Against The Brotherhood

Review: Quinn Fawcett’s Against the Brotherhood is an intriguing book. It is the first of a four-book series starring Sherlock Holmes’ older brother, Mycroft. The books were authorized by Dame Jean Conan Doyle, as is prominently mentioned on the cover. I suppose that’s nice, but it has no bearing on the tales themselves.

The story is told from the perspective of Paterson Guthrie, Holmes’ secretary. Each chapter ends with a third-person journal entry from Holmes’ manservant. I found this jarring to the narrative, and also a cheap way to impart information occurring away from the main characters. There is no other purpose for it.

A secret organization known as The Brotherhood seeks to waylay a government courier and steal a secret treaty. If the document falls into the wrong hands, world war is assured. It never comes across convincingly that such would result, and the focal point of the story seems contrived.

The Brotherhood is incredibly evil and flays men alive. There’s an offshoot branch known as The Lodge that is determined to extinguish The Brotherhood. It is against these adversaries that Guthrie strives as he attempts to infiltrate one group and then escort the courier back to England. Problems arise and Mycroft himself takes an active hand on a trans-European trek.

The adventure is set in June of 1887. Using Baring Gould’s chronology, this is a little over one year before the Canon introduces us to Mycroft in The Greek Interpreter. Holmes made the following comment about his elder sibling:

“But he has no ambition and no energy. He will not even go out of his way to verify his own solutions, and would rather be considered wrong than take the trouble to prove himself right.”

Therein lies the flaw of this series to the Holmes fan. Fawcett’s Mycroft is certainly not slender of physique, but neither is he the portly individual described by Doyle. He is often out and about, which is pretty much the opposite of Doyle’s creation. Knowing Mycroft from the Canon, I simply can’t picture him carrying a wounded man up a hill in a remote country, fleeing crossbow-bearing assailants.

After four novels, Fawcett switched his efforts to tales about Ian Fleming (creator of James Bond). I think that was sensible. Against the Brotherhood is an entertaining espionage adventure set in Victorian England. But Mycroft Holmes should not have been the protagonist. He doesn’t fit the part. He just wasn’t a field operative secret agent for the government.

I thought this was a good Victorian adventure tale. But it isn’t an authentic Mycroft Holmes adventure and suffers from trying to fit a round hole in a square peg.

Reviewed by: Bob Byrne, February, 2004, Sherlock Holmes on Oxford Lane