A different spin on the Holmes and Watson genre by West Australian novelist Dave Warner. Though the premise is a little ridiculous (I could feel the filmic possibilities which isn't surprising given this story started life as a script) the writing and the story keep you reading. I did feel it lost a bit of impetus about two thirds of the way through with an abrupt change in the direction of the mystery but the characters were fun and the description of New York in winter convincing to this west Aussie - enough to make me want to try Warner's West Australian set novels. ( )

This was an entertaining read and I really enjoyed it. A bit different. Sherlock Holmes in the present day. ( )

To be honest, I took one look at the blurb for OVER MY DEAD BODY and wondered whether or not it sounded ... quite right (well to be brutally honest, I thought to myself, it sounds as daft as a brush), but if there's one thing I've learnt in quite a lot of years of crime fiction reading, it's expectation and outcome are out the back having a bloody good argument most of the time.

Reading the Author Note at the back of this book is probably something that would be advisable for any readers having an insurmountable WT moment with this one - understanding the thinking and the motivation behind the idea should help, although I ploughed ahead mostly on the belief that Dave Warner could write a shopping list and I'd read it.

Modern day Dr Watson (Georgette / female / Cryogenicist / bringer of frozen hamsters back to life), has a spot of luck with hitherto unknown family connections when she is desperately trying to find a human subject to try her lifesaving techniques on. You're going to be presented with a scenario that might stretch your "believability" capacity just a bit; from the idea that there was more to "The Reichenbach Falls" then originally revealed in that story (but seriously - you're about to deal with the idea that Sherlock Holmes was real); to how he gets into the current day, investigating a series of killings of young women. For this reader, most of the unbelievable bits became somewhat extraneous to concerns as this story started to gain legs.

Mostly because, despite Sherlock Holmes now being a real person, despite him surviving Reichenbach Falls and somehow being kept in a state that a current day Cryogenicist could step in, despite him adjusting to modern day life with nary a blink, and despite there being a violent and nasty killer lurking around killing young women, seemingly getting closer and closer to Dr Watson, what OVER MY DEAD BODY has in spades is a fun, entertaining story, with great supporting characters, a weirdly believable (or maybe excusable) central premise, and a heap of pathos and yep, emotional pull.

Nobody, but nobody could pretend for a moment that anything in OVER MY DEAD BODY is socially aware, introspective consideration of the human condition. You could possibly get it into your head that this could be cutting edge science, but ultimately what it turned out to be was hugely entertaining and thoroughly engaging, and, well ... daft as a brush in a really good way.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/over-my-dead-body-dave-warner ( )

Sherlock Holmes is resurrected by a descendent of his faithful friend, Watson, in Over My Dead Body, an entertaining and inventive crime fiction novel from Australian author, Dave Warner.

As a teenager, Georgette Watson was revived after drowning in a frozen lake, inspiring a career in the field of cryonic’s. She believes she’s perfected the process of resurrection, but to advance her research further she needs a human subject. Unexpectedly, a distant relative’s diary provides her with the perfect specimen, and when Georgette successfully reanimates the century-old man she finds herself in the company of the world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes.

Warner gives us two well plotted and creative mysteries to solve in Over My Dead Body. Conveniently, Georgette acts as a consultant for the NYPD to supplement her grant income, and to help orientate Sherlock to 2020 New York, he joins her when she is called to determine time of death for a murdered woman. Holmes, being ...well, Holmes, immediately sees what the police detectives have not, and he and Georgette find themselves hunting a serial killer whose motives echo a case from Sherlock’s now distant past.

The second mystery endangers the lives of Georgette and her sister, Simone, as they are targeted by a killer driven by an all consuming desire for revenge. Suspense builds as, distracted by the chase of the serial killer and Georgette’s growing fear for Holme’s health, neither are aware they are a target until it is almost too late. It’s Holmes unique detecting skills that save the day, of course, but at a cost.

There are some lighthearted moments in Over My Dead Body as Sherlock marvels at mobile phones, refrigerators and the internet, beats a shell game conman at his own game, and takes down a subway pick-pocket. His horror at discovering cocaine can’t be brought from the neighbourhood chemist is amusing, as is the thought of Sherlock Holmes wearing short pajamas and a Slayer tee-shirt. There is also a touch of romance in the story, which is quite sweet, and not intrusive.

I found Over My Dead Body well-written and enjoyable. Not just for fans of Sherlock Holmes, the original premise and interesting mystery should appeal a range of crime readers. ( )