Review of Shadowfall

Shadowfall by Tracy Revels

"If you are reading these words in some time and place far from my own . . . then you will no doubt consider me a madman.  But I tell you they are true.  And yet they must never be known."

I read this book earlier this year.  I thought it was an interesting take on Holmes.  Without giving away too much of the plot, Revels pulls the reader in with the first page by giving, though it's not labeled as such, something of a prologue where Watson speaks of no one having any idea who the true Sherlock Holmes was.  That even with this reveal, most likely no one would believe what may just be seen as the ravings of a madman.

I will say that if one is looking for the standard Holmes and Watson, they won't receive it from this book.  The supernatural elements alone prevent that.  However, there is the old-fashioned feel and comradere present between them, which I liked.

It's not a long read, but despite some grammatical and spelling errors (don't remember exactly where, but 'aloud' is used instead of 'allowed,') I enjoyed it.  Revels has written a sequel that was recently released called Shadowblood.  I do look forward to reading that one.

Thoughts from Baker Street

I've always enjoyed Sherlock Holmes.  Ever since I was about ten and was shown Young Sherlock Holmes, starring Nicholas Rowe, Allan Cox, and Sophie Ward.  It quickly became a favorite movie of mine, though I had no idea back then that they were trying to explain why Holmes had become the way he is in the Canon.

I've watched other Holmes movies throughout the 19 years since seeing Young Sherlock Holmes.  Without a Clue, the Case of the Whitechapel Vampire, Murder by Decree, and Robert Downey Junior's Sherlock Holmes, to name a few.  About a year ago, I was in Barnes and Noble, (one of the few in my area that still has a DVD section,) and happened to see the BBC's Sherlock.  I picked it up, looked at it, and was both intrigued and apprehensive about the idea of a modernized Sherlock Holmes.  I'd seen Guy Ritchie's travesty and wasn't sure I wanted to spend thirty dollars on three episodes that I wasn't even sure would actually be any good.  But, it was Sherlock Holmes, and when I become a fan of something, I dive in headfirst.  So, I bought it.

I put it in my DVD player, honestly not knowing what to expect.  I knew intuitively that it was either going to be really good, or really, REALLY bad.  After watching the first episode, though, I was absolutely amazed.  I LOVED it, and I can't wait till the next three episodes are out and available on DVD.

In March of this year, I was on Amazon, searching around for Holmes books that looked interesting.  I found one that intrigued me.  Tracy Revels' Shadowfall.  It features more supernatural elements to Sherlock Holmes.  And that was how I found MX Publishing.  I'm now also an author for MX, and have two Holmes pastiches released: Rendezvous at the Populaire and I Will Find the Answer.  Both can be found on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.  The first two have Holmes matching wits with the Phantom of the Opera, and then coming face to face with Doctor Henry Jekyll and his evil counterpart, Edward Hyde.  I have three more that will come out as part of this series.  The next involves Jack the Ripper.

I'll write further blogs, reviewing different Holmes books that I've read, including those from fellow MX authors.  I can't promise I'll always like them, but I will do my best to find something complimentary to say, or a constructive criticism to give.