Product Description

John Taylor has written and created six new tales that were inspired by the original Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Simon Callow stars as Sherlock Holmes and Nicky Henson as Dr Watson in these fresh stories that were originally heard on BBC Radio. "The Wandering Corpse" - The professor claimed he could resurrect the dead. Now he is dead and his body is missing. "The Horror in Hanging Wood" - Who or what could have made such a ferocious attack on the man in the wood? "The Paddington Witch" - Garth Ransome says his dead brother had been witched. After all, his body was cooked like meat and black as coal. Will Holmes believe that a witch on a broomstick killed him? "The Phantom Organ" - On the night that Hugh Hembury was killed, the church was empty. But the organ still played. "The Devil's Tunne l" - A young woman disappears from a speeding train. Why is there no trace of her body? "The Battersea Worm" - When Angel Holland is murdered, Dr Watson becomes a suspect himself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #244184 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-03
• Released on: 2008-03-03
• Format: Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 3
• Binding: Audio CD

Customer Reviews

"A subtly conceived pastiche...one of the best Dr Watsons I have heard"
A review by Christina Hardyment from The SATURDAY TIMES of May 31st 2008
"No detective can equal Sherlock Holmes for sheer quantity of mysteries solved, but if you like the idea of a subtly conceived pastiche the try THE UNOPENED CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMESwritten by John Taylor and presented as six dramatised episodes. They have been kept secret up to now, Watson explains at the start, out of respect for the privacy of those concerned. Simon Callow, a familiar reader of the genuine Conan Doyle stories, makes a superior and aloof Holmes, and Nicky Henson is one of the best Dr Watsons I have heard - gallant, manly and constantly bamboozled."

Don't bother - I wish I hadn't...
I've lost count of how many times I've tried to start this review. These stories are just so BAD!

They are reputedly inspired by the original Conan Doyle characters, but aside from sharing the same names, who'd know it. Clearly written for a 30 min audio slot, each story contains none of the mystery, awe-inspiring wit, powers of description, or simple entertainment value of the originals; they are shallow, repetitive, and so transparent that by the time Watson finishes his first sentence, it is obvious who the villain of the piece is going to prove to be.

It's not just that they're not written by ACD; they simply contain none of the atmosphere that one might expect from a good Holmes and Watson story. In fact I've seen cleverer plots in Morecambe and Wise sketches. It's a hugely tall order to expect someone to follow in the footsteps of such an acclaimed writer and characters that have practically become historical figures, and I'm sorry but I don't think John Taylor is up to the job.

Really, really don't bother with these if you're a serious whodunnit fan, or even if you're just looking for a bit of light entertainment. I can't even say that they're particularly well acted. Most of the participants are voices I've known and loved for many years; these cds seriously let them down. The sad thing is that I can't really explain why I think them so bad without giving away not one but at least 4 plots in one sentence.

My advice - don't buy this one.

"TIMES" Audio Book of the Week!
This review by Karen Robinson appeared in the Times on 8th May 2008:
AUDIO BOOK OF THE WEEK - THE UNOPENED CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by John Taylor performed by Simon Callow and cast
Do you remember the time Sherlock Holmes led Dr Watson into mortal peril with an animal-loving librarian in a dark and mysterious wood? Or solved a baffling murder that involved a newfangled Otis lift? Of course you don't, as they are among the stories created by John Taylor for this collection of six half-hour plays first broadcast on Radio 5. The scenarios he has invented for the great fictional detective and his sidekick involve a higher proportion of deadly females than usually invaded the pair's clubby Victorian world, but they are still reassuringly reliant on a working knowledge of Britain's railway timetables. This affectionate and respectful not-quite pastiche should delight rather than outrage fans. Although the casting of beefy Simon Callow as Holmes could work only on radio, Nicky Henson makes a fine Watson, his trusting nature a bluff counterpoint to his cerebral companion