The Cthulhu Casebooks: Sherlock Holmes and The Miskatonic Monstrosities by James Lovegrove
I had no considerable enthusiasm for this sequel. Holmes reads an ominous missive. Watson broods about a traumatising event and addresses his friend with a hectoring accusatory timbre. Lovecraftian horrors bother London, again. There is exposition dumping and boredom. Pages 239-402 aren’t even about Holmes and Watson at all! This was full of contrivances and the tiresome return of an unwanted baddie. This was farcical.
Best Lines:
“To be repelled with all available aggression.”
“Ordeal poison.”
~
Sherlock Holmes: The Legacy Of Deeds by Nick Kyme
There are many violent deaths and Sherlock Holmes and Watson must solve them and prevent a grim final reckoning. This is terrible and rarely amounts to anything like a story.
Best Line:
“Did not wish to share our shadow.”
~
The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond
Jake and Alice join a club that is supposed to make your marriage perfect. It’s actually a crazy cult full of bizarre rules that leads to inevitable horror. If you don’t have absolute devotion to each other, it’ll lead to stark distress. This starts out okay but the morally ambiguous club is so obviously dodgy and full of violent psychos that things get ever more ludicrous. There are twists, violating of moral boundaries and a stupid ending.
Best Line:
“Be less interesting. Be less argumentative. Don’t give them a reason to think about you; give them even less reason to talk about you.”
~
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
No, has all the subtlety of a soap opera.