The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes by G. K. Chesterton, Jacques Futrelle

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes by G. K. Chesterton, Jacques Futrelle ISBN-13: 9780486838618 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Dover Publications Released: December 18th 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Enthralled by the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Victorian readers around the world developed a fascination with eccentric detectives and bizarre crimes. Featuring an international array of authors and characters, this compilation of 16 short stories showcases the best of the mysteries inspired by the Baker Street sleuth. Their heroes range from famous figures like G. K. Chesterton's Father Brown and Maurice Leblanc's Arsene Lupin to lesser-known but equally captivating characters.

"The Problem of the Stolen Rubens," by Jacques Futrelle, centers on Professor Van Dusen, also known as The Thinking Machine, whose superior mental powers and dispassionate approach resemble Holmes'. Robert Barr's "The Absent Minded Coterie" presents French detective Eugène Valmont, a cultured and elegant gentleman . . . but a rather poor investigator. "The Murder at Troyte's Hill," by Catherine L. Pirkis, "The Ninescore Mystery," by The Scarlet Pimpernel author Baroness Orczy, and "Cinderella's Slipper," by Hugh C. Weir, feature a Victorian novelty—a detective heroine. Holmesians and other lovers of old-time mysteries will thrill to these tales of dark deeds and their discovery.


My Review:
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of 16 short story mysteries that were originally written between 1892 and 1914. Each story contained one clever person – a detective, private investigator, thief or murderer, or even a servant. The stories were supposedly inspired by Sherlock Holmes, and some of the private investigators did have similarities with him. Most of the stories told the mystery in a way that you could guess whodunit from the clues. I didn't find most of the mysteries difficult to solve, though the stories were fun to read anyway. Some of the series detectives were interesting enough that I will look up other stories by that author. The stories came from writers all over the world: England, France, America, Australia, etc. There was no sex. There was only a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this collection to people who enjoy old, clue based mysteries.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.