David Ruffle's Sherlock Holmes/Lyme Regis Blog: MORE BEYOND WATSON with Luke Benjamen Kuhns

What can you find here? Reviews of new and not quite so new Sherlock Holmes novels and collections. Interviews with authors, link to blogs worth following, links to where you can purchase my books and some reviews of my work garnered from Amazon sites. Plus a few scary pics of me and a link to various Lyme Regis videos on YouTube...see what we do here and how....and indeed why!!! Next to the Lyme Regis Video Bar is a Jeremy Brett as Holmes Video Bar and now a Ross K Video Bar. And stories and poems galore in the archives.

Thursday 31 March 2016

MORE BEYOND WATSON with Luke Benjamen Kuhns

I have Luke Benjamen Kuhns with me today. Not literally (I might have to feed him!). Luke is a London based crime writer and reviewer. He has published several novels including The Untold Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (now in Italy & India), Studies in Legacy and graphic novels The Horror of Frankenstein and Case of The Crystal Blue Bottle. He also contributed to the Fan Phenomena series: Sherlock Holmes, spoke at University College London’s Past and Present conference on pastiche writing and was featured on the Japanese TV Network NHK.

First of all, I hope I am forgiven for taking your family name in vain in 'An American Adventure'.

HA! No, no I had no problem with that. The Kuhns' are a crazy bunch from my experience.

Your short story collections are well-known for the great plotting of the individual pieces. The question is: How the hell do you keep coming up with them?

I find it really hard, to be honest. Sometimes I feel like these stories could be full length novels or novellas. Which is exactly what happened with The Scarlet Thread of Murder. But often I try and come up with a good murder or I'm inspired by something I've seen somewhere and go from there. But it's no easy task. Especially when you do lots of short stories, because you sometimes want to reuse ideas but you don't want to come across as lazy or unimaginative so you always got to push yourself to come up with new or interesting characters and narratives.

How does your home or work life inform your writing? Is it easy to find the time you need?

Yes, there are influences. A conversation here, a comment there can sometimes be the basis of a subplot or lead to an interesting piece of interaction within a story. I know my story The Acquitted Client (in Untold Adventures) was based on my friend who had an issues with a cabdriver that lead to a court case, lots of fees, before finally being acquitted when the driver was actually in the wrong. So work and personal life is always a source of inspiration, often it's just finding the right Victorian setting for that! And no, it's never easy to find time!! Often is very hard and you work through the tiredness in order to get things done.

You have collaborated with some very talented people on a series of Sherlock Holmes graphic books. How did that come about and can we expect more?

Crystal Bottle (my first) was a charity effort and that put m in contact with lots of illustrators (many of whom I've developed great friendships with). But how it came about was that I simply wanted to try and comic but I didn't have the funds to pay, hence why we did a book with royalties for Undershaw and many many illustrators were keen to help. I met Marcie Klinger who illustrated a part of Crystal Bottle and went on to do my second book. We have a third in the works, but not sure when it'll be ready. But I would like to do more comic book in the future. Marvel, here I come!

How did you find writing your piece for 'Beyond Watson' given the non-involvement of Watson?

It was a very fun challenge. Scarlet Thread of Murder was a story that in some part featured Holmes but didn't always get told by Watson, so I loved the idea of writing a Watson-free story. The tricky bit was writing a story that hadn't been done before! I always loved the character of Violet Hunter and thought it would be incredibly fun to see where she was and if she had any other adventures or interactions with Sherlock Holmes.

Do you feel you have grown as a writer through your Sherlock Holmes tales?

Certainly. I was incredibly inexperienced when I wrote Untold Adventures and it painfully shows! But I laugh it off now. Holmes/Arthur Conan Doyle have been great to research and learn from. Writing these stories have put me in contact with some really wonderful writers who have been great influences and encouragements to me. I'm certainly no pro. I might have graduated from Freshmen to Sophomore, but no further! Or I might still be in that Freshmen year. haha! But I've picked up some great tips that have aided my second and third books.

What can we expect from you in the near and far future?

I am completing a historical piece about Undershaw, that will be releasing in July/August of this year. It'll be a very short intro to Arthur Conan Doyle and his early life and his time at Undershaw. I still have a graphic novel on the back burners and I'm writing my first wholly original crime novel that I can't say much about now. But I'm really excited for it and seeing where it might take me.

