Book Review: "Sherlock Holmes: The Army of Dr. Moreau"

- by Señor Editor, 24 August 2012

What do you get when you cross a sailor, a hound and a gorilla? One of Dr. Moreau's goons. What, you thought this was gonna be a joke? When I received a copy of Guy Adams' "Sherlock Holmes: The Army of Dr. Moreau" book, I didn't really know what to expect. Like I mentioned numerous times, I love me some good pulp, but I can't say I've ever really been a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. Sure, I'm a fan of crime stories and all sorts of fictitious detectives and he's sort of a father to them all, but I can't say I was ever very interested in the character. That said, the book turned out to be quite a lot of fun...

Titan Books' "Sherlock Holmes: The Army of Dr. Moreau" is the second Holmes book by Guy Adams, this time combining the classic detective with the (also classic) mad geneticist from H.G. Wells' "The Island of Doctor Moreau". The book's basic plot is relatively simple. Dead, mutilated bodies start showing up in London. Mycroft, Sherlock Holmes' brother who works for the government, contacts Sherlock and Watson and believes that the man responsible for those murders might be the infamous vivisectionist Dr. Moreau. Even though Moreau has been presumed dead for some time now, all signs point to him and it's gonna be up to Sherlock & Watson to track the scientist. Should they need it, they can also rely on a team consisting of all manner of scientists, the best the Crown has to offer.

While I'm not that big on Sherlock, I do like Dr. Moreau and the idea behind him. You give me something with a promise of a mad scientist creating grotesque hybrids of men and animals and now we're cookin' with gas. What's cool is that all those weird creatures work remarkably well set in 19th century London, maybe even better than the island setting they were originally associated with. All those dangerous, tortured creations living and killing in the darkest places of the city makes for some great and memorable scenes, and the fast pace of the book, coupled with well written action and good character moments should be enough to keep all the readers interested.

Even though I don't recall ever reading an original Arthur Conan Doyle Holmes book, I'm not a complete amateur here. I've seen plenty of the movies, old and new, and have a good enough grasp on all the basics about Sherlock and Watson, to be able to tell if their portrayal in the book seems right. And it does. Adams certainly loves the characters and made them enjoyable to follow on their case. As usual, most of the book is narrated by Watson, but Holmes and some additional characters also have their own POV chapters, describing what Watson wasn't around to witness. While there isn't really much of a mystery in this book's plot (the title gives away some of it, and the other part of it can be pieced together by the readers about halfway through), there's fun to be had in watching how the protagonists react to all the events, the fantastic creatures and other characters they meet along the way. They're very entertaining and have the charm that's much needed and expected from them.

And since I mentioned the other characters, I might as well add that there's quite a few easter eggs for literature fans here. Moreau isn't the only one that's been "borrowed" from other books or writers. I don't want to spoil too much, but one of the many cameos is by Professor Oliver Lindenbrook, from "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne. He makes a short appearence, but rest assured there are more familiar men in this book, and they all play bigger parts and are used in a very clever way.

One thing I feel I should also mention is the cover. While it looks good, it's a pretty loose interpretation of what the book is about, so don't really go in expecting boar-faced men in army uniforms, riding horses. For some reason that would seem a bit too ridiculous (yeah...) to me, so I thought I should point that out.

If you're a fan of good, fun pulps or a fan of Sherlock Holmes, "The Army of Dr. Moreau" is definitely worth picking up. If you're a fan of BOTH those things you should be ecstatic, because I'm sure it won't leave you disappointed. The book is now available for purchase on the Titan Books website, so check it out! You might be very happy that you did.

Tagged: books, Reviews.

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