The Back-to-Front Murder (Sherlock Holmes) by Tim Major

The Back-to-Front Murder (Sherlock Holmes) Reviews

• 
  Paromjit

  Tim Major is one of a number of writers who have resurrected the famous genius Victorian detective, Sherlock Holmes and his side kick, John Watson of 221B Baker Street, London. It is 1898, and Holmes takes on a new client, the independent Miss Abigail Moone, a woman in trouble. Given the social norms and attitudes to women in this historical period, she writes popular crime and mysteries under the male pseudonym of Damien Collinbourne. She has the habit of following actual people, strangers, and uses her imagination for plots as to how she might murder them and get away with it for her novels. The most recent person she has followed, having seen him at the Tate Art Gallery, is Ronald Bythewood, making copious notes, has shockingly been poisoned, a murder that replicates precisely the one she herself had come up with.
  
  This makes Abigail the prime suspect in Bythewood's murder, and to exacerbate matters, Inspector Lestrade has turned up at Baker Street with a scrap of a note retrieved from the dead man that appears to point definitively to Abigail as the killer. Holmes investigates, in a manner that Watson claims is back to front, as they retrace Abigail's meeting and following of the victim at the art gallery. They try to find out what they can about Bythewood but it is a difficult case and it is to take Holmes visiting Paris before he begins to get an idea of what might have happened to him. In the meantime, the atmosphere at Baker Street becomes increasingly tense, with Watson trying to keep an eye on a Abigail who chafes at the limits to her freedom and worries about the loss of her anonymity.
  
  This is an entertaining Sherlock Holmes mystery from Major, although definitely a challenge for the reader as the solution can seem have to come from nowhere. Probably the highlight of the story is the character of Abigail Moone, a woman of contradictions, calm, assured, analytical and intelligent, yet at the same time a volatile and unpredictable presence. She makes Watson distinctly uneasy on occasion, she shows a lot of interest in the details of his relationship with Holmes, so much so that he wonders if she wants to take over his role in writing up the great detective's cases. This is a worthy and engaging Victorian mystery that will appeal to fans of Sherlock Holmes. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
• 
  Sarah-Hope

  I'm a sucker for new riffs on the Holmes theme, so I knew I wanted to read Tim Major's The Back to Front Murders the moment I first heard about it. Major has a lot of the Conan Doyle moves down—easily embarrassed Watson, preoccupied with his own opinions regarding appropriate gender roles; irritatingly recalcitrant Holmes; shifts in time, location, and narrative method. Major also gives readers a mystery worthy of Holmes: complex with multiple threads spinning together then tearing apart repeatedly. A female mystery author writing under a male pseudonym realizes that the novel she's been planning features the same victim and method as a real-life murder. Is she actually a murderer, as well as a writer? Who was the murdered man and what motive would anyone have for killing him?
  
  If, like me, you're always glad to discover a new Holmes variation, you'll want to read this title. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher; the opinions are my own.
• 
  David

  Rounded up from 1.5 stars.
  
  Yeesh. Where to begin?
  
  While the writing style was believably Doylian (so sorry for that turn of phrase, gentle reader) and the premise was very interesting, the story itself was a mess. The biggest issue is that Holmes insists repeatedly throughout that there is no such thing as coincidence, and then the extremely convoluted solution rests entirely upon a series of coincidences.
  
  Couple that with unanswered questions about one of the major characters (who just vanished halfway through the book) and you have a novel in need of an editor. The title of the book seems more like a description of how Major wrote it rather than of anything related to the central mystery. I didn’t hate this one, but I couldn’t really recommend it either.
• 
  4cats

  This excellent series from Titan is great for fans wanting more of Sherlock Holmes and his biographer Dr. Watson, it allows readers to discover new/and not so new authors who each dip their toes into the canon and come up with new stories to entertain us. Dr. Watson narrates the Back-to-Front Murder, in this case Holmes takes up the case of a man who has been murdered, his interest is peaked by Abigail Moone who witnesses his death.
  
  If you haven't tried the New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes then do so, they tick all of the boxes.
  
  Thanks to Titan and Netgalley for giving me the chance of reading an early copy.
• 
  Kristen

  This book started out well and I was very much enjoying this new Holmes story. Unfortunately the ending was a disappointment.
  