Visit Luke's website: HERE

For the latest news on Beyond Watson: HERE

1 comment:

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...: Nice interview. It was interesting to learn about how varied Kuhns' writings have been, even the pivoting about the character of Sherlock Holmes.; 1 April 2016 at 04:55

Some Reviews

For 'Lyme Regis Trials'.
I shall miss reading of the adventures and mysteries that both Holmes and Watson encounter in Lyme Regis. It has been a joy to read them. The Lyme Regis Trilogy has its spot on my bookshelf and justly deserves the praise it has received. Lyme Regis also now has a special place amongst the many stories written of Sherlock Holmes. It would not surprise me if it were mentioned in another Sherlock Holmes story. However I hope that it will not be the last of the Sherlock Holmes stories we are gifted with from David Ruffle. I hope there will be tales to come! Until then the Game will always remain afoot.
David Ruffle completes his `Lyme Regis trilogy' with "Sherlock Holmes and the Lyme Regis Trials". The title refers in part to the difficulties overcome by the pioneer palaeontologist Mary Anning, a poorly educated woman in a world dominated by men, but principally to top-secret naval trials, which lead to espionage and murder. This pleasant volume is completed by a distinctly off-beat account of the case of the Grosvenor Square furniture van.
This is reportedly the last in this series of Sherlock Holmes tales set in Lyme Regis. The plot, such as it is, is in many ways secondary to the author's love for his characters, most of whom we have encountered before. Watson is now married to Mrs Heidler and Holmes is newly retired, but they congregate in Lyme once more, for different reasons. Submarines, shaggy dogs, a ghost, an unprovoked attack, naval secrets all play their part in this entertaining tale and the dialogue, particularly between Holmes and Watson, is authentic sounding with no wrong notes. The novella is followed by a short piece based on five words written by Watson: 'the Grosvenor Square furniture van'. From this the author has created a minor classic, a story of haunting and possession. It's a pity if it really is the end of this series, I will miss those Lyme locals and Lyme Regis itself.
For 'Sherlock Holmes and the Missing Snowman'.
Move over adult Sherlock Holmes fans, the younger set now get their own version of our favourite intrepid detective, Sherlock Holmes. Written in a gentle yet classical Holmes style, Holmes does what he does best, solve a mystery for a young girl whose snowman has mysteriously vanished. Would definitely recommend this book for children of Sherlock Holmes fans as it's bound to be a classic. The manner in which Holmes solves the mystery should spark the imagination of a younger reader and lead to thoughtful discussion. Just how did Holmes solve the mystery? Discover it yourself in the pages of this well written book. Lovely illustrations much in keeping with the gentle style of the story round out the book nicely.
This richly-illustrated children's book is a delightful story of a little girl who had lost her snowman. Naturally, she and her mother visit the famous detective Mr Sherlock Holmes at his lodgings at 221b Baker Street.
This is a wonderful book that a parent and child can read together and is just long enough for a bedtime story.It is well written and beautifully illustrated and would be a perfect entry level to further adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
For 'End Peace':
The interchange is set in a delicate and moving framework which contains a mystery in itself. Indeed, the setting is so moving that I was almost in tears at the end of the book. For anyone who has read the canon, and wishes to know more about the characters, this is a good starting point. Maybe none of Ruffle's ideas is stunningly original (a point he admits in his introduction), but each is beautifully introduced, explained and presented.
Yes, in Holmes and Watson End Peace, the book is only dialogue. Do I believe Mr. Ruffle was able to pull of a book in just that fashion? Most certainly. I feel he did a fantastic job in just the right amount of conversation between Holmes, Watson, and the nurses. I feel that the pacing of when he would switch between the scenes was also just the right amount of time.
This book is well worth its weight in gold. It is fun, mysterious, emotionally captivating, full of twists and did I mention it's 100% dialogue! No filler, no fluff, just the words of our beloved Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson. Well done Mr. Ruffle, well done...
Overall I give this book 5/5 stars. It is original without breaking from the original feel of the characters. David Ruffle did an amazing job of showing these two characters that I have come to love so much. I definitely will be reading more of his books. Like I said before if you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes I would highly recommend this book to you, you will not be sorry you read it. Great job David, I look forward to reading more of your works in the future!! :)
