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Note: This section may include reviews for related titles (e.g., same author, series, or related edition).

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from October 26, 2009
Edward Hardwicke, who played Dr. Watson to the late Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes in the celebrated television series, is in top form for this second installment of Conan Doyle's classic mystery stories. Hardwicke's narration is perfect as he again brings to life the lovable Watson and guides the listener through some of Holmes's most exciting and intriguing cases: the adventures of the Sussex Vampire, Creeping Man, Speckled Band, Crooked Man, Greek Interpreter and Naval Treaty. As the great detective gathering clues, utilizing his famed methods and unraveling each mystery, Hardwicke provides a superlative rendering of these treasured stories, which might leave listeners longing to hear Brett's Holmes reply to Hardwicke's Watson, and creates an audio book that will be adored by Holmes fans and provide newcomers with a compelling introduction to the gentlemen at 221B Baker St.

From School Library Journal

October 1, 2005
Gr 4-6 -While better written than most abridged versions, these adaptations sacrifice character and theme development through simplified retellings of the basic plots or action. In "Black Beauty", Church has reduced the original 49 chapters to 21 by combining the sequence and action into simpler accounts. Sasaki has reworked six of the Sherlock Holmes stories to maintain the mystery and solution minus Holmes's roundabout explanations of deduction. The books include lists of questions for discussion. The generously spaced, large-type format, interspersed with occasional black-and-white drawings, may serve as an introduction or -starter - as the series intends. However, waiting for the right read-aloud setting combined with discussion of the original is the best way to include the classics in any child's literary experience." -Rita Soltan, Youth Services Consultant, West Bloomfield, MI"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Horn Book

January 1, 2005
Two Sherlock Holmes story collections are published in one large volume featuring elegant scratchboard drawings and a ribbon bookmark. These twenty-three classic mysteriesincluding "The Final Problem," in which Doyle infamously killed off his protagonistwill challenge young detectives' own powers of deduction. The book concludes with a section containing relevant open-ended questions ("Why does Watson tell the stories instead of Holmes?").

(Copyright 2005 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Publisher's Weekly

February 1, 2003
Those for whom the Oxford University Press edition (1993) was not the final word on the canon won't want to miss the latest volume in the Sherlock Holmes Reference Library, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and edited by Leslie S. Klinger. As David Stuart Davies notes in his introduction, Klinger provides annotations at once "scholarly, instructive and enlightening," as well as chronologies for the individual stories and a bibliography of secondary works.

From Booklist

September 15, 1992
Gr. 6-12. Moser's illustrations for the Books of Wonder series have included his scary gothic pictures for Poe's stories . Here, in keeping with the more cerebral, daytime world of Sherlock Holmes, the watercolors for each of the 12 adventures are mostly portraits of gentlemen, full-faced and clear. Holmes is in control, alert, formidably intelligent, a listener. Dr. Watson is open and decent, no secrets to hide. Perhaps most interesting is the portrait of author Doyle, compulsively neat in his army uniform, moustache waxed in place, blue eyes burning. ((Reviewed Sept. 15, 1992))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1992, American Library Association.)

From Horn Book

January 1, 1992
A collection of the first dozen stories about Sherlock Holmes is illustrated in Moser's characteristic style. Fans of the great detective and his doctor friend will find this a handsome edition.

(Copyright 1992 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From AudioFile Magazine

Everyone's favorite sleuth is brought vividly to life by Edward Hardwicke, the definitive Dr. Watson of the Sherlock Holmes PBS series of the mid-1990s. Hardwicke's long familiarity with the material is delightfully evident in this excellent rendition. His delivery is distinct, his pacing is perfect, and his performance sounds effortless. The iconic characters we have come to love in these increasingly mythic tales are superbly wrought. Despite the fact that these stories were penned in the early 1900s, Hardwicke's narration captures the timeless quality of a story well told, drawing the listener in, creating a mood, and casting a spell. Among the stories is "The Adventure of the Empty House," the tale of Holmes's triumphant return after his presumed death at Reichenbach Falls. M.H.N. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine