THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES

These stories, published in 1905, recount 13 of the great detective's cases after his supposed death while grappling with Professor Moriarity at the Reichenbach Falls. It’s amazing that the Holmes tales, which I’ve read three or four times, always seem fresh and new at each encounter. Here one’s enjoyment is substantially increased by the vigorous, exciting reading of Derek Jacobi, one of Britain's finest actors. He disappoints only in his interpretation of the title sleuth. Jacobi's Holmes has a high-pitched effete-sounding voice, an interpretation this reviewer finds at odds with the decisive and masterful portrayals of the well-known Holmes actors such as the BBC’s Jeremy Brett. Y.R. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2009]