The Further Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes: Volume 2

Smith’s companion collection maintains the high standard of its predecessor, The Further Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes. Each of the six stories will resonate with readers who like their pastiches to feel canonical. “The Watcher in the Woods,” centered on the eerie experiences of a scholar of alchemy harassed by a shadowy figure only he can see, compels even without a murder at the center of the plot. “The Yellow Glove,” in which an engineer may have inadvertently revealed company secrets, is notable for its display of Wodehousian wit in an exchange between the client and a bewildered butler. In “The Zodiac Sign,” Smith successfully emulates Conan Doyle’s philosophical discussions between Holmes and Watson by having the detective express an idiosyncratic view of the benefits of poison to humanity. Other selections contain such typically Doylean touches as a criminal evading justice and Holmes’s being mistaken about a culprit’s identity. Smith’s refusal to play it safe is a testament to both his ingenuity at plotting and his deep familiarity with the original adventures. (Nov.)