  I feel like the plot went a bit off the rails at about the 60% point. Until that point it had been an engaging and perplexing mystery with the personalities of both Holmes and Watson well represented by this author.
  
  However, once the eventual explanation of the murder began to be explained it just felt SO way out in left field from literally everything else that had happened to that point I just could not buy it
  
  The main draw of the original Holmes stories was that once things were explained, it all made perfect sense, even if one wasn't clever enough to have figured it out without Sherlock Holmes.
  
  This story's eventual resolution just felt like a completely different story to me and was a real let-down as a result. I'm sure this made perfect sense to the author and that he felt it was ingenious. It was a disappointment for me, and I won't read other books in this series. Just not for me.
• 
  Connie

  London 1898
  Abigail Moone - a murder mystery writer - who writes using a male pseudonym, arrives at 221B Baker street with an unusual request for Sherlock Holmes. A man has been murdered, and the murder is a word for word copy from her notes for her next book.
  I love the Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series, and Tim Major has the ACD style to a T.
  This is interesting and entertaining with a surprising ending.
  Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC
• 
  Subodh Garg

  4/5
  
  A good Sherlock Holmes Mystery, with a fun murder and a complicated solution. I really liked the prose employed by the author, which reminded me of Arthur Conan Doyle. The Mystery was also well handled, with good twists and numerous red herrings.
  
  There are two issues I have with this story, which stop me from giving it a 5-star rating. Firstly, the entire character of Abigail Moone was redundant and only served as a red herring. Her entire character could be removed from the story with minimal rewrites. In my opinion, her removal would have helped the story feel more tight and concise. Secondly, the explanation of the mystery just dragged on and on. I could have easily been given in a chapter or two. But the author just kept stretching the story. Which brings me to my last criticism, which is that, this should have been a short story, instead of a full-blown novel. Nothing in the story demands 200 pages. It would have been a wonderful short story.
  
  Overall, a fun little armchair read over a lazy afternoon. Highly recommended for Holmes Fans.
  
  Can't wait to read more.
• 
  David D. Knapp, Ph.D.

  As I've mentioned in numerous reviews, I'm a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes - both the original Arthur Conan Doyle canon and the numerous pastiches that have been written by other authors over the years. That includes the Titan Books series, of which this is one.
  
  The reality is that some of the pastiches I read are so good they easily could pass as one of Conan Doyle's creations. Others, however, just don't capture the voice, feel, plot, setting, etc. of the original canon works.
  
  Unfortunately, this effort fell into the latter category.
  
  Overall, I was disappointed with this pastiche - for a number of reasons. First, Major fell into one of the traps I see many pastiche authors fall into: taking Holmes' renowned observation and deduction skills to the point of absurdity. Specifically, the novel begins with Holmes deducing what Watson has been doing and where he was doing it after the good doctor returns to 221B Baker St. In this case, I practically rolled my eyes at how outlandish Holmes' deductions were. I felt as if I were reading one of the many humorous parodies that have been written over the years.
  
  But the novel's biggest fault was its plot. I never go into plot details in these reviews to avoid spoilers. But I will say that the novel's plot was overly complicated, hard to believe, and deeply unsatisfying in its denouement. Again, without revealing too much, I was befuddled by the sudden disappearance of a major character without any real resolution (although the character is referred to when the author chooses to jarringly shift the novel's action from the present to three years prior - another huge plot weakness).
  
  On the plus side, I felt the author did an okay job of capturing some of the other elements of a good pastiche I mentioned above. But just okay...hence, the two stars.
  
• 
  Rachel Bridgeman

  The 18th instalment in what are known as the 'The New Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes', this one of several strands which Titan publish featuring the iconic detective duo of Holmes and Watson.
  
  In this , they are approached by a woman, an author who writes mystery novels under an assumed name (Damian Collinbourne)
  
  Abigail Moone had been following this individual, Robert Blythewood, in order to fully sketch out the circumstances of a fictional murder by poison. From a friend who is a pharmacist, she has obtained 'blank' tablets, placebos if you will, by which she can assess the feasibility of murdering someone with poison via a public water fountain. She attests that she has taken one of these herself to be certain there are no side effects or they are, indeed, poison.
  
  Having followed this gentleman who has a fairly set routine, up to the day of his death, she is in the perfect position not only to carry out this 'murder', but also to witness the shocking occasion of his actual death. What brings her to Holmes' door is not just clearing her name before anyone finds out she was using Robert as a case study, but also because she is determined to work out what has actually happened, right under her nose.
  
  Using the newly opened Tate gallery, this novel illustrates the way in which women were treated, observed and heard. or rather, how they were disregarded, not listened to and ignored.
  
  Even Holmes and Watson have had their fair share of moments where their view of the 'fairer sex' was, shall we say, less than we would like.
  
  That Abigail has been able to make a living in a field where she would be disregarded under her own name is really quite standard for the time-and then you consider, has it really changed? Do women writers still adopt that non-gendered writing name in order to be taken seriously?
  
  J.K Rowling as Robert Galbraith immediately springs to mind, and if someone with her huge platform still felt the need to be seen under her own writerly merits as a creative person, there are certain questions which we as readers could choose to ask ourselves about the way in which we research, and choose, the authors that we pick to stay on our shelves.
  
  What struck me as interesting as well when I was reading it, is how easily I fell into the metier of a Holmes/Watson storyline. Those much more educated than me in these matters may have points of contention but as a humble reader, it was a sheer delight to fall headlong into the well established rapport , notice the nods to other cases sprinkled as almost, the original 'Easter Eggs' or hidden extras, as well as the bonhomie between or duo and their wider cast of characters.
  
  It is such a joy to see so many and varied writers taking up the challenge to write in a Holmesian-style, whilst maintaining their own individuality through the storyline, and writerly technique.
  
  Here I think Tim carries it off beautifully, it was a real pleasure to explore the grounds of the Tate, observe the brilliant mind in action, and enjoy a well written, creative mystery that satisfied very deeply.
  
  Whilst the murder may be back to front, the storytelling absolutely was not, it was top notch from first page to last!
• 
  Eleanor

  I want to rate this book 3.5 stars. Firstly, Major’s writing style is very much like Doyle’s original canon, which I thoroughly enjoyed as there are not many pastiche authors who can nail the original author’s techniques, but Major achieves just that in Back to Front Murder. At first I found Watson was presented as being very emotional and Holmes regularly makes him look a fool for his lack of deduction skills; while these are typical traits of Watson’s personality, I worried at first that this novel would exaggerate them to the point where Watson appears the bumbling buffoon that some previous Holmes adaptations have presented him as. However, especially by the end of the boom, I realise that this certainly wasn’t the case and I am glad to have stuck with it. I struggled a little with some of the scenes described in France, but that is more a reflection of my own lack of familiarity with the place names/ French lexis etc rather than a con on Major’s storytelling. I found that Holmes wasn’t as present in this narration as he is in other stories, and while I acknowledge that Watson is indeed the narrator who helps us as the readers piece together the musste dies to solve them alongside them, I found that Watson seemed to be at the forefront of trying to figure out the facts himself rather than Holmes guiding him regularly. I would like to point out that the final pages of the closing chapter made me smile; Major brilliantly describes Holmes’ behaviour at being proved wrong about ‘coincidences’ fit his character and ego excellently, and made me chuckle, and the subtle references to his gentle behaviour with the other characters adds a layer of humanity to his character, which I find many Holmes pastiches often get wrong by simply presenting him as a Spock-like cold, calculating machine.
  Overall, the characters were believable, the mystery itself interesting but a bit bland at some points (I enjoy fast paced thriller-plots, so this is simply a personal preference) and the writing style was excellent. I would absolutely recommend this book to Holmes fans, and I hope Tim Major writes more in the future :)
• 
  John Derek

  There has been a lot of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wannabes since the passing of the great man. Some have been mediocre, some good, and some excellent. With this novel, Tim Major definitely falls into the latter category.
  Seen through the eyes of the ever-loyal Doctor John Watson, Holmes delivers his usual brand of deductive techniques in all their glory. The author does not miss an opportunity to use our heroes’ skills to sift through this unusual crime. Although not having the perplexity or subtlety of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, novel this is a brilliant whodunit.
  Poor old Lestrade does everything by the book, and it seems he is always several steps behind the plot. Perhaps Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade should have a middle name maybe, flummox or nonplus. Because writers always seem so unfair to him.
  Remember the film with Michael Caine and Ben Kinsley, Without A Clue, where Watson was the supersleuth? I wonder if somebody will write a book where Lestrade is the super-intelligent crime solver, and Holmes is chasing his coat-tails. (Perhaps they have, and I have missed it).
  The characters were portrayed brilliantly. The enigmatic Holmes has his usual air of mystery that keeps the reader second-guessing.
  There are clues in the narrative if you look deep if enough. A particular one which I was kicking myself for missing early on proved highly relevant in capturing the villain.
  Having few characters meant you were less likely to be bogged down with too much detail. This helped the narrative flow, in my opinion. The characters that are in the novel show their human strengths, weaknesses and traits. Abigail, Bythewood and his wife Melanie are typical examples.
  The Back-to-Front Murder is written with intelligence and inventiveness and is a bit out of the ordinary. Slightly dark and atmospheric and has a definite twist in the tale/tail (pun intended).
  This has to be the best Sherlock Holmes novel that I have read in a long time. I highly recommend this book.
  Thank you, NetGalley, Titan books and Tim Major for the ADC of the book.
• 
  booksofallkinds

  *I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher.
  
  As the nights start to get a little chillier there is nothing better than settling down in a comfy chair with a cup of tea and a good mystery, and SHERLOCK HOLMES THE BACK TO FRONT MURDER is a perfect choice.
  
  Sherlock Holmes and Watson have a new case and it involves Abigail Moone, an intelligent, independent woman who writes mystery novels under a male pseudonym. Abigail is very thorough in her research for her books and when she finds a person in real life who fits perfectly for one of her characters, she follows them to get a feel for them and theorises how they will die in her story. And all of this information she stores in her precious notebook for reference. But when a man she has recently been studying is murdered in the way she has plotted in her notebook, Abigail knows that she is in trouble. Hoping Holmes and Watson can help, they try to unravel the mystery surrounding Miss Moone but nothing is what it seems, and Holmes may have to approach this case differently than his other cases if he is to discover the truth.
  
  With the classic Holmes and Watson wit and interaction, THE BACK TO FRONT MURDER by Tim Major has all the echoes of the past while still adding excitement and freshness through a different lens. The mystery is wonderfully enigmatic and compelling enough to keep readers hooked from beginning to end. The setting comes to life with the sounds, sights, and smells leaping off the page at every turn, and I thoroughly felt like part of the story as I tried to uncover the truth alongside my favourite sleuths. An excellent story in every way, I look forward to more from Holmes and Watson.
• 
  Bethany Swafford

  Mystery writer Miss Abigail Moone has an unusual case for Holmes and Watson. While people watching, she chooses one and imagines a prospective murder. When her most recent "victim" does indeed collapse and die seemingly as she had imagined, she knows it looks bad. The more Holmes investigates, the more the clues seem to point to the lady being the only culprit. Has a mystery writer crossed the line?
  
  When I finished reading this one, I wasn't sure what I thought of it. And while I am writing this, I'm still having trouble untangling my thoughts. On the one hand, the author caught Holmes and Watson very well. Spot on characterization!
  
  On the other hand, the mystery was odd. The premise had my attention from the start: a writer taking inspiration from the world she observes was a relatable situation. Having her imagined murder come true was a fascinating concept. Miss Moore herself was...an enigma. Every scene was was in left me uncomfortable. I didn't trust her at all, and I never understood her. Even for being a forward-thinking woman, she didn't feel like she belonged in a Victorian tale.
  
  So overall, this was an interesting read. I'm not sure I would reread it, given how much I disliked Miss Moone and she was in the tale a lot. But it had great characterization of Holmes and Watson, and the solution was a surprise.
  
