The Crimes of Dr. Watson (Interactive Mysteries)

If you are a hard-core Holmesian, with the maiden name of Watson's wife and the story in which she first appeared at the tip of your brain... well, you ARE likely to enjoy this book, but others should be reassured that one needs no encyclopaedic knowledge of the minutiae in order to do so.The mystery itself is challenging, although owing to the nature of the presentation here, a portion of it does indeed come down to defining what it is you're trying to solve. The best approach, and indeed the one practiced by Holmes himself, is to use the mounting tally of data points to simplify, rather than complicate, your working theory. There is an event, and behind that event there's a "who," and that person has a "why" behind their actions. Unfortunately, like poor Watson himself, writing feverishly so that his far-away acquaintance Colonel Harry can get all the information in time, the reader will likely find it difficult to know how, or even if, a particular clue has relevance to these central questions, and because the author gets a little loose and slippery with the clues, it becomes all too easy to spin a yarn that is quite dense and intriguing, but irrelevant. Some commenters here appear to have suffered this fate, and I have to admit, I also came up with some wonderful ideas about what turned out in the end to be utterly incidental details.As a reading experience, this book does something that's pleasing in a visceral way, all the moreso because of its analog nature. Turning a bit of paper over in one's hands is something no iGadget can replicate (yet). As a mystery, it's not without some flaws, but is reasonably solid. The answer, once revealed, is perfectly fair; I did not feel cheated. However, I did go much farther in my theorizing than was required. The more one tries to 'become' Holmes and construct "gossamer strands" between the clues, the more one risks inventing some manner of story that is more complex - and even more satisfying - than the one actually revealed by the evidence. That's not a bad thing, though; this book does such a good job of putting the reader into Holmes' world that it inspires one to something beyond what its short length can sustain. This is a great book for a single rainy afternoon. I can't say what sort of re-reading value it will have, but I know some clever children who, when they graduate from Harry Potter to Conan Doyle, will love the chance to dive in and apply some deduction. Being kids, they'll probably solve the thing more efficiently, too.One detail does bother me, and fair warning as this constitutes a SPOILER and you'll miss nothing if you STOP READING NOW... suffice to say, when you have a character with an improbable name it's fairly obvious that name is an anagram. Fair enough, but to give that character a title, and then require for the anagram to work that an abbreviation be used for the title, then an initial, and then the middle name, well, it's all too neat and yet terribly sloppy at the same time. Mr. Swierczynski overreaches in a couple of critical little areas like this, and one gets the impression he just couldn't help himself. Fortunately these are not really game-changers, and upon reading you'll probably be in a forgiving mood, as I was. Only later upon reflection does the experience sour, and just a little.

This book is beautifully presented. The pages are yellowed to make them look antique, the clues are reproduced well--they look just like letters and telegrams and newspapers written and printed in the 1890s--ink, paper browning with age, etc.However, I was most unsatisfied with the solution they provided to the mystery...it just didn't seem plausible to me. And the last line of the explanation was just...too obvious, too much in-your-face.So if you like the Victorian era, you would probably like this book for copies of the artifacts of the times; if you like good mysteries, however, you will be left disappointed.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes will enjoy this. Even though it isn't an "accurate" portrayal, it sure is fun. A friend and I read through it together, and it was a good time. I would not suggest spending a lot on it, but under $15 sounds right.

Fun, but a little more adult oriented than I expected. The mystery was a little unclear. I didn't know exactly what was supposed to be solved. The book was put together well,and the clues were cool.

This interactive book is awesome! Letters, puzzles, tickets, newspaper clips. Plenty of clues and directions to solve a mystery. You don't get that every day. Excellent condition and "The Crimes of Dr. Watson" became one of my favorite items to read since I first saw it. Way too cool!

While it was fun to play a Holmesian role, the solution proved a disappointment. An interesting and engaging build-up to a big let down, at least for this Sherlock wanna-be.

The book was exactly what my nephew wanted. it is very interactive and keeps you involved in the chase to find out who did iit! my mother also has it and wouldn't give it up for my nephew so I needed to order another one.

This book is so cool! Hubby bought it for me as bd gift and I love it! We are hard core Holmes/Watson fans...its not only to read but its hands on and really is interactive.

Excellent book, very interesting and a new way of reading a book!! Pulls you into the story and has fascinating facts and pull out history articles along the way.Who is the culprit? It's up to you to decide!

Really interesting book. Lots of trading and interaction

This book is a true treasure. The quality-price ratio was superb ♡

Had one as a child and could never find it again