Hugh Ashton (2)

A collection of notes made by John Watson on some undocumented cases of Sherlock Holmes are the basis for these three novellas by Hugh Ashton, who 'explains' at the beginning of the book how they came to be in his possession...fairly convincingly... Armed with those notes, he takes on the mantle of the original famous narrator of Holmes and Watson’s crime-solving adventures.

I should, I think, come clean. Be prepared to stand back in amazement. I’ve never actually read any of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books about the great 'consulting detective'. There, I’ve said it.

So, the only perceptions I have of the well-known P. I. are those born of performances by great actors on film or TV (Sir Basil Rathbone being the first...in black and white). Of course, not being in a position to compare them to Doyle’s legendary masterpieces, I have no idea whether the representations are good or not. What I do know is those portrayals have given me a fairly consistent picture of Holmes. And yes, I really ought to hurry up and read at least one of the famous duo’s tales before I pop my clogs.

Whether or not Ashton succeeded, I can’t say, obviously. I can’t confirm whether his emulation of the Doyle style was accomplished or not. But what I can say is that these three short stories made delightful reading. Brilliantly, eloquently, articulately written, and utterly enjoyable. If the cinematic representations are true to character, then I’d say Ashton has done well. There may well be Doyle purists who might disagree, who knows, but I read these completely unbiased, carte blanche if you like, and was thoroughly entertained.
… (meer)

This is my introduction to Mr. Ashton's work. It is a fascinating story of war machines for World War I, differences in social classes in Britain and Russia at the time, and the onset of Lenin's grab for power. The Russians are building huge war machines to combat the Germans and the revolution that the aristocracy feel will be coming soon. The British send a young officer to investigate the war machines and their feasibility. Lenin is also interested in the war machines and sends and operative to investigate for him. Of course the paths of the investigators cross and the story comes to comes to a climax. It is how the protagonists get to their show down that is interesting and keeps the reader
involved in the book.

I found the book to be interesting and a joy to read. It is an adventure story from the past and one that can hold your interests. Also there is also the possibility that the hero will show up again in future books about this era in history. A very good read.… (meer)

Imagine that the Civil War never occurred and that there exist both the United States of America and the Confederate States of America. Prejudice and segregation still exist in the North, but the South is stuck in the mid-19th century, economically and culturally backward, still run by a direct descendant of Jefferson Davis, and his lackeys, and still practicing slavery. It is about 1930, Hitler is preaching anti-Semitism in Germany and looking for a partner to expand his dominion and access necessary raw materials. The Confederacy, which has no legitimacy, no diplomatic relationship with any respectable nation, sees an opportunity for an alliance. Hugh Ashton creates an interesting ensemble cast of Confederates, Americans, Brits and Germans. The story is pretty predictable with espionage, an inter-racial love story, some violence, a little soul searching and a lot of Confederates and Germans willing to commit treason (and murder), in pursuit of the greater good. It is interesting to imagine something like this: to think of the US as a fraction of its size and influence, instead of a world super-power. The author introduces and builds up a number of characters, such as the lovers, Christopher and Virginia, and Miss Justin and then just drops them. I kept wishing they would reappear and their stories developed. At times the dialogue is inconsistent: in one sentence a Southerner’s words reflect ignorance and a lack of education; in the next, he is quite eloquent. But all in all, a very pleasant distraction.… (meer)