The Final Page of Baker Street

The Exploits of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, Dr. John H. Watson, and Master Raymond Chandler

By: Daniel D Victor

Narrated by: Ben Carling

When misadventure led a schoolboy in London to employment at Baker Street, few could have guessed where his introduction to Sherlock Holmes would lead. But as the lad matures and he finds himself caught in the middle of a murder investigation, his friendship with Holmes and Watson lures him into the role of detective. 'Billy' documents his experiences, and soon his sleuthing skills not only bring him to another murder, but also lay the foundation for his metamorphosis into a famous mystery writer, the novelist the world now knows as Raymond Chandler.

©2014 Daniel D Victor (P)2016 MX Publishing

Holmes and Watson and Billy Marlowe

The premise is quite intriguing. What if a young Raymond Chandler had met, and worked with, the Great Detective?

As a fan of both, I’ll admit I was curious. And I was pleased with the answer. Apparently, you lay the groundwork for several of Chandler’s novels in the interactions between the three. Nice job of “retroactively foreshadowing” The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye.

And although there were occasional stumbles by the reader, they were fairly rare, and didn’t yank me out of the flow.

Give this a listen!

A must-read for every fan of Sherlock Holmes!

What did you love best about The Final Page of Baker Street?

I loved the addition of historical figures from the time period colliding with Holmes!

What about Ben Carling’s performance did you like?

I enjoy listening to mysteries on long road trips, but sometimes it can be challenging to follow the story because of how the narration flows. This narrator did an excellent job of making it easy and enjoyable to follow along. I look forward to hearing more!

An entertaining story, excellent new narrator!

What did you love best about The Final Page of Baker Street?

The story follows in the vein of Arthur Conan Doyle. You will become immersed in the story through the strength of the narration. The seamless transition from one character to the next draws you into the story. The combination of Daniel Victor's writing with Ben Carling's narration is a potent combination. Upon finishing this book I immediately searched for others by this combination.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The character of John Watson, as any reader of Conan Doyle will know, is the internal narrator of the story. I found Daniel Victor's version very entertaining.

Which character – as performed by Ben Carling – was your favorite?

This is a difficult choice because the narrator gave an excellent performance. I suppose the character of Sherlock Holmes, although not a constant or frequent character for dialog, was my favorite. Ben Carling's portrayal of the character was excellent. It was just as I imagined the character of Sherlock Holmes to be.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I found it difficult to stop listening to this book. Also, this is a relatively short book. I found myself wanting there to be more. As the book wrapped up I was surprised to find that 6 hours had passed by.

Any additional comments?

As an observation, there were 3 or 4 "re-reads" of sentences in the body of the story. These are places that a narrator re-reads the text and then they are normally edited out. I understand this excellent story is getting a quick re-edit to remove those. It is a minor observation and I expect by the time my rating is live it will be fixed. This is an excellent book that you will want to share with your family and friends. Based on the strength of author's words and the excellent narration I am sharing it with mine.

Fun summer read

What made the experience of listening to The Final Page of Baker Street the most enjoyable?

I love listening to audiobooks while I drive or do work that requires eyes and hands free. Mr. Carling's interpretation of the story made listening a pleasant, carefree task. His characters/voices were distinct and easy to follow, so I didn't have to work at it - that's my favorite kind of listening.

What about Ben Carling’s performance did you like?

Easy voice to listen to, with distinct characterization that made following the dialogue easy and effortless, including subtle dialect changes that felt/sounded authentic.

Any additional comments?

The story is a little slow to start; the dialogue reads a bit like prose at times. While I think that's part of the main character's personality, it's still a little tedious. The plot picks up nicely, though, and it was a fun read/listen.

Very enjoyable all around

Victor makes an unlikely premise work. Nice nods to the Sherlock and Chandler canons. Excellent narration -- wonderful accents in general, and a passable American one as well.

Well Executed Concept with Familiar Characters

Would you listen to The Final Page of Baker Street again? Why?

It is an engaging story and the narrator brings the characters to life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Raymond Chandler. He is written the way we think he was.

What about Ben Carling’s performance did you like?

The many voices blended seamlessly and really suspended my disbelief.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

It is all a good read (listen).

Any additional comments?

Is it possible to search to find other performances by Ben Carling?

Outstanding!

I enjoyed this book and the American Literati series by Daniel D. Victor. In this book, Billy, a young page,
at 224B Baker Street, works for, with and is influenced by Sherlock Holes and Dr. Watson and later in life becomes the writer Raymond Chandler. Billy’s own story and shadows of his literary work is woven with the characters and stories of ACD to create a very enjoyable story. The narrator is also excellent. His performance brings the characters and story to life. I received a free audiobook code for my honest review.

Top Notch Performance

The Narrator, Ben Carling, brings the characters alive as he takes you down Baker Street following Sherlock Holmes and Watson in this adventure! You feel like you become part of the story as you listen. It is hard to stop listening! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Pete L.

More Please

This narrator has ruined all other audio books for me. In comparison, the narration of other stories is forced and inconsistant. I loved Daniel Victor's tale and his use of language. I enjoyed dabbling in the world of Holmes and Watson once more. What earned 5 stars for me was the choice of narrator. I loved how he easily slid between characters and gave voice to the beautiful language chosen by the author. I even appreciated the female dialogue not being overly falsetto. Some of my favorite books have been depreciated by those who have enumerated their words. I will definitely be looking for more work by Ben Carling and Daniel Victors.

An entertaining Sherlock Holmes and friends adventure

It got a little confusing in places where there were multiple characters, but all in all, it was great! Enjoyable story and performance!!