Further Encounters of Sherlock Holmes: Brand-New Tales of the Great Detectives

At this point, with so many pastiches out there, it's a challenge to come up with Holmes stories that stand out, and while this follow-up to 2013's Encounters of Sherlock Holmes does have two that are memorable, the rest are a mixed bag. Justin Richards's "The Snowtorn Terror" will have fans of traditional takes on the beloved characters clamoring for more of his work. Richards cleverly combines the legend of a ferocious mountain beast with an impossible crime. Sir Fergus Cooper was found dead in the snow, with the mark of some beast's claw on this throat, but with no footprints anywhere near the corpse. Cooper's son consults Holmes, who solves the mystery with some adroit deductions. Philip Marsh's "A Betrayal of Doubt" succeeds in its pairing of an older Holmes with Watson's son as they tackle a locked-room murder. The remaining 10 tales are varied; in one, the Moriarty brothers are bafflingly named for American presidents, and another is plagued by a Chinese character's pidgin English ("Charlie hear splash. See body go underwater. Charlie sure, you betchum"). (Feb.)