David Francis Curran

I read the first Winslow Doyle book, so I was happy to grab this sequel. Winslow has a few additional helpers in this one. Shay Hamilton and Lori Mysek meet on the side of the road when Lori tries to escape from her ex-husband, who has just gotten out of prison. Shay helps her to hide, then the two of them get mixed up with a missing girl who's been out hunting for a mysterious treasure. Meanwhile, Winslow becomes involved as he tracks the ex-husband, who is committing a series of crimes, looking for his missing wife.
The author has done a great job of taking the disparate pieces of these various threads and interweaving them into a satisfying mystery that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The characters are all interesting (spoiler: I love Winslow from the previous book), and the growing romance between Shay and Lori is organic while not taking up much of the plot. Issy, the assistant manager of Shay's motel, adds levity and common sense, a perfect secondary character who's lots of fun.
I liked how the book ended, and I look forward to more adventures from these characters in additional books. The writing is good and I passed a very enjoyable afternoon reading The Missing Treasure Hunter.… (plus d'informations)

This was a good addition to the Sherlockian lore. I felt the author did a really good job of staying true to the original material. Sherlock Holmes is nearly always polite to women but admittedly views them as the weaker, gentler sex. I have found the original works to be lacking in captivating female characters and that holds true here as well. Even as I feel this is a negative, it is in line with Doyle’s works. Watson felt true to canon as well, being a little dense but also the most steadfast companion Holmes could ask for.

The Adventure of the Monstrous Medium was my favorite tale, perhaps because it has a female adversary that makes Holmes and Watson work for their fee. While we don’t get much time with the main adversary, Holmes very neatly lays out how her scam network pulls people in and robs them of information, goods, and money. Of course there is a very beautiful woman in great need. Sherlock can’t turn her away and Watson is always the gentleman. I really enjoyed how an opium den and a couple of men chained to beds played a part in the plot.

The Adventure of Colonel Mustard’s Secret was just plain fun. Yes, there’s a candlestick and eventually a board game. Ha! Espionage plays a role. And there’s yet one more lady for our heroes to rescue.

This collection starts with The Adventure of Miss Stephanie Ray which is set before Watson becomes acquainted with his Mary. This double, or triple cross, was fun to listen to with Sherlock providing his classic summation near the end. I did feel a bit for Watson as he was sorely used. Still, Watson is that kind of good chap that won’t hold a grudge.

The Adventure of the Numerologist’s Cypher was clever and pulled on spiritualistic stuff once again. The combination of Sherlock’s very logical mind and the supernatural is always a good mix for me. I love seeing his mind work on all the logical bits, tracing down even the minutest fact and almost always proving non-supernatural reasons for everything seen and experienced by the characters. This tale has the added bonus of a cipher.

Several tales in this collection include street orphans, which we all know tugged on Sherlock’s heart strings. He uses them to collect info and look for people, but I have a sneaking suspicion that his little errands are excuses to provide the orphans with a bit of income.

Lestrade makes few (just 2?) appearances in this tale. Oddly, I didn’t miss him and perhaps that’s because he is so often just an archetype, providing a little legality to bolster the actions of our heroes.

Over all, it’s a very good collection of Holmes stories that could easily be shuffled into the original canon. 5/5 stars.

The Narration: Fred Wolinsky does a great job as the sharp-edged Holmes. His voice for Watson was sometimes a little effeminate which took me a little time to get used to. Perhaps I have watched too many very masculine renditions of Watson lately. His female voices were believable. His greatest strength lies in the little kid voices which he does perfectly. Each character was distinct. 4.5/5 stars.… (plus d'informations)

When Winslow Doyle is asked to find a lost hunter and his daughter in the wilds of Montana, he has no idea he is following a criminal trail that leads to murder. Winslow is a widower, but he was a wilderness guide at one point in his life and is used to finding lost pets and people.
I very much enjoyed this story. It's one of those tales that make the reader keep going to find out what happens next. Winslow is an intriguing guy, still grieving the loss of his wife Lomahongva and just starting to move on with his life. The secondary characters are also well-drawn; the bad guys are horrific, and young Cassie, the missing daughter, is smart and resourceful despite her plight.
In some ways, this book reminds me of Paul Doiron's Mike Bowditch series (except Mike is a Maine guide). I enjoy those books, partly because I live in Maine, but fans would also like this series. There's a lot of wilderness lore and backwoods knowledge needed to solve the mystery, and Winslow certainly qualifies with his background.
Hopefully, Mr. Curran continues with the series. I can see people getting hooked on Winslow Doyle and wanting to read more about his crime-solving abilities. The Montana backdrop is also engaging; I always like books set in Big Sky country. A great start to the series.… (plus d'informations)