Sherlock Holmes Theatre

SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE (1859-1930) was born of Irish parentage in Edinburgh, Scotland. He studied medicine at Edinburgh, but initial poverty as a young practitioner led him into authorship. His first book introduced that prototype of the modern detective in fiction, Sherlock Holmes. He also wrote historical romances and two essays in pseudo-scientific fantasy, The Lost World (1912) and The Poison Belt (1913).

A complete cast performs the only two Holmes plays written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as a spoof production by the audiobook's producer, Yuri Rasovsky. In all three, Rasovsky combines a talented cast, spot-on sound effects, and a rich musical score to achieve a stunning audio production. Every character, every cast member, every special effect, and every note of music merits applause. The first two plays are vintage Conan Doyle--full of clues for the discerning listener, full of mystery for all, with a satisfying "aha!" at the end. In the third, Rasovsky presents a clever portrayal of Holmes in retirement, killing for pleasure and running off with Watson's wife. Once you get over the shock, you'll never read Sherlock the same way again. R.L.L. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine