With their fourth Sherlock Holmes short story collection, authors Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger have put together something special. FOR THE SAKE OF THE GAME features stories inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famed detective, but not necessarily starring him. This allows for the writers of these tales to be as creative as possible, and the end result is some wonderful and quite unique entries.

The book’s title comes from "The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans," in which Holmes informs his older brother Mycroft that he is not interested in being honored or recognized for his work. Instead, he plays the game for the game's own sake. I am happy to say that these authors really took that quote to heart. I will now highlight a few of the tales that particularly stood out for me.

"Being a huge Holmes fan myself, I was especially wowed by the last story, 'Hounded' by Zoë Sharp... This is a terrific final entry in a worthy collection that should please all Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts far and wide."

F. Paul Wilson gives us “The Adventure of the Abu Qir Sapphire.” Unlike most Holmes stories, Dr. Watson does not serve as the narrator; instead, the story comes directly from the mouth of the detective himself. The international intrigue presented by the Abu Qir Sapphire provides a lot of fun. In “The Walk-In” by Harley Jane Kozak, the narrator walks into her brother's apartment to find a dog she does not recognize. This canine becomes the center of a tale involving a charlatan psychic who has done something to the gentleman that his sister will have to puzzle out to save the day.

Rhys Bowen’s “Sherlocked” introduces us to the concept of a robot detective named Sherlock, who is assisting the police force and CSI team. However, Sherlock may end up providing help in areas originally not thought of, making for an interesting crime fighter. Reed Farrel Coleman uses a variation of A STUDY IN SCARLET for “A Study in Absence,” in which Holmes is dealing with a book titled The Absent Man by Isaac Masters Knott. He offers up that the writer is I.M. Knott, thereby discovering that the actual author remains a mystery. This ruse called to mind the name “U.N. Owen,” or “Unknown,” utilized in Dame Agatha Christie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE.

A unique entry here is the story told in the form of a comic book, “The Case of the Naked Butterfly,” by William Kotzwinkle and Joe Servello. In this illustrated tale, Holmes is represented as a praying mantis, and all the supporting players are from the insect world. In “Buy a Bullet,” Gregg Hurwitz uses characters from his Orphan X series and sets them up with a complex situation that provides a solution worthy of the great Sherlock Holmes. “Tough Guy Ballet” by Duane Swierczynski is set in 1987 Los Angeles and finds a tough guy police detective called out to assist his partner. Instead, he spots a 19-year-old girl taking down a bad guy in swift fashion. What our narrator does not realize is that this super teen is not all who she claims to be.

Being a huge Holmes fan myself, I was especially wowed by the last story, “Hounded” by Zoë Sharp, who brilliantly inserts her protagonist, Charlotte "Charlie" Fox, directly into THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. It's great fun to see Charlie interacting with Holmes, Watson, Lord Baskerville and all the characters from the original tale. Charlie is no slouch and has been referred to as Jack Reacher if he was a woman. This is a terrific final entry in a worthy collection that should please all Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts far and wide.