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Book Summary and Reviews of Observations by Gaslight by Lyndsay Faye

Observations by Gaslight by Lyndsay Faye

Observations by Gaslight

Stories from the World of Sherlock Holmes

by Lyndsay Faye

  • Critics' Consensus (0):
  • Published:
  • Dec 2021, 295 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A new collection of Sherlockian tales that shows the Great Detective and his partner, Watson, as their acquaintances saw them.

Lyndsay Faye―international bestseller, translated into fifteen languages, and a two-time Edgar Award nominee―first appeared on the literary scene with Dust and Shadow, her now-classic novel pitting Sherlock Holmes against Jack the Ripper, and later produced The Whole Art of Detection, her widely acclaimed collection of traditional Watsonian tales. Now Faye is back with Observations by Gaslight, a thrilling volume of both new and previously published short stories and novellas narrated by those who knew the Great Detective.

Beloved adventuress Irene Adler teams up with her former adversary in a near-deadly inquiry into a room full of eerily stopped grandfather clocks. Learn of the case that cemented the lasting friendship between Holmes and Inspector Lestrade, and of the tragic crime which haunted the Yarder into joining the police force. And witness Stanley Hopkins' first meeting with the remote logician he idolizes, who will one day become his devoted mentor.

From familiar faces like landlady Mrs. Hudson to minor characters like Lomax the sub-librarian, Observations by Gaslight―entirely epistolary, told through diaries, telegrams, and even grocery lists―paints a masterful portrait of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as you have never seen them before.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"[I]mpressive...Nuance, wit, and clever plotting make this a superior version of George Mann's Associates of Sherlock Holmes anthologies. Sherlockians will clamor for a sequel." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Veteran Sherlock-ian Faye returns to Victorian London with six tales whose principal novelty is their variety of narrators...Meat and drink for fans of the Canon of the Sacred Writings." - Kirkus Reviews

"Faye is an expert on all things Sherlockian, she has unparalleled flair. You think you know Lomax the sub-librarian? Well, think again." - CrimeReads

"Lyndsay Faye, one of the most exhilarating voices in fiction today, has come home to Baker Street in this essential new collection. Read at once if convenient -- if inconvenient read all the same." - Daniel Stashower

This information about Observations by Gaslight was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Lyndsay Faye Author Biography

Photo: Gabriel Lehner

Lyndsay Faye moved to Manhattan in 2005 to audition as a professional actress; her schedule opened up when her day-job restaurant was knocked down with bulldozers. Her first novel Dust and Shadow: an Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson is a tribute to the aloof genius and his good-hearted friend whose exploits she has loved since childhood. After writing fifteen additional short stories over the next six years, she collected them in the critically acclaimed The Whole Art of Detection: Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes.

Faye's fascination with the origins of the New York City Police Department led to her first Best Novel Edgar Award nomination; The Gods of Gotham, Seven for a Secret, and The Fatal Flame follow ex-bartender Timothy Wilde as he navigates the rapids of his ...

... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to Lyndsay Faye's Website

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