  For readers looking for a new Holmes tale, I'd probably recommend this one. I received a free copy from NetGalley and am reviewing of my own choice.
• 
  John

  Miss Abigail Moone presents Holmes an unusual problem. She is a successful mystery writer published under a male pseudonym. She randomly picks out a man and follows him, planning to use him as a character in her next murder mystery. Based on his routine she plans a clever way that she might kill him and get away with it all as research for her book. But when the man dies in the same way that she had planned and someone steals her notes, she realizes that she is being set up as the prime suspect and asks Holmes’ help in proving her innocence. This was a well written and complex mystery with an ending that I never came close to guessing. Abigail is a marvelous character who Watson is drawn to as a fellow mystery writer. The way that she intrigues, frustrates and completely baffles him is great fun to witness. The author does an excellent job of capturing the style of Doyle and the voices of Holmes and Watson. I would recommend it to all fans of the great detective. Many thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
• 
  Fiona Brichaut

  This is a more than worthy entrant to the cannon of homages to Conan Doyle. Holmes enthusiasts will not be disappointed.
  
  I always love to get my hands on a new Sherlock Holmes story. What I find interesting is how they can be so true to the originals and yet have a modern appeal. I loved the original Sherlock Holmes stories when I was young, but like classic black-and-white movies, when reread or reseen today, they do drag on a bit. Thanks to the modern TV series, we have learned to appreciate (or been trained to expect, depending on your point of view) stories that are not just complex but also intense and fast-paced.
  
  The Back-to-Front Murder is satisfyingly complex and well paced. So it is a good read in its own right as well as a good Holmes story. The characters of Holmes and Watson are true to type. Abigail is an interesting character too and the story is intriguing. It's well written and gripping.
  
  What's not to like? Nothing. It's an all-round 5-star read.
• 
  Melisende

  I have read a number of books, by a number of authors, who have taken on the mantle of writing new Holmes & Watson books. Many have failed to meet with my expectations; others have done so admirably. This is one of the latter. It actually felt as if the words came from Conan Doyle's own pen - all the nuances that I remembered from my own collection of Sherlockian literature were there.
  
  Major's book is one of many in the Titan Books stables of authors taking on the Holmes genre - but this is the first from that group that I have read. It is not an overly long read, and there is a little twist at the end. I look forward to reading more from both this and other authors under the Titan Books umbrella.
• 
  Dawn

  I enjoyed this book! I am always up for anything relating to Sherlock Holmes and this one did not disappoint. Abigail Moone has been writing murder mysteries and a man has been killed in the way she has envisioned. She turns to Sherlock and Watson for help in determining what has occurred.
  
  Although I found the mystery to be a bit convoluted in explanation, I liked the characters and the story was interesting. I did not for a minute guess at the ending so that was good as well. I would be up for another Holmes adventure written by Mr. Major.
  
  Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  P.A.

  This story had me hooked by the second chapter. Then it lost me towards the end of the book. I was prepared to give it a Five Star rating and then the author made a switch from first person POV to third person POV as he “told” the story of what Holmes had been explaining. I’m sure it was meant to help the reader feel more involved and to avoid Show over Tell. Unfortunately, I found the story, well, rather boring and admittedly only glanced over the pages which is why I gave it the score it has. The interaction between all of the main characters was excellent and I only found one editing error which was not a reason for lowering the score.
• 
  Annarella

  This is a very good addition to the corpus of stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.
  Holmes and Watson are well written and reflects the characters of the Canon. Abigail is a fascinating addition and I would have like to learn more about her.
  The story is full of red herring and twists and very exciting till 80%: the last part part dragged and the solution required a bit of suspension of belief.
  It was an entertaining read that I liked.
  Recommended.
  Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
• 
  Christopher Lutz

  Three and a half stars. This Holmes story featured the element of coincidence as a subplot, and while it’s handled well both as a bit of comic relief and how it figures into the solution, it was still a tad disappointing to know there wasn’t a clever answer tying all the various points of the mystery together.
• 
  Kat M

  this was a wonderfully done Sherlock Holmes book, I loved the plot of this book, I enjoyed the idea of a writer's creations coming to life, It was a joy to read and I look forward to more from the author.
• 
  Maureen

  This book did not hold my attention. Slow moving, a tad disjointed, and boring. I usually finish a book before moving on to another, but this book left me wanting. So I read other books in between these chapters. Glad I am done.
• 
  Doreen

  8/22/2021 A clever construction! Full review tk at
  CriminalElement.com.
• 
  Runalong

  A fun brain teaser putting Watson to the forefront and has a very unusual and refreshing female character entering the narrative. Finale slightly went off the boil but I had fun reading it
  
  Full review -
  https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...