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.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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...

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Seems like a good story but...

I was looking forward to this audiobook but after an hour I found that the narrator defeated me. Although he does provide a fairly recognizable voice for each of the characters the overall impression is soporific and lacking in variation, expression, clarity and precision. One example, 'Moreover' pronounced without the 'v' as 'mororer'. I think a Holmes reading needs a bit of melodrama and this was notably absent, definitely more of a reading and not a performance. I'm returning this audiobook and will probably read it instead. Maybe I'll try later books in the series, I notice there are other narrators.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

like the addition

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Americanese

Generally very good, however too many Americanisms. The UK does not have "sidewalks," it has "pavements". The edge of a pavement is a "kerb", not a "curb", and John Watson would never measure distance in "blocks".

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

"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.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!