What's most remarkable about this story is the degree of authenticity Klaver gives it-- it reads just like a story by Doyle (or Watson, if you prefer!). The attention to Victorian detail is also noteworthy, and it's clear that the author knows his Holmes mythology. You may think you've seen all that can be done with teh sub-genre of "Holmes meets Dracula" tales, but The Case of the Solitary Grave is exciting and refreshingly unpredictable. As a bonus, we get a very touching look at the deep bond of friendship between Holmes and Watson.
Can't wait for the next adventure! Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula: The Adventure of the Solitary Grave (The Supernatural Casefiles of Sherlock Holmes)
I would ideally give this story 2.5 stars (for the price, mainly--see further in the review). The story is itself is fairly good, and roughly the first half reads very much like a Conan Doyle story of Holmes and Watson. The second half, however, is jumpier and harder to follow, though still good. My main complaint is the price of $2.99 for a short story, although it is a long one (definitely not a novella, though). Perhaps the information that this is a short story would have been available if I had read the product information more closely, but I assumed I would be getting a novella-length tale, not a long short story. Or perhaps I should have assumed from "the adventure" in the title. In any case, in my opinion, this is a 99 cent Kindle product. I did buy it on the Kindle, though, so it's hard to accurately estimate exactly how long the story is (there's probably a word count feature somewhere, but I haven't found it yet).
I can only reiterate the positive things people have said about this story. It was my first non free book I bought for my new Kindle, just to test the waters (ie would I like reading stories off an eReader), and I was thrilled to find I forgot about the technology and just enjoyed the story, which could have been written by Conan Doyle himself (I've read all the original stories).
yes its a short story, which might surprise some, but for $3 I didnt feel shortchanged. Its a sympathetic portrayal of Dracula as a noble savage, but without descending into the soppy stuff some vamp fiction offers (I like my vamps to be rather menacing).
I think the idea was good enough to have sustained a short novel if fleshed out a bit more, but is fine as a short story.
This dark adventure is a seamless blending of Doyle and Stoker. The voice is dead-on and Holmes and Watson's interactions with the undead are heartbreakingly believable. A short, gritty read you won't be able to put down.
I would not have bought this if I'd realized how short it was. It was less than 50 pages long on my ereader (using the medium-size font) and I read it in 30 minutes.
The writing was fine and 'sounded' right. But the story itself seemed unfinished and left me with more questions than answers.
A fine story very much in the vein of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Some complained of the shortness but many of Doyle's tales were extremely short. Some say over-priced but the sensationalism of two literary heavies pulls that through for me. Where I must chastise the author is on simple proofreading. If a story is free, it comes as is. However, if you charge even one nickel for a written story, you OWE it to your paying readers to ensure all type-os are eliminated and that basic grammar is observed. Nothing cheapens the read or knocks one from the dramatic moment like a glaring mishandling of the text. Shame on you Christian Klaver for submitting your wares in such a state and shame on Amazon for not enforcing higher standards.
I was very pleased with this short story. I am a big fan of the original Sherlock Holmes stories and of the novel Dracula. This short story was well written and was strikingly similar to the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the original tales.
I bought this short story based primarily on the five star reviews. This high rating is difficult to understand when compared to the lifeless story itself. The chactors in this excercise are poorly drawn, the plot is paper thin; the writing... well the best I can say about it is the story must have been drafted as an excercise for a night school writing class for which the author received a C- by a indulgent teacher. It is not really terrible but,there are too many good reads out there to bother with this one. - Paranormal Mystery - Behavioral Psychology - British Mysteries - Dracula'
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