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Best 2024 Sherlock Holmes Books, Movies, DVDs, & More
By Randall Stock, October 31, 2024 (History)
Sherlock Holmes is more popular than ever, which means there are lots of new books, movies, and Sherlockiana. The reviews and recommendations below can help you focus on the best ones from 2024. If you're just getting started with Holmes, see the Top 10 Choices for New Fans. This site also reviews newer Sherlockian items to consider.
New in 2024: Top Holmes Items
| Category | # of Items |
|---|---|
| 2024 Holmes Fiction | 7 |
| 2024 Holmes DVDs, Movies, and Related | 2 |
| 2024 Books About Holmes & Conan Doyle | 4 |
Newer Recommended Sherlockiana and the Best Holmes books, DVDs, & Blu-Ray from other years
Best 2024 Sherlock Holmes Books – Fiction
The year's best fictional Holmes books published in 2024. Listed in order by author, see also About the Choices and E-books.
Prices as of November 2024; subject to change.
The Lantern's Dance by Laurie R. King
While Holmes deals with a threat to his son in France, Mary Russell decodes a journal with secrets involving Holmes's granduncle. King ties together many threads from the Sherlockian Canon and her prior 17 Mary Russell novels. Series newcomers should start at the beginning with The Beekeeper's Apprentice. The Holmes chapters in this latest volume are quite good, but series fans may prefer a more active Russell. King's fluid style is always appealing. ($28.99 SRP; Amazon Amazon US listing $19.99)
Sherlock Holmes and Dorian Gray by Christian Klaver
An extraordinary circus with performers dressed as half-human Egyptian gods leads Holmes into a case involving Dorian Gray and other classic Victorian characters. The story offers solid action and adventure, although a few plot holes and anachronisms hamper the second half. Klaver began this series with an excellent volume featuring Holmes and Dracula, and it provides essential background for this ongoing mash-up of Holmes with Victorian monsters and science fiction. ($25.99 SRP; Amazon US listing $24.17)
Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell by Nicholas Meyer
In the middle of World War I, Holmes must track down a telegram that could help Germany win the war. Meyer ably uses real people and real events in this espionage adventure. Those real events do constrain the story, and a bit more editing could have strengthened it. However, Meyer excels at depicting the Holmes-Watson relationship, and provides a touching view of the aging comrades. His brilliant and groundbreaking Seven-Per-Cent Solution is the best place to start reading his pastiches, although you can read them in any order. ($26.95 SRP; Amazon US listing $24.26)
Golden Age Whodunits by Otto Penzler (ed.)
Classic mysteries often focused on "whodunit," and this collection of 15 stories makes for very good reading. Mostly puzzle-type mysteries that are pretty clever, they include a wide range of setups, plots, and characters. All the stories get at least a B+, and half get an A or A+. Anthony Boucher and Stuart Palmer provide fine contributions, with very good stories by Ellery Queen, C. Daly King, Mary Roberts Rinehart, and Melville Davisson Post. A few of the stories are very dated but still enjoyable. While there are no Holmes tales, a number of the writers were BSI members, and the introductions to each story by BSI and crime fiction expert Otto Penzler add to the enjoyment. ($15.95 SRP; Amazon US listing $15.95)
The Sherlock Society by James Ponti
Inspired by reading the Holmes stories, four kids and a grandfather in Miami form the Sherlock Society Detective Agency. Their search for the long-lost treasure of Al Capone takes them to the Everglades, where they find yet another mystery to investigate. While written for a younger audience, this much older Sherlockian found it to be a lot of fun. Clever puzzles, quirky characters, and plenty of humor make this a must-read for all ages. ($18.99 SRP; Amazon US listing $16.99)
Holmes and Moriarty by Gareth Rubin
A conspiracy forces Holmes and Moriarty to work together. Watson and Colonel Moran use very different styles to narrate alternating chapters, and the Moran chapters are quite entertaining. Some parts of the story are very good, while others are rather weak. Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz is a better overall book about Holmes's nemesis, but Rubin provides lots of action and some good deductions in this imaginative take on the Holmes universe. ($23.99 SRP; Amazon US listing $19.78)
The Gentleman Burglar by Sam Siciliano
Holmes and the gentleman thief Arsène Lupin try to find a long-lost treasure in France. Sicliano uses elements from the 1909 Lupin novel The Hollow Needle and also draws on Jules Verne. A French cousin of Holmes narrates the tale. That simplifies some of the plotting, but one does miss Dr. Watson. It's a solid mashup, with the first half of the story as an engaging pastiche of Holmes and Lupin before it veers into more of a science fiction adventure. ($16.95 SRP; Amazon US listing $14.29)
See also the current Year's Best Holmes fiction and the Best Holmes fiction from other years for more excellent choices.
Or search just this website using Google for other reviews of authors or book titles:
Best 2024 Sherlock Holmes DVDs, Blu-ray Movies, and Related
The year's best DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, videos, movie-related and audio items released in 2024. See also About the Choices.
Prices as of November 2024; subject to change.
Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace Starring Christopher Lee (Blu-ray)
Professor Moriarty steals Cleopatra's necklace in a case that also borrows from The Valley of Fear. Lee provides a solid performance as Holmes, and Thorley Walters is a reasonable Watson, although often in the bumbling mode of Nigel Bruce. This 1962 German production dubbed the movie in both German and English without using Lee or Walters. The English dubs are adequate, but you don't get to hear Lee's compelling and recognizable voice. This Blu-ray includes English and German audio as well as optional English and German subtitles. (Before playing the movie, choose Setup and select your language and subtitle preferences. Be sure to set English subtitles to Off if you don't want them on-screen.) The black and white film looks very good indeed with a first-rate transfer that preserves fine details. Extras include an audio commentary, an interview with the director, and a very good 26-minute presentation about the director. Many elements, including structure, plot and setting, reminded me of a Rathbone Holmes movie from the 1940s. That certainly makes it worth watching, and it's now easy to get with this first authorized disc in the U.S.A. ($29.95 SRP; Amazon US listing $22.99 Blu-ray)
Sherlock Holmes Starring Peter Cushing (Blu-ray 2-Disc Special Edition)
After the success of their 1964-65 Holmes series with Douglas Wilmer, the BBC commissioned a 1968 TV series starring Peter Cushing and Nigel Stock. They produced 16 episodes in color, but only 6 survive. Made for TV on a mix of videotape and film, some shots appear sharp and colorful while others look faded or slightly fuzzy. The overall picture quality is reasonable for a 1960s TV show. The video and audio of this Blu-ray is comparable to the earlier DVD release. That DVD set did not offer subtitles, but did include a nice A&E Biography episode about Holmes that featured David Burke. This Blu-ray has optional English subtitles, audio commentaries for each episode, an illustrated audio interview with Cushing, and an 8-minute "lost segments" featurette with brief clips from six of the lost episodes. Cushing is quite good as Holmes, with a performance that is believable but subdued compared to Jeremy Brett. The 2-part Hound is the best of set, but I especially enjoyed the rarely-adapted Study in Scarlet. ($34.95 SRP; Amazon US listing $28.37 Blu-ray)
Special Consideration
While not new releases, the following offer special values to consider this year:
Sherlock Holmes Collection Starring Robert Downey Jr. (Blu-ray)
Released 15 years ago, Downey's first Holmes movie got blockbuster treatment, with high production values and lots of action and spectacle. A 2011 sequel earned even more at the box office. Both are better on a second or third viewing, where you notice plot points and performances that sometimes get overwhelmed in the theater. Downey and Jude Law have terrific chemistry, and Jared Harris gives a strong performance as Moriarty in the sequel. Amazon has a great deal on the 2009 movie in new packaging (Amazon US listing $9.99 Blu-ray). You can also get both movies together at a low price, but the combo pack seems to be a single disc and it's not clear if it has the same picture quality and all the extras from the separate offerings (Amazon US listing $15.24 Blu-ray combo)
See also the current Year's Best Holmes DVDs & movies and the Best Holmes movies from other years for more excellent choices.
