The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes VI

Review: David Timson is not nearly as well known [as Edward Hardwicke], but he is one of the best readers around, and I’m delighted to welcome his latest recording, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes VI.

As Watson he is perhaps less relaxed than Edward Hardwicke is, but he is just as much in command. As Holmes he has the edgy nervous energy that comes across so tellingly in Conan Doyle’s prose. He has plenty of opportunity to demonstrate his striking range of voices and accents in the four stories in this latest collection: The Gloria Scott, The Resident Patient, The Noble Bachelor and The Final Problem. His Moriarty, in particular, is masterly.

The reading is complemented by atmospheric music from the Naxos catalogue, this time by Dvorak, Paganini and Mendelssohn (one piece, I’m not sure which, is used as the theme for Radio 4's Sherlock Holmes series), and David Timson contributes perceptive and informative notes on the stories.

Reviewed by: Roger Johnson, [District Messenger 229, 2003]