This is a tremendously fun book to read for those who enjoy the old-fashioned Rathbone and Bruce films of the 1940s, or those who enjoyed Sherlock Holmes in the days when radio ruled the airwaves. Light and fun, with plenty of atmosphere, Estleman has written a book which has great appeal to the aforementioned group, and young adults. Dracula fans may also enjoy it. Some Conan Doyle fans — but by no means all of them — might find this sort of crossover story a bit of a stretch.

Holmes and Watson become involved in the Sanguinary Count's attempt to leave Transylvania and make England his home in this fun adventure. This is Doctor Watson's account of Sherlock Holmes's heretofore untold part in the Dracula saga, written to rectify this important omission in Stoker's account, at the specific request of Professor Van Helsing. A sense of fun and adventure saturate the pages of Estleman's fun but not-to-be-taken-too-seriously story.

From the moment a ship is discovered off the English coast with no crew aboard except a dead captain with unusual puncture marks on his neck, and a cargo full of Transylvanian earth, Holmes and Watson know this is going to be no ordinary case. Reluctant at first to believe in the possibility of vampires, Holmes, and an even more skeptical Watson, may finally be forced to accept the existence of the undead.

When the London duo track down the "Bloofer Lady" through the strange abduction of children who are later found alive, but disoriented from blood loss, the lady in question turns out to be none other than Lucy Westerna! More shocking, however, is our favorite duo witnessing her impalement by Van Helsing, Harker, and the gang from Bram Stoker's Dracula. Van Helsing is disturbed to discover that the great detective knows much more about him and his companions than he initially thought. Forced to fill in Holmes on the Dracula legend, Van Helsing dismisses his offer of help nonetheless. Holmes and Watson then continue their pursuit alone, in this marvelously fun account of the chase.

More than one dangerous encounter with the evil Count ensues as they close in, and someone Watson loves dearly becomes a pawn in a very deadly game indeed. Watson's bravery and the help of the Baker Street Irregulars play no small part in this fast and fun read. A boat chase near the conclusion is a particular highlight and offers fun for those who just go with the narrative. I would definitely recommend this for young adults, and old-time radio fans, but purists of the original Conan Doyle might not be as enamored.

While I normally loathe a continuation of a series character by a writer other than the original, especially if it comes too quickly on the heels of their death, enough time has passed that this one does not feel like a "continuation" but rather an affectionate nod to Conan Doyle and his creation. That being said, the game is afoot, and time is of the essence for some afternoon fun with this one! ( )

I happened upon this one online and had no idea this existed before stumbling on it while looking for something else. I bought it immediately and began reading it as soon as I received the book.
Now, I am a fan of pulp fiction of all sorts (weird, boxing, detective, thriller, horror) and of Sherlock Holmes and Dracula, so, this was something up my alley. Of course, it is presented as a lost manuscript of Dr. Watson's found by the author and presented here although edited (by the author) as are several other Post-Arthur-Conan-Doyle Sherlock stories. I do like that concept so that's not an issue with me, probably actually a bit of a plus.
The manuscript tells of Holmes' dive into the mystery of the Demeter leading to the tracking down of Dracula. The author does keep the veracity of the Dracula story by limiting Sherlock to the hidden portions and outskirts of that story as well as keeping any interactions outside of Dracula and Lucy to a minimum while still managing to make a good pulpy Holmes story. There are several callbacks to other canon Sherlock Holmes tales that come into and out of this story a few times along the way.
All said, I really liked this one and would recommend it to anyone with tastes close to my own. After all, it is Sherlock Holmes with Watson in tow chasing down Dracula through gaslit London, it's a good time by my measure and a quick & easy read. ( )

What a fun read! I’m not a big time fan of Sherlock Holmes but my love for Dracula goes back to my early childhood in the 70s when I watched Creature Features on TV before discovering, via a Scholastic catalog, that “someone made a book out of Dracula” and I read Bram Stoker’s Dracula in middle school.

Some years ago I purchased The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula by Loren D. Estleman, published by Titan Books in 2012. Being the adherent to all things chronological, when the spirit moved me to finally read said book, I hesitated because I assumed this was a second book (the word “Further” being a primary clue) and that there must be a predecessor to read first.

A quick internet search revealed a 1978 novel by the same author titled simply, Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula. I bought it. Read it. Enjoyed it.

This may come as a shock to you, Dear Reader, but I failed to do my due diligence. It was only after reading the lovely new/old 1970s mass market copy that I realized these two books are indeed the same text. There was a twinge of disappointment at not having a second tale with these characters in which to dive, but my second thought was one of book blogger blissfulness: I can do a giveaway!

More on that later. Now, about the book.

I think fans of either famous character will enjoy this novel. Loren Estleman does a great job at making the casual reader of Sherlock Holmes feel like they’re getting the real thing directly from the pen of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I suppose a hardcore member of the Baker Street Irregulars may find some faults, but that’s of no concern to me (as Holmes would condescendingly say).

