More Holmes for the Holidays

Greenberg, Lellenberg, Waugh, Editors, Berkley Prime Crime, 1999

This is the third in my series of holiday short story collections. This is the follow-up collection to Holmes for the Holidays, this one containing 11 stories.

Again a strong cast of writers gives us stories of Holmes and Watson in the holiday season. I’m always concerned, when encountering a sequel, second installment or continuation that quality will flag. I liked the initial collection, so I was glad to see a second and the quality here is up to the standard. A slightly different mix of authors and the number of stories is less, but a fine anthology.

Sadly, this appears to be the last of these collections. I wish there was another, or that this had become an annual treat. I’ll have to settle for re-reading both of these very enjoyable collections.

contents:

1. Anne Perry “The Christmas Gift”
2. Peter Lovesey “The Four Wise Men”
3. Barbara Paul “Eleemosynary, My Dear Watson”
4. Loren D. Estleman “The Adventure of the Greatest Gift”
5. Carolyn Wheat “The Case of the Rajah’s Emerald”
6. Edward D. Hoch “The Christmas Conspiracy”
7. L.B. Greenwood “The Music of Christmas”
8. Bill Crider “The Adventure of the Christmas Bear”
9. Jon L. Breen “The Adventure of the Naturalist’s Stock Pin”
10. Daniel Stashower “The Adventure of the Second Violet”
11. Tanith Lee “The Human Mystery”