Firstly, it's a short novel,a novella really and as has been intimated in previous reviews consists entirely of dialogue; between Holmes and Watson and further exhanges between the nursing staff who come alive in spite of the brevity of their appearances. The dialogue has to stand on its own and it does......it's authentic sounding and not forced in any way. Our two old friends discuss the past and the future with one or two relevations saved up for the end. Nothing is out of place or out of character and full marks to the author for coming away from the Lyme Regis pastiche series and doing something different and something which few have attempted, presenting a Holmesian novella stripped down to dialogue only.
David Ruffle follows his entertaining volumes "Sherlock Holmes & the Lyme Regis Horror" and "Sherlock Holmes & the Lyme Regis Legacy" with this sweet, sad novella called "Holmes & Watson: End Peace" - the punning title doesn't really do it justice. Nearly fifteen years after his "last quiet talk" with Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson lies motionless in a hospital bed, conversing with a visitor only he can sense. The narrative consists entirely of dialogue - a bold and remarkably successful choice.
For 'Legacy':
Once again Holmes and Watson head to the lovely Lyme Regis, which John shows a particular affection for. Here they become intrigued by recent murders which show a remarkable resemblance to their previous cases. One of my favourite Holmes mysteries "The Hound of the Baskervilles" takes the limelight with a fantastic new spin. Inspector Lestrade joins them and the case, which also features Mycoft, is a story of danger, suspense and romance, with no small amount of humour. The novella was my favourite but oddly I also enjoyed the vision of Lyme Regis so wonderfully painted and laced with historical facts and figures. It's a great read.
Sherlock Holmes and the Lyme Regis Legacy is well conceived by a man who clearly loves both Sherlock Holmes and the town of Lyme Regis. In its pages, we encounter once again the voice of the Watson we know and love.
David Ruffle has done a superb job of setting the atmosphere for this most exciting Sherlock Holmes adventure. The atmosphere shifts from sunny Lyme Regis and it's history to a stormy cliffhanging conclusion. The Legacy holds close to the Doyle Canon but the atmospheric passages are Ruffle's own. Gosh, I liked this one! In addition, there are a number of shorter pieces ranging from the nonsensical to the quietly somber, very nice indeed.
The title story is quite interesting and draws its villain from deep in Holmes' past. Mycroft and Inspector Lestrade put in appearances and Dr. Watson pursues his second (or is she his third?) wife. Other old acquaintances make appearances, if only fleeting ones and Lyme Regis provides a colorful and interesting background. This is an interesting collection of stories, constructed around a colorful and interesting place. It is well worth the time it takes to read and it evokes pictures of times long past and people worth knowing. The collection ends with "A Brief History of Lyme Regis" and a pair of laudatory poems.
For 'Horror'
Suspense and creepy moments, cool deductions and the supernatural, friendship and love, humour and deep thoughts -
A lovely little pastiche with heart and humour. It also benefits from an excellent Watsonian voice. A familiar subject for pastiches but none the less enjoyable for that. An excellent novella.
This is a wonderful story, written with care and love for Holmes and Watson. It's only a short novella and I polished it off in two evenings but if left me wanted more. Hopefully there will be more stories to come. Holmes and Watson live on...
This is a gem of a book. It keeps faithfully to the spirit of Doyle's stories and to the style of Watson. It also highlights the eccentricity of behavior that so characterizes Holmes, replete with his odd sleuthing habits, his mystery he likes to keep about how his deductions are evolving, his odd social mannerisms; and highlights Watson's complementary personality found in his down-to-earth demeanor, social politeness, and overt humanity. The way Watson and Holmes interact also stays true to the vein of Doyle, and shows them as true loyal friends respectful of each other's qualities brought to a case. The romance stirred is very realistic adds a great extra dimension. This book is highly recommended, it's an addictive story with a charming locale, supernatural tinges, and gives us just one more taste of that Sherlockian flavor so missed once the canon is exhausted. Loved it!

Contents:

Thursday 31 March 2016

MORE BEYOND WATSON with Luke Benjamen Kuhns

1 comment: