A fascinating, highly engaging "double pastiche", wherein famous writers (literary, humorous, detective and pulp), are (allegedly) engaged to write up those cases which Dr Watson in a burst of discretion did not! The cases cover all the classic titles (the Giant Rat of Sumatra in a well-done "H.P. Lovecraft writing as John Watson" pastiche for one) and a number of genres. The success is variable but all the tales are readable, and the book overall is a pleasure. ( )