The Crimes of Dr. Watson

As the tale opens, Dr. John Watson, steadfast companion of the legendary detective and recently vanished Sherlock Holmes has been framed for a grisly murder! Writing from a damp cell in Coldbath Fields penitentiary, the falsely convicted prisoner recounts the events leading to his arrest . . . and provides twelve removable, facsimile clues that point to the true culprit. Among them are:


· An article torn from a newspaper in California
· A puzzling manuscript ripped into several pieces
· A catalog of Victorian medicines and marital aids
· Plus a telegram, an arrest report, an empty matchbook, and much more


It's up to you to sift through the clues and solve the whodunit. When you think you've identified the culprit, slice open the final signature of the book (sealed at the printer) to read the remainder of the story.


When you see this book for the first time, you just want to admire it. This is a gorgeous book that has to be one of the best looking books that I have seen in a long time. It does something that most books fail to do it demands to be handled. You immediately flip through it just to see everything from the beautiful illustrations to the inserts to the clues. The sealed solution even taunts you a bit from the back. Quirk books just did as fantastic job.


For readers already familiar with Duane Swierczynski's other books the first thing that becomes readily apparent is the difference in writing style and tone. Swierczynski is very adept at adopting the voice and writing style of Dr. Watson as well as the tone of the time. I was impressed overall and think that The Crimes of Dr Watson really shows the range of his writing ability in a new light.


The framing device used to tell the story is a letter, written by Watson, that has been sent to, and is being read by, Colonel Harry Resmo.

All the while adhering to the stylistic conventions of another era Swierczynski does manage to insert some of his trademark humor into the mix adding a new facet to an already intriguing mix, like in this following passage.




When you are presented the opportunity to actually interact with the book your reading the reading experience is taken to a different level. Its one thing to read about a protagonist finding clues then their interpretations of them. There is an inherent distance in this time-tested method. Even the most fair play of stories relies on you buying into a certain series of events. When you are given the opportunity to really handle the clues and to examine them fully and freely the distance between the reader and the detective is bridged. More so then a simple suspension of disbelief the reader actually becomes the detective.


All of which begs the question, which is also a selling point of the book, of solvability. Is the mystery, as it’s presented, with the clues presented, able to be solved in a fair manner, without resorting to trickery? I'm happy to report that it is. Some of the connections between the clues are pretty easy, but assembling the web of clues WILL take work but it is doable.


So, did a guy who claims to be "not exactly the most Holmesian motherfucker on the block " write a fantastic Sherlock Holmes book? Yes he did and this is one of the better books that I have read this year.


--Brian Lindenmuth


As an aside, there are a number of inside jokes peppered throughout the book if the right reader chooses to look for them. References to other authors and their protagonists that are friends with Swierczynski. One of the inserts is a newspaper from 1895 and a number of the articles are written, unaccredited, by other authors that are, again, friends of Swierczynski. References contained in the articles give additional clues as to their authorship.