The Classified Dossier – Sherlock Holmes and Dorian Gray is not from the oeuvre of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. No, in this world Dr. Watson is a vampire and the Island of Doctor Moreau is a real location. Despite these, and more, changes, it still feels somehow like it belongs in the canon.
Dumping Sherlock in another paradigm is a frequent trick of authors. This book merges classic Victorian villains within a very Sherlockian plot. A new circus is in town and the actors seem unusually athletic. Mycroft has asked Sherlock to investigate so he and Dr. Watson attend. When a circus performer is found dead, Sherlock investigates the murder and the characters of the other performers as well. From there, things just get curiouser and curiouser.
I truly loved The Classified Dossier – Sherlock Holmes and Dorian Gray. It is very inventive and just pure fun. I highly recommend it to Sherlock fans that don’t take themselves too seriously. 5 stars!
This is the third book in this series and there are some serious spoilers for the others. So, while this is a standalone read, you might want to read them in order instead.
Thanks to Titan Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.