Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson visit Minnesota at the request of J. J. Hill to investigate threats against his railroads and find themselves in the middle of the great Hinckley fire of 1894 as they try to track down a villain with a grudge against Hill.

I enjoyed the Minnesota history and the vivid descriptions of Hinckley and the logging camps around it. I also liked the quick visit to Duluth which was part of the case. I enjoyed the footnotes which provided additional historical detail about Minnesota in 1894.

The writing felt very much like Conan Doyle's original works about Sherlock Holmes. It was detailed and had a Victorian feel. I enjoyed following the clues along with Watson as he tried to figure out what Holmes was thinking. I show more found that there was quite a bit of tension as the hunt for the villain intensified along with the flames.

This is the first of a number of Sherlock Holmes adventures written by Larry Millett who has also written a number of nonfiction titles about Minnesota's past. show less

Wonderful! Just when I thought I'd never get to read about Sherlock Holmes again, I discovered this book. It is very true to Doyle, in my opinion. While reading it I felt like I had been back in touch with old friends again. I did not want it to end. It was thrilling and scary at times, but the plot was still rich. I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series. My only complaint was that Holmes performed nearly every heroic deed. I enjoy when Watson gets to be the big hero at least once or twice!

Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon is a decent attempt to replicate the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The plot runs true to the exploits of Holmes and Watson. However, the author fails to truly replicate "Watson's" style of narrative. In particular, the use of edited profanity does not hold with the original writings. Also, there are a couple of repetitive phrases that Doyle would have avoided. Finally, there are too many references to Holmes' other cases. These issues detract from what would be an otherwise very faithful to tribute to the world's greatest detective.

Millet appears to be, or passes him self off as, a scholar of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. He also seems to be the geeky guy who works at a county historical society somewhere in Minnesota. Millet blends his knowledge of all things Sherlockian and all things Minnesotan into a seamless narrative that authentic to the Doyle originals, yet also entirely original. I enjoyed this book both for it's edge of your seat suspense and historical detail.

Took me a while to really warm up to this book. Way too much background on the area, the landscape, the trees, the career of Holmes to start the book. Once I really got into the story I enjoyed it, and having it set in nearby Minnesota made it that much more interesting

Holmes is hired by a railroad exec (a real person btw) to find out who is threatening him and his railroad with fire - the kind of fire that will kill hundreds because it is the middle of summer and very hot. In 1894 Minnesota was mostly covered with pine trees, and fire is a very real fear because it could run for hundreds of miles before burning itself out. Actually, that part is true too, a fire did burn out much of the "pineries" in Minnesota, including the small town show more where this story is set.

It is always fun to spend some time with Holmes and Watson, so I'll try the next in this series. show less

It is a historical fact that on September 1, 1894 a tremendous forest fire destroyed the town of Hinckley, Minnesota, killing over 400 people. The fire was so intense, that it can be described as a firestorm, a fire so powerful that the updrafts are capable of sucking people into the fire. As a consequence of the destruction, a forest fire monitoring program was begun in the United States. That event serves as the backdrop for this tale featuring the great fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.
A railroad baron named James J. Hill sends an agent from northern Minnesota to Baker Street in England to hire Holmes to come to Minnesota and bring an arsonist to justice. The agent succeeds in convincing Holmes to take the case, so he and his show more companion, Dr John Watson, journey to Minnesota. Upon arriving, they read a note sent by the arsonist, which was signed using the name Red Demon. This starts the case full throttle. The author has created the appropriate mix of the history of the region as well as the style of the original stories of Sherlock Holmes. While there are a few times where you can recognize style differences and realize that this story was written nearly a century after the originals, they are not very numerous. It kept my attention from the first page to the last. [Amazon review] show less

This is my favorite Holmes book. The details are great. It's a bit of a puzzle so be alert to the details... the one I dismissed was the clue to the mystery.