Sherlock Holmes & The War of the Worlds

In The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The War of the Worlds, Manly W. Wellman and Wade Wellman have taken the Sherlock Holmes we all know and love and joined him up with Doyle's other brilliant character, Professor Challenger. These two analytical men investigate and try to come up with a response to the alien invasion previously chronicled in H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds. There are several startling revelations...one in particular about Holmes and a few that "set the record straight" (as Watson would put it) about the events In London during the attack.

Overall, the Wellmans do an adequate job of telling their story and incorporating the worlds of Doyle and Wells. It is a bit disjointed in places...evidence that the novel was originally published as several "articles" which were meant to tell the "truth" about the Martian invasion. I think the portions which focus on the Professor's and Watson's point of view work best. Some of the writing from Holmes' point of view don't ring quite as true. I definitely enjoyed the interactions between Holmes and Challenger, and I am now eager to read the works that feature the egotistical professor.


***Spoiler Alert***
My major quibble with the story is the supposed romance between Holmes and Mrs. Hudson. There is no way that anyone will get me to believe that Watson, dull as he is sometimes portrayed, would have missed that relationship's reality. AND, given the good doctor's inclination to describe and have great sympathy for the beautiful women who employ Holmes as clients, you can't tell me that he wouldn't have mentioned that Mrs. Hudson was a youngish (30-ish), blonde, blue-eyed, statuesque, beauty. If there's anything the doctor notices, it's a pretty face.

Three stars out of five.