Part 2: The Apocryphal Tales
The following is a selective list of stories, novels and 'biographies' featuring Sherlock Holmes written by others than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The list is not complete, as that would fill a book in itself, but it focuses on those stories which are faithful to the life and career of Sherlock Holmes and do not attempt to distort the facts. It excludes all science-fiction and fantasy-based adventures and for the most part those incorporating characters from other works of fiction. Most of the cases are apocryphal but are included for completeness.
It excludes those stories written about other characters who feature in the Holmes stories but where Holmes is not central to the story, such as the very fine Irene Adler books by Carole Nelson Douglas. The items are listed in author order; books are in italics, short-story titles are in quotes. I have added occasional notes where the title is not self-explanatory.
Altamont, Brett Spencer and Altamont, Dorian David.
Andrews, Val. The Beekeeper, The Fair, The Fowlhaven Werewolf, The Last Reunion and
Andrews, Val. Sherlock Holmes and the Egyptian Hall Adventure. Romford, Ian Henry, 1989. Set in 1898 where Holmes investigates Maskelyn's theatre of mystery. Although almost certainly apocryphal this story has much to commend it.
Andrews, Val. Sherlock Holmes and the Brighton Pavilion Mystery. Romford, Ian Henry, 1989. Set in 1906. Andrews has also written Sherlock Holmes and the Greyfriars School Mystery (London, privately published, 1993), a wholly apocryphal but rather fun spoof which brings together Holmes and Billy Bunter in the year 1912.
Andrews, Val. Sherlock Holmes and the Houdini Birthright. London, Breese Books, 1995. Set in 1922 and entirely apocryphal but a tempting combination of Holmes and Houdini.
Baring-Gould, W.S. Sherlock Holmes, New York: Clakson N. Potter, 1962. A purported biography of Holmes which is great fun and occasionally hits on the truth.
Barr, Stephen. 'The Procurator of Justice', Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, February 1950. One of the many apocryphal attempts to explain the disappearance of James Phillimore.
Barrie, James M. 'The Adventure of the Two Collaborators'. A humorous spoof, written for Arthur Conan Doyle personally in 1893 and not intended for publication, but which so amused Conan Doyle that he called it 'the best of all the numerous
parodies' and printed it in his own autobiography, Memoirs and Adventures, London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1924.
Bedford-Jones, H. 'The Affair of the Aluminium Crutch', Palm Springs News, January 16-February 20, 1936. A reasonably faithful attempt to recreate one of the early pre-Watson cases.
Biggle, Jr., Lloyd. The Quallsford Inheritance, New York, St. Martin's Press, 1986; and
Boyer, Richard L. The Giant Rat of Sumatra, New York: Warner Books, 1976; London: W.H. Allen, 1977. One of the most highly regarded pastiches.
Brooks, Clive. Sherlock Holmes Revisited, London: Hallmark Books, 1990. Seven stories based on the following unrecorded cases cited by Watson: 'The Abergavenny Adventure', 'The Alicia Cutter', 'The Aluminium Crutch', 'The Red Leech', 'The Conk-Singleton Affair', 'The Disappearance of James Phillimore' and 'The Problem of the Peculiar Pipes'.
Brooks, Clive. Sherlock Holmes Revisited, Volume Two. Southampton, Spy Glass Books, 1990. Five further cases based on unrecorded episodes mentioned by Watson: 'The Friesland Case', 'The Politician, Lighthouse and Trained Cormorant', 'The Abernetty Affair', 'The Case of the Canary Trainer' and 'The Adventure of the Amateur Mendicants'.
Brown, Russell A. Sherlock Holmes and the Mysterious Friend of Oscar Wilde, New York, St. Martin's Press, 1988. Set in 1895.
Chujoy, Anatole. 'The Adventure of the Tainted Worm', Baker Street Journal, July 1955. A faithful attempt to recreate the story of Isodora Persano and the remarkable worm.
Cillie, Francois P. 'The Adventure of the Second Stain', Sunday Times of South Africa, 3 December 1967; also reprinted as 'The Adventure of the Green Empress'.
Clarke, Benjamin. 'Sunshine, Sunshine', Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual #5, 1960. Another of the many apocryphal attempts to explain the disappearance of James Phillimore.
Collins, Randall. The Case of the Philosophers' Ring, New York, Crown, 1978; London, Harvester, 1980. A self- evident
apocryphal novel with little regard for Holmesian data, but an interesting philosophical novel which pits Holmes's wits against those of Aleister Crowley.
Conan Doyle, Adrian and Carr, John Dickson.
Davies, David Stuart.
Davies, David Stuart.
DeWeese, Gene. 'The Silent Night Before Christmas', Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, January 1996. A faithfully rendered story set in the first Christmas after Holmes's return from the grave.
Dibdin, Michael. The Last Sherlock Holmes Story. London, Jonathan Cape, 1978; New York, Pantheon, 1978. A totally apocryphal novel which brings Holmes and Moriarty together in the murders of Jack the Ripper.
Elward, Miles. Sherlock Holmes in Canterbury. Canterbury, Wynne Howard, 1995.Three stories set in Kent which should be apocryphal but have a considerable authenticity.
Fisher, Charles. Some Unaccountable Exploits of Sherlock Holmes, Philadelphia: Sons of the Copper Beeches, 1956. Seven very short and rather frivolous accounts, originally written for the
Gardner, John. The Return of Moriarty, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1974; New York, Putnam's, 1974; and The Revenge of Moriarty, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1975; New York, Putnam's, 1976.Very evident apocrypha, but extremely good stories.
Green, Richard Lancelyn (editor).
Green, Richard Lancelyn (editor). The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, London, Penguin Books, 1985. An anthology of eleven excellent pastiches, some of them faithful reconstructions of cases. The stories are (all prefixed 'The Adventure of…') '… the First-Class Carriage', Ronald A. Knox (
Greenberg, Martin H., and Waugh, Carol-Lynn (editors). The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. NewYork, Carroll & Graf, 1987. Anthology of fifteen original stories: 'The Adventure of the Unique Holmes' by Jon L.
