'1903. A darkness has descended on London. A series of grisly murders are uncovered, trophies taken, bodies arranged and soon there are whispers of Jack the Ripper's return.
'A new client arrives at Baker Street seeking Sherlock Holmes's help: Dr Jekyll claims his friend has been wrongfully accused of the hideous crimes, a friend called Mr Edward Hyde, whose very existence relies on a potion administered by the doctor himself.
'But the case becomes more complicated, more unsettling than simply proving Mr Hyde's innocence - for Holmes and Watson unearth beastly transformations, a killer who moves unseen, a secret organisation and then find a traitor in their midst....'
The first entry in The Classified Dossier series introduced the world of the supernatural to Victorian era London, shattering the way that scientifically minded detectives Sherlock Holmes and John Watson looked at the world. Suddenly the things that you've only ever heard about in stories were real; and they were making their presence known.
Sadly, Watson's wife, Mary, was transformed into a vampire and was eventually killed. And whilst Watson underwent the same transformation, he managed to retain his humanity and refused to become a killer. Working alongside Count Dracula, and his wife Mina, the detective duo were able to end a plot to infest London with vampires under the direction of a now vampiric Moriarty.
Since then, relative peace has returned to the city, and Holmes and Watson have returned to their normal lives as much as they were able. However, when gruesome killings that mirror those of the unsolved Ripper case begin to happen across London once more, the two of them are dragged into another unusual case. An eminent scientist named Jekyll comes to the two of them, asking for help to clear the name of his friend, Mr Hyde, who has been accused of the murder. Jekyll transforms into Hyde using a potion of his own creation, and the two detectives learn more about the case.
It appears that the person performing these crimes may be of supernatural origin, able to vanish from sight. And when they begin to investigate, with the assistance of Dracula and Mina, a masked individual with enhanced strength and agility attacks them. It soon becomes apparent that there are multiple, powered, individuals at work, and that Holmes and Watson will be facing their most dangerous case yet.
As I've said in previous reviews of books with this kind of setting, I've got something of a soft spot for Victorian era stories. Something about the atmosphere and the setting just really appeals to me; and this series sits squarely in the centre of the kind of things I love as it draws in multiple other literary characters and genres to create an amazingly fun shared universe where you can have Sherlock Holmes, Count Dracula, and Mr Hyde sitting in the same room together discussing ways in which to combat a Cthulian cult. It's a bit schlocky and silly, but it's oh so much fun.
Klaver's previous entry in this series did a lot of world building, and spent a good portion of the first part of the book introducing the supernatural and fantastical elements and making them work with a grounded character like Holmes. The transformation of Watson, and his ordeal of having to overcome the horrors of what he now was, were a big part of that book too. And whilst all of that was wonderful to read, it's stuff that you don't really need in a second volume; and as such, Sherlock Holmes and Mr Hyde feels a lot quicker paced, and more filled with action.
Part of this is because yes, there is more action to it, and the mystery elements take something of a back seat as the characters deal with the hunt for the Ripper. They're not really examining crime scenes in great detail, nor are they solving puzzles. Instead, Holmes gets what he needs from them, and then sets out to catch the killer in the city with the help of his allies. It feels like a more decisive and driven Holmes than some versions, but it's still unmistakably Holmes.
Watson too is changed a fair bit from the version that fans will know, but is still the same kind of man even if he has to drink blood to survive. He's still a bit of a stick in the mud, he's still kind of judgemental, especially towards Hyde. Becoming a vampire didn't really change his outlook on the world a huge amount, and he still thinks and acts like he did before, believing in doing the right thing, being all about etiquette and class. This book challenges some of those assumptions in him, and I think makes him a better person come the end.
Other returning characters include Dracula and Mina, who if you've read the first book you'll know what to expect from them. They're perhaps a bit more relaxed around Watson and Holmes, now that the two men have proven themselves capable and decent allies, but ultimately you're getting more of what you had in the first book; which isn't a bad thing. Ms Winter returns too, and goes from a fleeting presence in the final stages of the first volume into an integral part of the team. She's a great character, and she acts as a decent kind of halfway point between the stuffy Watson and the more gregarious Hyde.
As for Hyde, there have been a lot of different types of Hydes over the years, with anything from a fairly normal man to a slobbering monster, to a cold blooded killer who has on occassion even been the Ripper himself. The face that he's brought into a story that involves the Ripper is a nice touch, and one that feels right for the character. Despite his more brutish appearance he's one of the most likeable and human characters in the book, and he brings some decent energy to proceedings. He challenges Watson in ways he's not normally, and he quite often steals the limelight of most scenes that he's in.
The book does also feature some other characters that fans of literature from this era will be familiar with, but I'm not going to say too much as a lot of the fun is discovering them along the way.
The Classified Dossier: Sherlock Holmes and MR Hyde was a fantastic and enjoyable read, one that I was sad to see end. This is a series that has seriously impressed me so far, and one that I'm hoping can continue on for more volumes. The books have a fair few more colours they can use for the covers after all. Whatever Christian Klaver chooses to do with these characters next, I'm sure it's going to be amazing.
No comments:
Post a Comment