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Welcome! Like the book of the same name, this blog is an eclectic collection of Sherlockian scribblings based on more than a half-century of reading Sherlock Holmes. Please add your own thoughts. You can also follow me on Twitter @DanAndriacco and on my Facebook fan page at Dan Andriacco Mysteries. You might also be interested in my Amazon Author Page. My books are also available at Barnes & Noble and in all main electronic formats including Kindle, Nook, Kobo and iBooks for the iPad.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Irregular, but Wonderful

Baker Street Irregular by Jon Lellenberg is not at all what I expected when my Portguese friend Nuno Robles recommended it to me.

This this first foray into fiction by the eminent BSI historian is more than just a thriller. It is a historical novel of depth and complexity which begins before the United States' entry into World War II and ends during the Truman Administration.

As I closed the last page, I felt that I had not just read a book but lived through all the loves and losses of the hero-narrator, Woody Hazelbaker. It's the story of his gradually being dragged into a very personal war along with other original members of the Baker Street Irregulars.

One doesn't have to be a Sherlockian to enjoy this book, but there is a special treat for those who are: The giants of the early days of the game -- Christopher Morley, Vincent Starrett, Elmer Davis, Alexander Woolcott, Edgar W. Smith, Rex Stout, and others -- come to life in these pages.

If my shelf of books related to Sherlock Holmes but not Canon or pastiche were considerably smaller than it actually is, this book would still be on it. Thanks for the recommendation, Nuno.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks Dan,
    I have to read this and find out how these writers were woven into this story. I always find good things here!

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  2. I agree with your assessment of this very good novel. It is well worth the time spent to read it. Good story, well written, good characters. flows well, and good history.

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  3. Glad you finally jumped into this one - it's one of my favorite 'non-traditional' items to emerge from the Sherlockian world. I went out and bought Jon Lellenberg's Baker Street Irregular approximately 5 minutes after hearing Scott Monty and Burt Wolder's IHOSE ep.29 ihearofsherlock. I might start re-reading this for the second time. At one level it reads like a fun, engaging adventure - but at it's core is the fascinating story of how the BSI grew from a back room 'friends club' into the flagship organization of an international movement. And most fascinating were the people (eg. Morley, Stout, Smith) at the helm - Sherlockians whose work I continue to read and re-read, draw inspiration and attempt to gently emulate.

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