Meh. It was fun spotting the Sherlock Holmes tropes, but that amusement only carries so far. ( )

A Study in Brimstone
By G.S. Denning

I bought the first 3 books in the series from Chirp in the Graphic Audio addition which has lots of sound effects and numerous narrators. They were on sale for just a few dollars a piece. I was hoping they were good since I didn't know this author. I was so glad I bought them now and I am watching for any more to come on sale!

This is a hilarious take on Sherlock and Watson! Dr Watson is poor and down on his luck and by chance someone tells him of a place to stay. It's with Warlock Holmes. Yes, Warlock seems a bit nutty but he only wants one coin and that's all! No other rent money, ever! So Dr Watson gladly moves in.

This starts a very crazy bro relationship and so fun too! Warlock is not too sharp on social or common sense things but is a very powerful wizard. He can call upon demons to do his bidding at times. This is just a minor thing he does.

Warlock's friends include two Inspectors, a vampire and a Troll! These two are also very good friends but just as crazy as Warlock!
This is such a fun world! The book is a bunch of stories about them but they all build upon each other. Loved it. Terrific narration! ( )

An enjoyable mashup of Sherlock Holmes and urban fantasy. It wasn't as laugh-out-loud funny as [b:Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch|12067|Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch|Terry Pratchett|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1392528568s/12067.jpg|4110990]. Then again, nothing is. ( )

This is a fun, imaginative blend of parody and pastiche featuring Warlock Holmes and his flatmate/narrator Dr. John Watson. It consists of one novella titled ā€˜A Study in Brimstoneā€™ that spoofs ā€“ you guessed it ā€“ A Study in Scarlet along with five short stories that seem to be based on the Arthur Conan Doyle originals. (I recognized about half, probably because Iā€™ve only read half of the Sherlock Holmes canon.) Although this is the first book in a five part series I thought it was entertaining enough by itself and wasnā€™t planning to go on to the next book. At least I wasnā€™t until I came to that hook on the last pageā€¦.. ( )

Victorian London, Sherlock Holmes, steampunk pastiche, what could go wrong? What I failed to notice was that it was supposed to be humorous, so I went into the book unprepared.

It also was not a novel, but a novella and five short stories. All are parodies of Doyle's titles.

A Study in Brimstone (A Study in Scarlet)
The Adventure of the Resident Sacrifice (The Adventure of the Resident Patient)
The Case of the Cardboard ... Case (The Adventure of the Cardboard Box)
The Adventure of the Yellow Bastard (The Adventure of the Yellow Face)
The Adventure of the _eckled _and (The Adventure of the Speckled Band)
Charles Augustus Milverton: Soulbinder (The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton)

I loved the opening lines of the book, written by Dr. John Watson: THE DOMINION OF MAN IS DRAWING TO A CLOSE. THE age of demons is upon us. This, I recognize, is largely my fault and let me take just a moment to apologize for my part in it. I am very sorry I doomed the world. Really, justā€¦ absolutely, horribly sorry.

If it weren't for Dr. Watson, I would most likely have finished the book and never wanted to read another. As it is, I will get the sequel, just to see how he copes with the less-than-clever Warlock Holmes. I liked Grogsson and Lestrade as well. Mrs. Hudson .. the less said about her the better. Really. Trust me.

The humor can be over-the-top silly, which isn't my cup of tea. To understand some of the humor, you need to be familiar with the Sherlock Holmes canon. Those parts were truly amusing to me.

Who would like it? Take advantage of the free preview on Amazon. If you like it, then you'll probably like the book. Otherwise, you need to like mashups (Lovecraft/Holmes/steampunk) with a hefty dose of humor. ( )