The Hell-Hound of the Baskervilles

This is a bacon book.<br /><br />Like Vaughn Entwistle’s criminally underrated <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/17934486.The_Revenant_of_Thraxton_Hall_The_Paranormal_Casebooks_of_Sir_Arthur_Conan_Doyle" title="The Revenant of Thraxton Hall The Paranormal Casebooks of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by Vaughn Entwistle" rel="noopener">The Revenant of Thraxton Hall: The Paranormal Casebooks of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle</a>, this book was written for an audience of me, a perfectly crisped piece of literary pig meat. In fact, toss Entwistle, with his imaginative reinterpretation of Sherlockian lore into a blender with a sprinkle of P.G. Wodehouse and his zany and relentlessly dry humor, a dash of Wilkie Collins and his mysterious machinations, and a generous dollop of H.P. Lovecraft and his mastery of the macabre (and minus his racist tendencies) and you’d get both a disgustingly undrinkable sludge of both fresh and long-since-deceased human body parts and one hell of a book: namely, this one.<br /><br />If you’re a Sherlockian purist who can’t handle mixing the supernatural with the world’s greatest logic machine, well, stick to the Canadian bacon (which, as we all know, is really just ham in an apologetic disguise). If you’re disinclined to have your Victorian sleuths cracking wise with gut-busting regularity, settle for the sausage (just don’t ask what all is in there, or what that sheathe encasing it is made of). <br /><br />As for me? Bacon, please, fried up exactly like this masterful mix of hilarity, horror, and homage (that list looks more alliterative than it really is, so don’t say it out loud; it’ll ruin the mood). <br /><br />Bring on book three, please.

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/07/04/book-review-the-hell-hound-of-the-baskervilles-by-g-s-denning/">https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/07/04/...</a><br /><br />The thing about Warlock Holmes is, you can’t stop at just one. A Study in Brimstone was so much fun, I simply couldn’t bear the thought of letting book two go unread for one second longer. Almost as soon as I finished the first book, I fell upon the sequel The Hell-Hound of the Baskervilles like a ravenous zombie on a fresh brain.<br /><br />Last we left our characters, Warlock’s arch nemesis Moriarty had just revealed himself, setting off a chain of events that left the brilliantly dim detective in a strange state of dead-but-not-dead. Not knowing what to do with the inert and decomposing body, Dr. Watson has decided to conceal the truth behind his friend’s apparent passing—at least for the time being. After making up a cover story to explain Holmes’ whereabouts and filling their flat at 221b Baker Street with flowers to hide the smell, Watson sets his sights on finding a way to bring Warlock back to life.<br /><br />This second novel closely mirrors the format of the first, containing a series of stories following Warlock Holmes’ eventual resurrection and recovery from a being a rotting corpse. From a not-so-relaxing jaunt to the peaceful countryside of Surrey to an outlandish tricycle race in Farnham, our characters are once again embarking upon a number of adventures inspired by the original tales by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. However, the book’s tour de force is without a doubt its title story “The Hell-Hound of the Baskervilles” which makes up more than half its pages, and features the culmination of everything that has happened in the series so far.<br /><br />I picked up this sequel expecting more hilarity and fun times, and I was definitely not disappointed. In fact, the author appears to have raised the humor to a whole other level—the situations Holmes and Watson find themselves in are even more extreme and absurd, and on the whole I found the jokes a lot less subtle. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword since I’ve always preferred my humor on the understated side, i.e. less overt and in-your-face, but I also can’t deny that when G.S. Denning does silliness, the results work a lot better for me.<br /><br />More importantly, the increase in madcap humor is also balanced out by the darker, more macabre moments. There are more of those in this sequel as well, as the series is in the process of maturing in story scope and content. This is most obvious in “The Hell-Hound of the Baskervilles”, based off of perhaps one of the most well-known Sherlock Holmes stories, and I am happy to report Denning does it justice. Giving depth to Warlock by filling in some of the details behinds his tragic backstory, we are gradually built up to a suspenseful climax filled with some pretty shocking twists.<br /><br />The characters are generally more developed in this second installment, and I continue to enjoy their hilarious interplay. The premise of the series is that Holmes is actually a witless buffoon who couldn’t solve his way out of a paper bag if it weren’t for Watson’s levelheaded assistance, and it’s a joke that hasn’t worn out its welcome yet. In fact, the Warlock/Watson dynamic is better than ever, with their personalities playing off each other in more complex, meaningful ways. I really enjoyed the revelations into their friendship at the end of book, and I hope that Denning will continue exploring this aspect in the next installment.<br /><br />Honestly, there’s not much left for me to say except I’m completely addicted to this series, and here’s hoping I won’t have too long to wait until my next Warlock Holmes fix! I’ll be waiting on pins and needles to see what Denning has in store for us in book three.

I am wolfing this series down as an antidote to current events. Apocalyptic insanity is so much more fun when it's fictional. A bit more serious than the first book, but still a lot of fun with some great jokes and much messing around with the Sherlock Holmes stories, as well as some increasingly spooky and ingenious fantasy. On to the third at which point I will have run out and have to wait for the next one to be published. I hate that.

