The Art of Sherlock Holmes sounded like such an interesting book that I was thrilled to hear that I had secured a spot on the blog tour. You can read a bit about the book followed by my review below, but first many thanks to Caroline at Bits About Books for inviting me to take part in the tour.
The Art of Sherlock Holmes is a totally unique experience.
Imagine a dozen or more of the finest artists in the U.S. creating art for some
the best new short stories written by some of the finest Holmes authors in the
world. Each artist has envisioned their version of one story specifically
selected for them. All stories and art in one large, hardcover, coffee table
presentation volume. This first edition features artists from West Palm Beach,
Florida. Future editions will be global, with participating artists
contributing from all over the world. The Art of Sherlock Holmes was conceived
and curated by Phil Growick, himself a renowned Holmes author.
I'm not usually a fan of short stories but these stories were so easy to read that I actually had to check a few times that the stories in this book were written by different authors. I've only read a few Sherlock Holmes books in my youth but I wouldn't have been surprised to find that these stories were actually written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; the authors are all clearly massive fans of Sherlock Holmes to be able to bring the world's greatest detective back to life for fans new and old.
At the beginning of each story there is a piece of artwork inspired by the story that follows it and although I have absolutely no idea about art, I found myself looking forward to seeing the different styles and interpretations in each piece. Even better and absolutely perfect for Sherlock Holmes stories is that some pieces of art have little puzzles hidden within them. I wish I could have spent more time solving the puzzles but it's definitely a good excuse for me to pick it up and read the book again.
I absolutely loved the little biographies of the author and artist that preceded each story. For a total art ignoramus like me, this really piqued my interest and made me look at the art for far longer than I would usually be inclined to do.
Whilst I couldn't pick a favourite story among all the fabulous tales in the book, I have to give particular mention to The Stolen Relic by David Marcum. This story stands out for me because it raised my eyebrows in surprise as I read the origins of hanging stockings on the fireplace at Christmas and of how Scotland adopted St Andrew's Saltire Cross. I love books that send me running off to check things on google and teach me things that I didn't know
The Art of Sherlock Holmes is a very unusual book to review, mainly because seeing the art on kindle doesn't have the same effect as it would in a beautiful hardback coffee table book, which is the medium that would do it the most justice. It is an absolute must-read for fans of Sherlock Holmes, but for kindle loving Holmes fans it is well worth upgrading to the physical copy of the book to fully experience The Art of Sherlock Holmes.
Whilst I couldn't pick a favourite story among all the fabulous tales in the book, I have to give particular mention to The Stolen Relic by David Marcum. This story stands out for me because it raised my eyebrows in surprise as I read the origins of hanging stockings on the fireplace at Christmas and of how Scotland adopted St Andrew's Saltire Cross. I love books that send me running off to check things on google and teach me things that I didn't know
The Art of Sherlock Holmes is a very unusual book to review, mainly because seeing the art on kindle doesn't have the same effect as it would in a beautiful hardback coffee table book, which is the medium that would do it the most justice. It is an absolute must-read for fans of Sherlock Holmes, but for kindle loving Holmes fans it is well worth upgrading to the physical copy of the book to fully experience The Art of Sherlock Holmes.
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
My rating:
Buy it from Amazon
About the curator and publisher:
Phil Growick
The project was conceived by and is curated by Phil Growick. Phil ran one of the world’s leading executive search firms in the advertising industry. Phil’s network in the creative world is unparalleled which is perfect for artist acquisition. Now living in West Palm, Phil is heavily involved in the local art community and as a two-time Sherlock Holmes novelist came up with the concept of combining two of his passions – art and Holmes.
"You’re presented with murder, theft, treason, betrayal, love, loss and greed. All the ingredients to make a delicious Holmes meal of mystery: inimitable interpretations of truly unique Holmes stories."
You can find Phil Growick here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhilGrowick
Instagram: www.instagram.com/philgrowick/
MX Publishing MX is the world’s largest Sherlock Holmes publisher. The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories is the world’s largest new Sherlock stories collection with twelve bestselling volumes in the last four years – with three more volumes due in May 2019. Over 100 authors have taken part in the anthology including NY Times best sellers Lee Child, Jonathan Kellerman, Lyndsay Faye and Bonnie MacBird.
The collection raises money for the Stepping Stones School ( a school for children with learning disabilities) at Undershaw, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s former home which carries the Estate’s Conan Doyle Seal. The collection has overwhelming support from leading Sherlockians worldwide. MX are in a perfect position to bring the best in Holmes fiction and the Sherlock fan base to the project.
The collection raises money for the Stepping Stones School ( a school for children with learning disabilities) at Undershaw, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s former home which carries the Estate’s Conan Doyle Seal. The collection has overwhelming support from leading Sherlockians worldwide. MX are in a perfect position to bring the best in Holmes fiction and the Sherlock fan base to the project.
MX’ other project is the Happy Life Children’s Home in Nairobi, Kenya. Twinned with Stepping Stones, Happy Life has saved the lives of over 600 abandoned babies in the last two decades. The project has expanded to include a school and paediatric hospital.
MX Publishing on Social Media:
Website: http://mxpublishing.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mxpublishing
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MXPublishing/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mxpublishing/
Instagram – The Art of Sherlock Holmes: www.instagram.com/artofsherlock/
Website: http://mxpublishing.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mxpublishing
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MXPublishing/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mxpublishing/
Instagram – The Art of Sherlock Holmes: www.instagram.com/artofsherlock/
Thanks for this fab review!
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