In the Foreward, Estleman presents himself as the fictional editor of this volume who finds, at an estate sale, Watson’s lost notes of Holmes’ case involving Dracula. In the Preface, written by John H. Watson, M.D., the reader is “set straight” on why Sherlock Holmes’ contribution to the story of Dracula was left out by Bram Stoker. It’s because Professor Van Helsing,

“induced Stoker to deliberately falsify the facts where our line of investigation transected his, in order to build up his own reputation as a supernatural detective, and to invent entire episodes to explain the discrepancies” (19).

Ha! I love that even if it does offend me a bit because Van Helsing needed no such deception to bolster his reputation.

The action of the novel begins with a reporter seeking Holmes’ help in figuring out the mystery of the ship Demeter which arrives in Whitby after a storm with her dead captain tied to the ship’s wheel, a crucifix clutched in his hands. No souls are aboard. A big black dog jumps from the ship and disappears into the shadows. The only thing found in the hold is 50 boxes of dirt. Dracula fans will recognize that scene from Stoker’s novel.

The mystery that follows nicely inserts Holmes and Watson into the world of Stoker’s story and vice versa. Van Helsing, Mina Harker, Quincy Morris, and the gang make brief appearances, but this story is all about Holmes and Watson trying to stop Count Dracula. Many of Holmes’ previous cases and experiences are mentioned throughout and Estleman manages to stay true to the “facts” of Stoker’s novel as well.

There is some wonderful gothic atmosphere and jolly good humor. Of no concern to you, but of interest to me, is the fact that this book helped me understand why my younger self didn’t enjoy Sherlock Holmes: he didn’t believe in the supernatural, which I, on the other hand, relished. In this novel, however, the great detective comes around. Holmes is also a smug, pompous ass, which is a turn-off, but the older me can at least appreciate that he gets the job done.

To enter my giveaway for this book, visit the blog post from whence this review came: https://wildmoobooks.com/2017/07/12/sherlock-holmes-vs-dracula/ (winner announced 7/19/17) ( )

I am not usually a fan of classic movie remakes or books "based on the original.'' In my experience, most are a disappointment. But, I am also a fair person for the most part. That makes me willing to give new slants on classics a chance before slamming a book shut or shutting a movie off.

Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorite characters from classic literature. Over the years I have enjoyed his original exploits with Dr. Watson many times, loving Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's antiquated turn of phrase and Sherlock's slightly snobby banter with Watson. And I've seen the characters portrayed in many movies and television shows. Sometimes I have loved these film versions (Sherlock) and others I have not enjoyed (Elementary). I always hesitate to read stories featuring Sherlock that are not penned by Conan Doyle himself. I automatically doubt that a revisit could match the feel and style of the original.

Well......

I am also able to admit when I'm wrong.

Finding The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Holmes Vs Dracula as an offering on my local library's digital site, I must admit chuckling that I would need a bottle of wine to go with the cheese. But my determination to not act like a book snob overpowered my inclination to click right past this book. I did wonder how many eyerolls I could manage during a fight between Holmes and a bloodthirsty Transylvanian vampire. The minute I started reading, however, I must admit discovering my preconceived notions had been unfair. Loren D. Estleman actually is quite masterful at writing in the style and manner of the original. I couldn't stop reading! The story is a mirror of events in Bram Stoker's Dracula, starting with the wreck of the Demeter, with the addition of Sherlock Holmes investigating the matter. Beautiful!

I am sorry that I assumed it would be a cheese-fest. Estleman's writing is not a litany to dairy products, but rather a really good homage to Sherlock and Dracula! And....even better....there are several books in this "Further Adventures of'' series, two of them written by Estleman. I'm going to read Estleman's second Sherlock adventure first before delving into the other writers in this series, but I'm willing to have an open mind and try more new Holmes adventures! Estleman has also written a book of short stories featuring Sherlock Holmes, The Perils of Sherlock Holmes. Most of his books are westerns or crime novels. I will definitely be reading more of his work!

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Holmes Vs Dracula is a quick read at 224 pages. It was originally published by Penguin in 1978. It was republished by Titan Books in 2012 as part of the "Further Aventures'' series. The pacing is great. The writing style is very authentic. I'm impressed! Estleman also wrote Dr Jekyll and Mr. Holmes in 1980. This book has also been re-released as part of the Futher Adventures series of books. It's definitely on my wish list!

There are 25 books in the Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series published by Titan Books. The paperbacks are high quality and the cover art is awesome! Their homepage also lists several other series featuring Sherlock, Mycroft and even Moriarty. I must investigate further! To find out more about The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the authors writing the series and the other Sherlock related offerings from Titan, check out their website: www.titanbooks.com

The game is afoot!! Much reading ahead! ( )

Holmes and Watson are invited to see a strange sight that has appeared at the docks, a ship whose only occupants are a giant dog that jumped to shore and ran away, and the dead captain who is still lashed to the wheel by his hands as though riding out a storm though his cause of death is that he was drained of his blood. Where is the crew?
Within a day or so, another mystery begins, as small children are going missing at night and found dazed from loss of blood. Holmes and Watson encounter Count Dracula, who can't help but be impressed by the detective's abilities. ( )