Good story but unclear performance

What I mean with 'unclear' is that the actor is often slurring words with consonants and vowels running together, which makes listening a little annoying and sometimes even tricky to make out what he is actually saying. The timbre of the voice is lovely, but alas, a clearer diction would have been much appreciated.
The story is very good, though, and this I did enjoy.

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2 people found this helpful

It's Holmes but not quite...

3.75 stars
If you enjoy a good Sherlock "adventure", then obviously you go for the original (or one by James Lovegrove - they're pretty darn good), after all ACD did create the character and it's only natural that the best interpretation of the idea will come from its creator. That said, this story - the first in a series featuring Sherlock and Lucy James - is pretty decent for the most part, albeit this author's use of adjectives could do with the subtle use of a thesaurus, particularly when it comes time to describing the female characters. Entertaining, though, it is and the return of Moran and the arrival of the Last Moriarty are enjoyable enough. The plot is pleasantly simple, even if a little overly long in the end, for no obvious reason that this listener could discern.
The biggest problem with this is the narrator and his attempts at accents. I would say he should stick to his day job, but apparently his day job is acting...

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great story, solid performance, recommend

Really glad I gave this a try, enjoyed the story and thought the performances very good. Felt very much In the spirit and tone of the original holmes stories. Would strongly recommend

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1 person found this helpful

Very Good

A gripping new Sherlock Holmes series, I could not stop listening. Newly released files from Dr Watson continues the adventures of Sherlock. Good characterization and well plotted and atmosphere of the original novels. The narrator is spot on with his delivery.
I received this book from the author for a review.

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like the addition

I enjoy hearing/ reading good additions to the Sherlock Holmes series and this is an excellent start to a good subseries

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Enjoyable story but spoiled by details

I have listened to a few audio books in this series, but hadn't got round to the this one, which i actually the first, until now. I have noticed considerable variety in both the quality of the story and of the narration.
This story starts with Watson saying that Holmes had asked that the details of this adventure not be published until the 21st century, which is a very clever tactic, and made me smile. The rest of the story has to do some quite heavy lifting, in that it has to introduce Lucy James and also set the scene for the rest of the series, generally it does this well, and manages to include some quite exciting passages as well.
Unfortunately though this story was spoilt by some details, namely a lot of 'Americanisms', the most noticeable of these is the use of 'gurney' for a hospital trolley, this word isn't in common use in the UK even now, let alone when these stories are set, but there are others, such as describing something as '4 blocks away', 'blocks' is not and never has been used in the UK to describe distance, also there is mention of 'broiled fish', again in the UK this would be described as 'grilled fish', then there is the description of a 'deserted railway station', at that time all UK railway stations were manned 24 hours a day as trains were not allowed to move off without the station master's signal. There was also a 'continuity error' where the scene of an explosion in London was described as being lit by the electric lights, at that time the street lights were all gas. All these little errors detracted from my enjoyment.
The narration was acceptable, although at times the diction was a little slurred meaning that I had to rewind to make sure that I had heard the right word, I also found it rather monotone, the exciting passages were read without any feeling of tension, not really interpreting the author's words, I notice that on the cover it says that it was 'read by' rather than 'performed by' or 'narrated by' and think that this is appropriate, personally I prefer more of a performance.
So a good story, let down by research and narration, but still very much worth listening to.

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1 person found this helpful

"A gratifying bonus."

For readers who enjoy the original Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes, this is a satisfying addition, the first of a new series about the achievements of the detective, ostensibly recorded by his companion, Dr.Watson, but this time by author Charles Veley.
Holmes is summoned to a government emergency meeting: an American has been found dead, an apparent suicide, and national security is at stake. As the plot unfolds, Holmes not only has to confront figures from his last but also one who will be central to his future.
This Holmes is not as acerbic as the original: he is more approachable, even sometimes ready to confide. But the essence remains.
Good fun, and nicely performed by narrator David Petherbridge, with warmth and a good feel for the period.

My thanks to the rights holder of The Last Moriarty, who, at my request freely gifted me with a complimentary copy of the book via Free Audiobook Codes. A fun read.

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Absolutely loved this, recommend

Was quite surprised by this. One of the best adventures I've read. It's bathed in historical research, so you really feel you're there and even learn a bit, but this doesn't impinge on the plot which is well paced with a great mystery and interesting characters. It's not the deepest story, but neither is it lightweight - I would certainly read it again. It definitely makes me want to listen to more of the series.

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Nicely done and more so !

Right from the beginning the author Charles veley have got me when he wrote that Watson have asked the publisher not to publish this story till the twenty first century, a genius move.
After that a real good story with excellent twists always perfectly done and always just at the right time.

Edward Petherbridge narration was also done beautifully creating a beautiful audiobook.

Absolutely recommended !!!

Oded Ostfeld.

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A great audiobook for Holmes fans

An excellent Sherlock Holmes adventure, which you can tell was written by a fan of ACD’s original stories. I felt the narrator did a good job of conveying the drama and atmosphere of the story. I’m looking forward to listening to the next audiobook in this series.

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