area of East Tennessee. However, the narrator made me glad when it was finished. The increasingly higher pitched, herk and jerk voice of Holmes made it unbearable. Absolutely pathetic narrator

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

many nested stories

I like the way the author packs each story with multiple coalescing storylines, so each tale is made of several. It seems like a spendthrift approach, tossing out so many story lines that other people would be happy to have just one of, but it makes for a rich narrative, a tour de force . . .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

No one talks like that.

What would have made The Papers of Sherlock Holmes: Volume 1 better?

The volume was fine.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The stories were quite good.

What didn’t you like about Simon Shepherd’s performance?

His voicing of Sherlock was stilted, halting and sounded like a poor imitation of William Shatner. No one speaks like that normally and it was grating on the ears.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The stories/cases were good.

Any additional comments?

What a shame that the voice portrayal of the main character spoiled the whole experience. Very disappointing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

So much back stories ....

Loved the back stories and locations, extra guests writers and artists...the voice was fantastic and WOW!!!. YA'LL are going to love this.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome Holmes and Watson

One of the best listening books yet. Keep up the good work. Thanks so much.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

not bad but not ACD

good easy listening. Stories not to deep but a little to light hearted for a good Holmes narrative.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great stories

I enjoyed all of these stories. the narration was good except for the voice of Sherlock. for some reason the narrator would pause a couple of seconds after every word that Sherlock spoke. very irritating.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Gertrude Perkins
  • Gertrude Perkins
  • 11-25-13

Not great - narrator irritating

Not one of the better ones of the 'new Holmes' genre. The narrator seems to be making Holmes sound like a poor man's Edward Fox, which becomes really irritating after a while.
And I'm afraid the plots just aren't in the style of Conan Doyle's. If you like the Bert Coules stories, I doubt you'll enjoy this any more than I did.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for L. Slade
  • L. Slade
  • 10-10-14

Irritating american vocabulary

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Not bad until each ridiculous and lazy American term cropped up - Fall / Autumn, Sidewalk / Pavement etc - which was distracting

What will your next listen be?

Not something like this

Did Simon Shepherd do a good job differentiating each of the characters? How?

Yes but his Holmes voice is annoying

Do you think The Papers of Sherlock Holmes: Volume 1 needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Not until author has better attention to detail

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for J E Hill
  • J E Hill
  • 02-23-23

a very decent try

Occasionally goes a little off course but mostly good. Liked exploration of Sherlock's family connections.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Nick McCormack
  • Nick McCormack
  • 11-03-22

Disappointed

I am very annoyed by the use of Americanisms here, it is jarring to hear people measuring distance in "blocks" and referring to Autumn as "Fall" to name but two examples, and I was surprised to hear The Great Detective sounding like a bad Bertie Wooster impression.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Sefton
  • Sefton
  • 09-24-22

Good continuation stories

Thoughtfully put together, and very enjoyable. I find the Americanisms irritating - gotten and drapes for got and curtains. Maybe I’m being too critical, but Holmes and Watson wouldn’t use American words. Gotten is the biggest giveaway, and makes it harder to suspend disbelief. In Victorian times, gotten was a word heard in England only in the Norfolk region of the country… Good narration…

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Nikki
  • Nikki
  • 04-24-20

Stick with it, it gets better!

Use of Americanisms and the annoying voice of Sherlock can be overlooked as the stories improve through the book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Elizabeth Owens
  • Elizabeth Owens
  • 09-16-23

More fodder for a Holmes enthusiast!

If you enjoy spending time with Holmes and Watson you'll probably enjoy being back in somewhat familiar territory with this collection of fairly good stories.

Be warned, author gets a little too sappy, sentimental and takes enormous license with theme of Holmes family life in later stories which left me grimacing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!