If I don't win this giveaway I hope the people at Titan have their lives wrecked by the ghosts of donuts.

The Hell-Hound of the Baskervilles<br />By G. S. Denning<br />This continues the story of the crazy Warlock Holmes and Dr Watson. Watson is the clue finder and Holmes has all the magic. This time most of the story is around an adventure with a Canadian Lord with a curse. Throw in a Hell-Hound, demon horses, a succubus, and a butler that turns out to be a demon, and a serial killer on the loose. <br />Holmes doesn't want to go to this house on the moors, he actually looked disturbed by the thought of going there. Watson goes alone to guard the Lord while Warlock finds a way to fix the curse. <br />Just like book one, giggles ensue, occasionally out right laughter! This book is hilarious, witty, and a joy to read or listen. I got the Graphics Audio addition from Chirp that has multiple narrators and sound effects. They are so good! <br />It's really funny when Watson describes Canadians or Americans.

Here we have a comical Holmes but it may be that but it is still one for the Holmes fans as if don't know SH this is waste of time.<br /> In 1980s Tom Baker played Holmes in very bad version of The Hound even Tom said in Who on Earth is Tom Baker? that his Holmes stunk &amp; that is what Warlock is because Watson poisoned him &amp; shot him through the heart twice so gone off.<br /> But that doesn't stop Holmes . What with Tolkien jokes &amp; peg legs along with Flashman puns the first story is very funny. The second is...dead pile of horses flying knives &amp; football fans here we learn that Lestrade is a Vampire you'll laugh out loud then we move on to Holmes get bad case of too much wind &amp; how Watson gets his patients falling dead at his feet then it's off to...Mrs Hutson a horrible money grabbing landlady who brings up case of Miss Violet Smith a cyclist with strange obstion for beards &amp; bikes Holmes is mad as Watson will lot him ride one A mad race.<br /> The final story is not a short story but over 200ps.<br /> It's funny that the Hound as all same people that Doyle had in it of all the stories this the best starts with huge sneeze &amp; on to a missing boot that turns up in a very odd place . To really enjoy this you really do need to have read the 'real' book or miss all ghastly puns. Bit like Bored of the Rings or Soddit<br /> Here we learn very different past of both Holmes and Moriarty as well as Holmes been over 250 ys old; I always said he last well .Don't think Peter Cushion ever looked that old .Along with very odd Hound too .Denning has enjoyed himself here creating a poetic licence with satirical look at Holmes &amp; as not gone down the gay rot that some book on Holmes over years have thank goodness I really hate that.This just good laugh.

This was really hilarious. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, or that there was a first book in this series. I just saw it at a bookshop, laughed at the title, read the first few pages, and, realizing this is exactly my kind of fun, was hooked. <br />I really loved the idea of Warlock Holmes, sorcerer and accidental detective (who was childish, impulsive, and somehow just adorable) whereas Watson is the master of deductive reasoning who has to clean up Holmes' messes and keep him from doing worse. The stories itself were quite brilliantly adapted IMO, changing just enough to still be recognizable as Doyle's classic tales. The humor was just my idea of hilarious and absurd, and I loved it! If you can live with a Holmes who sprouts horns and calls on demons to do his "detective" work while a hilariously exasperated Watson stands by, chiding and doing all the real work, definitely give this series a try!

This installment of Warlock Holmes finds Warlock and Watson coming to terms with the events of the last volume. They do this in a rather strange way. Pinkertons are involved but they are somewhat like a certain famous group of wearers of black.<br /><br /> The two Holmes stories that are used include, of course, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Silver Blaze, and the Solitary Cyclist. The Cyclist sequence is particularly funny while the Baskervilles give us more detail about Warlock. It isn’t quite as funny but there are some shining moments. <br /><br /> As always, the humor comes from the asides that Watson does. In this case, Watson deals with issues as complex as fake beards, tricycles, and Canadians. The charm of the series is Watson’s down to earth musings that deal with issues raised in the original stories – for instance walking sticks. So, it is like you have an urban historical fantasy novel with a high shot of realism.<br /><br /> If you like fantasy and Sherlock Holmes, you should read this series.<br /><br /> Garston’s narration is particularly wonderful. He doesn’t do silly woman’s voices. His Watson sounds close enough to Edward Hardwicke to make a connection to Holmes seamless. His Holmes is not quite what you would think, but is brilliant nonetheless.<br />

I pre-ordered this and was so looking forward to it but was ultimately disappointed. It’s not necessarily a fault which lies with the book itself, more that it wasn’t really what I was looking for. <br /><br />I enjoyed the first in the series but this just felt like it was riding on the back of it, I found myself having to re-read whole sections as it just wasn't sinking in!<br /><br />Not for me!<br />

I had some trouble with the reader in the first volume of this series and didn't think i would return for more but much of the humor and satire of the story stuck with me so here I am again. This time i listened and focused more on the story than the reader's voice and accent and really enjoyed the book more. If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan then this is a very nice humorous supernatural take on the original concept. Recommended