Read in: April 2022
Edition and format: Digital ARC as part of a book tour organized by Escapist Book Tours
First published: March 2022
Book blurb, author bio, and tour stops available here.
Warning: this review contains spoilers for The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, but no spoilers for A Man Named Baskerville.
A Man Named Baskerville gives an account of one of Sherlock Holmes’ most famous cases from the perspective of the criminal whose murderous plans were thwarted by the detective. The ending of Doyle’s novel sees a triumphant Sherlock tying up the loose ends of the Baskerville case for Dr. Watson as they relax in their favorite armchairs in front of a roaring fire at Baker Street. Their client has survived, albeit quite shaken by his encounter with the fabled hound, and everyone is convinced that the hound’s master shared the animal’s fate and met his terrible end in the deadly Grimpen Mire.
But what if the man whose razor-sharp cunning was admired by Holmes himself survived the dangers of the moor? After all, Doyle’s novel sets it up so wonderfully, since we know for a fact he could navigate the treacherous mire flawlessly. What if he found all the right footholds at the critical moment, what if his fate was a daring escape and not a cold, lonely death? What if he’s ready to wipe the smugness off the face of the world’s number one two one consulting detective?
Rodger Baskerville, alias Jack Stapleton, alias Lord Vandeleur, alias several other aliases, a man with an astounding butterfly collection and a collection of broken hearts to match. The avid lepidopterist who planned and executed an almost perfect murder, getting rid of Sir Charles Baskerville and blaming it on the family curse of the Baskervilles. And he would have done away with Sir Henry Baskerville, too, if it hadn’t been for that pesky detective and his trusted sidekick.
For the first time, A Man Named Baskerville gives this fascinating character a voice. From his multilingual journal, written in haste in a leather-bound pocket notebook saved for emergencies, we finally find out what makes this man tick, in his own words. The background and the motivation for scheming to get at the Baskerville title and treasure by getting rid of his relatives, only hinted at in Doyle’s book, see the light of day here. Furthermore, no account of a crime can be as detailed as that given by the perpetrator himself, and Baskerville likes to share his methods at least as much as Holmes.
Nelson’s style is convincing and engaging, and places his novel firmly shoulder-to-shoulder with the Sherlock Holmes canon. The attention to detail and careful references to the established course of events are striking, and the character of Baskerville is portrayed with startling humanity. By far best of all is the way Baskerville refers to Holmes and Watson, and those passages are delightful to read.
This well-researched, carefully crafted, and absorbing read will delight mystery aficionados and Sherlock Holmes fans, and would very likely give Doyle himself immense joy, not least of all for the treatment of his storied detective. “It’s time someone said it,” he would surely exclaim.
Rereading Doyle’s novel in advance is recommended for an elevated experience, but Nelson’s lovingly crafted expansion of the story can surely stand on its own.
With a little luck, you can win your own ebook of A Man Named Baskerville by entering this giveaway! The book can be found on Amazon and GoodReads, and the author can be found on his website and on Twitter.
My Murmuring Pages 