Or search just this website using Google for other reviews of movie/TV material:
Best 2024 Books About Holmes & Conan Doyle>
The year's best books about Holmes or Conan Doyle published in 2024. Listed in order by author, see also About the Choices and E-books.
Prices as of November 2024; subject to change.
Sherlock Holmes and the British Empire by Ross E. Davies (ed.)
Conference collections like this can be hit or miss. Fortunately, this one is almost all hits, with only a couple misses. The conference's broad theme allowed for both Sherlockian and Doylean material. Everyone should find at least a few papers that will appeal to them. Many cover new or little-discussed topics. Unlike prior BSI conference books, this one is profusely illustrated and includes a recap of the event. Like the conference itself, this volume is supremely well-executed. ($29.95 SRP; not on Amazon, see the BSI website)
Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party by Edward Dolnick
Conan Doyle famously brought dinosaurs to life in The Lost World. Dolnick discusses what it was like when people first learned about the great lizards. While touching on paleontology and fossils, he focuses on history and Victorian culture rather than science. This entertaining volume is full of interesting people, amusing anecdotes and surprising factoids. Written with wit and humor, it provides a background to the culture and philosophies that would influence Doyle's work. ($30.00 SRP; Amazon US listing $22.79)
Clutches of a Fiend by Steven T. Doyle (ed.)
Conan Doyle rated "The Illustrious Client" as one of the six best Holmes stories, and its manuscript reveals some surprising revisions. An annotated transcription and a history of the story accompany the full-color manuscript reproduction. Interesting essays delve into some of the gritty parts of this post-Victorian tale. While the binding is less than ideal, this remains a book you should add to your collection. ($44.95 SRP; not on Amazon, see the BSI website)
The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum by Margalit Fox
Called a "female Moriarty," Fredericka Mandelbaum was a criminal mastermind who organized bank robbers, housebreakers and shoplifters to supply her business of selling stolen goods. Like her excellent book on Conan Doyle and Oscar Slater, Fox goes beyond just Mandelbaum to provide the context and background for crime in America during the last half of the 1800s. She tells great stories of colorful criminals and lawyers, backed up with contemporary newspaper reports and extensive sourcing. Her footnotes are full of fascinating details, so it's easier to read the printed book rather than the Kindle version. ($32.00 SRP; Amazon US listing $19.79)
See also the current Year's Best Books About Holmes & Doyle and the Best Books About Holmes & Doyle from other years for more fine choices.
Or search just this website using Google for other reviews of authors or book titles:
History
This site first published its "Best of Year" reviews and recommendations in 2009. See the current Year's Best Sherlock Holmes books and movies and the Other Years' Best Sherlock Holmes books and DVDs. People just getting started with Holmes should see the best choices for new Sherlockians.
This page's 2024 list was first posted on October 31, 2024.
About Kindle and Other E-books
A Kindle version of most of these books is available, but I don't list the e-book or its price unless it's hard to find on Amazon. Typically the Kindle Edition will be listed in the Formats box to the right of a book's cover photo.
When a book is available in both print and e-text, I review the print edition.
Return to Holmes Fiction or to Books About Holmes & Doyle.
About the Choices
My choices are based on 30+ years of reading and collecting Sherlockiana. I'm a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, have written numerous Sherlockian articles, and have spoken about Conan Doyle rarities for conferences at Harvard and the University of Minnesota.
I limited the number of items in order to make this list easier and faster for people to use. Items released near the end of 2024 may not be on this list, so be sure to check my 2025 recommendations as well. And see these details on my selection process and criteria.
In most cases I've given both the U.S. suggested retail price (SRP) and the price at Amazon as of November 2024; those prices are of course subject to change.
The 10 Best Gifts for New Sherlock Holmes Fans
The Current Year's Best Sherlock Holmes books and DVDs / Blu-ray
Best Sherlock Holmes books and DVDs / Blu-ray from prior years
The 10 Best Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes Movies and DVDs
The Best Sherlock Holmes Stories
The Top 10 Quotes from the Sherlock Holmes stories
Other Top 10 Lists for Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle
Vers. 2.2ax-RN Original work
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Randall Stock. All Rights Reserved.