Sherlock Holmes and the Folk Tale Mysteries, Book 1

By: Gayle Lange Puhl

Narrated by: James Young

A home invasion results in property damage. Children disappear and a disgruntled ex-employee is suspected. Girl visits relative, walks in on scene of carnage. A man searches for days, seeking his lost love. A young woman accuses her father's wife of attempted murder. Dramatic news from CNN? Stories ripped from today's headlines? No, they are cases investigated by Mr. Sherlock Holmes and his intrepid companion and biographer, Dr. John H. Watson.

Drawn into the dark underbelly of folk tale reality, Holmes and Watson travel the streets of London and into the far English countryside to discover the truth about some of the most famous accounts found in childhood literature. Described in Dr. Watson's inimitable style and with the names changed to protect the innocent, these tales recount how Sherlock Holmes investigated cases involving missing children, a trio of brothers threatened with destruction, and the contents of an ancient box that told a tale of heroism and death.

Enter the world of the world's first consulting detective. Stand again in Baker Street and look up at the windows of 221B. That shadow on the blind, is it Lestrade, coming to tell of a baffling case he has failed to solve? Or is it Mrs. Hudson, bring tea and sandwiches to a suffering client? Could it be the Great Detective himself, pacing up and down the length of the room, wrapping his mighty brain around yet another conundrum presented for his consideration? Join Dr. Watson in these adventures and you'll never think the same about folk tales and nursery rhymes again.

©2015 Gaye Puhl (P)2016 MX Publishing

Thoroughly enjoyable!

Sherlock Holmes solves the problem in fairy tales. The book is clever and entertaining. I found myself smiling in the beginning of each chapter when the new story began. The narration was excellent.

Sherlock Holmes investigates fairy tales

What a marvelous concept! The author does a fine job of retelling classic fairytales as adventures of the Great Detective. As the introduction states, they have been adapted to fit the coldly logical world of Sherlock Holmes, but the feel is still there.

Since I only listened to this and did not read it, I can’t tell if the author didn’t know the correct words, or if the narrator either misread or mispronounced some words. Probably a combination of the three.

Any road and despite the beef above, this is a fine set of stories, well told, and definitely worth a listen!

Title says it all

As the title states, this is a RE-telling of various fairy tales as Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Most are very cleverly done. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Performance was very good.

Occasionally grim, but not your normal Grimm

Many of these tales take an unusual twist on the Grimm's fairy tales we all grew up with. Some took me a while to figure out which tales these stories were based on, but all were enjoyable. I like how the relationship between Holmes and Watson was handled as well. Gayle Lange Puhl has a fun take on two traditional genres.

No folklore, just fairy tales.

If you have some under the age of 10 and want to introduce them to Sherlock Holmes, you can use this book. If you like Sherlock Holmes and his methods, this work is pitiful. The first story is just Goldilocks and the three Bears, and the second one is a tired retread of Rumplestiltskin. Don't think I'll listen to the rest of it.