🕵️♂️ Book Review: Sherlock Holmes & the Disappearing Man by Ben Stevens (Kindle Edition)
A haunting mystery rooted in one of Holmes’s most enigmatic cases—Ben Stevens crafts a compact, emotionally resonant tale that blends classic deduction with a rare glimpse of Holmes’s humanity.
🧠 Overview
Published in August 2025, Sherlock Holmes & the Disappearing Man is the 45th entry in Ben Stevens’s prolific Sherlock Holmes pastiche series. Inspired by a reference in Conan Doyle’s “The Problem of Thor Bridge,” the story revisits the unsolved disappearance of James Phillimore, who famously stepped back into his house to retrieve an umbrella—and was never seen again.
Now, a decade later, Phillimore’s dying sister pleads with Holmes to uncover the truth before her time runs out. What follows is a 22-page novella that sees Holmes and Watson navigating a cold trail, interviewing reluctant witnesses, and confronting a mystery that’s as emotional as it is elusive.
🔍 Key Themes & Highlights
- 🕰️ Unfinished business: Holmes tackles a case that has lingered in the shadows for ten years, adding emotional weight to the investigation
- 🧩 Classic deduction: Stevens stays true to Holmes’s methodical reasoning, with subtle clues and layered questioning
- 💔 Human dimension: Holmes is guided “as much by the heart as by the head,” offering a rare emotional depth to his character
- 🏚️ Atmospheric setting: The story unfolds in a quiet cathedral town, adding a sense of melancholy and timelessness
💬 Reader Reception
- ⭐ Goodreads rating: 4.38/5 from early reviews
- 📖 Readers praise the story’s faithful tone, emotional resonance, and tight pacing
- 🧾 Recommended for fans of traditional Holmes mysteries and those who enjoy speculative takes on Doyle’s unfinished cases
- 💬 “Holmes and Watson are approached by a woman looking for her brother who has been missing for ten years… Then they go to his house and uncover the truth.” — Goodreads reviewer
⚠️ Considerations
- 📄 Short format: At 22 pages, it’s a quick read—best enjoyed as a vignette rather than a full-length mystery
- 📚 Series continuity: Works as a standalone, but fans of Stevens’s series will appreciate the consistent tone and character development
- 🧾 Pastiche style: Stevens’s writing mimics Doyle’s voice, which may appeal more to purists than modern reinterpretations
🏁 Final Verdict
Sherlock Holmes & the Disappearing Man is a thoughtful and atmospheric short story that breathes life into one of Holmes’s most mysterious cases. Ben Stevens delivers a satisfying blend of deduction and emotion, making this Kindle edition a rewarding read for fans of classic British mysteries and Sherlock Holmes lore.
