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Sherlock Holmes: A Question of Time by Glenn Searfoss Review

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Infamous partner of world-renowned detective Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson must unravel the mystery behind his friend’s sudden frightful state and determine whether the great detective came into contact with true time travel or instead is lost to a mad game in author Glenn Searfoss’s “Sherlock Holmes: A Question of Time”.

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The Synopsis

A shocking mystery or outrageous hoax?

Responding to an urgent summons, Dr. Watson arrives at 221B to find Sherlock Holmes swathed in filth and in a state of deep shock. To ensure Holmes’ safety, he must retrace the detective’s last movements and discover the source of his debility. The investigation leads to a fire-gutted warehouse where nothing remains except an open cesspit and the enigma of an unburned circle.

A convalescing Holmes unravels the mystery by relating his encounter in the riverside warehouse with a time traveler. But with a lack of physical evidence and only Holmes’ account of what transpired, Watson must determine if the related events actually happened or are a grand jest perpetrated by his friend.

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The Review

This was a brilliant and captivating read. The author does an incredible job of meshing the worlds of H.G. Wells and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in a way that feels both natural and engaging. The blend of sci-fi with mystery and detective YA suspense stories not only captured the magic and wonder that the books The Time Machine and Sherlock Holmes were known for, but highlighted the Victorian era mindset and settings in a natural way.

The character development and mystery were two great elements in the story. The introduction of the time traveler and the keen eye and investigative work of Sherlock Holmes felt spot on to the iconic portrayal of these characters, while the breakdown of the investigation and the always-questioning mind of Holmes and Watson made for some thrilling adventure storytelling. Yet it was Watson as the narrator of the story that made this book so compelling. Through a great sense of world-building, the author shows Watson’s small-scale life that receives the shock to the system he needed, after personal loss and haunted memories come to life for him and force him to confront his pain head-on throughout the book.

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The Verdict

Memorable, action-packed, and entertaining, author Glenn Searfoss’s “Sherlock Holmes: A Question of Time” is a must-read YA sci-fi meets mystery novel. The twists and turns in the narrative and the shocking developments and emotional ties the reader forms to the cast of characters, as well as the iconic settings and atmosphere the author manages to capture from these two distinct literary worlds, made this a compelling and masterful fusion and retelling of two great literary titan-level novels. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Engaging storytelling transports the reader to a different time/place/viewpoint and encourages their exploration of a subject.

A professional writer of 28+ years, Glenn Searfoss has authored numerous technical manuals (bills must be paid), as well as books in the arenas of computer science, natural history, science fiction, and mythology.

Glenn lives with his wife and two boxer dogs in a turn-of-the-century, brick farm house in Colorado, USA. When not busy making a living, he gardens, works on the house (there is always something to work on with an old house), reads classic and not-so-classic literature and does research for new book projects.

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Interview with Author Glenn Searfoss

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1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

GS: The answer to that question is long and involved, but I’ll lean toward brevity. In college, I had an English writing professor who told me I didn’t know how to write, would never know how to write, and to just give up. Believing her, I spent the next fifteen years focused on living life in its many flavors. While working in a small company that developed desktop publishing software, for fun I began writing story snippets to use in software testing. Having gotten a taste, I started writing technical articles and moved from there into writing technical books and manuals. After receiving positive feedback from publishers (and many users), I realized the professor was wrong; not only could I write, but I enjoyed doing it. An avid reader of science fiction, mythology, and classic literature, I began expanding my writing into fiction, incorporating my life experiences, interest in natural sciences, and my surmises of future developments into short stories, then into novels. Here I am today.

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2) What inspired you to write your book?

GS: Babouc’s Vision evolved from a series of short stories I had written about the world that was happening around me. Its dark tone reflects my overall pessimism at the time, coupled with a deep sadness (let me be honest, disgust) at world events. The glimmers of hope present in the book reflect the everyday kindnesses shown by a few – far too few – people I knew who continued to reach out and help others in need.

3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

GS: Hope exists, even in the darkest times, especially on the interpersonal level. Just be open to it.

4) What drew you into this particular genre?

GS: Happenstance, really. For me, the worldview under which I grew up means planning for the worst and hoping for the best. Since science fiction embodies both hopes for the future coupled with a dystopian fear of the future, it seemed a natural genre.

5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?

GS: I guess that would be Iggy. My question would be, when things had begun spiraling down, why did you let pride override asking for help from close friends.

I want to understand the ego behind persons who prefer death to the perceived ignominy of asking for help, even from friends.

6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

GS: This area is still in early development. I have a presence on Amazon, Goodreads, Google, Booklife, and several other sites. It is difficult to say which site(s) has been most helpful.

7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

GS: I guess my advice is three-fold.

  • Listen to your characters as they develop. There will come a point where they speak to you in their own voice. Try to capture their sound, sense, and attitude.
  • Rewrite-Edit-Rewrite-Edit. When you think you have completed a project, set it aside for a few days, then come back and review it again with fresh eyes.
  • Grow a thick skin and persevere. Publishers, Agents, and book reviewers are inundated with submissions and cannot possibly respond to or accept all submissions. Expect many rejections and few responses. (Don’t be discouraged with no response; responses are rare. Be satisfied when you get a response. Be joyous when it is a positive response.)
  • Always be professional and courteous in your communications.

8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

GS: I have just completed A Question in Time and have begun the process of querying publishers. This novel pays homage to three great Victorian characters of literary fiction: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Dr. James Watson—with a sly aside to a nefarious criminal—and the time traveler of H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine. Firmly rooted in Victorian London of the 1890s, this novel examines the reality of time travel by contrasting mentally relived past events against physically experienced future events.

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Babouc’s Vision Review

About the Author

Glenn Searfoss is an American author of works in science fiction, mythology, computer science, and natural history. He lives in Colorado, USA with his wife.

Babouc’s Vision by Glenn Searfoss Review

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

An appliance repairman finds himself overwhelmed when the gods choose him to be the one to condemn the people of his city, and as the lives of several others flood his mind, he must prove the people’s lives worthy of saving instead in author Glenn Searfoss’s “Babouc’s Vision”.

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The Synopsis

Babouc’s Vision is a riveting dystopian science fiction novel with thought-provoking commentary on society.

The year is 2041– and the gods are angry. While Carissa scours the city garbage for food and pretty things to show her grandfather, Tom and April strive to prove themselves genetically suitable to conceive a child. Luis becomes a man fighting to protect his unborn son from the gangs. Nora sits alone in her dark apartment, old, tired, and ready to die. And Izzy, how did he land in the streets destitute? In the backroom of his appliance repair shop, Harl putters at his workbench unaware the Gods have chosen him to condemn the people of CynCity. Harl’s world turns upside-down as his mind explodes with the lives of strangers. Struggling to remain sane, he must somehow prove the city’s population deserves to survive.

The works of Voltaire (The World as it is) and Dante (The Divine Comedy) inspired this book. As well, many events in the work reflect newspaper reports of criminal, social, environmental, and scientific events happening around the world. The bleak nature of these accounts explains the book’s overall dystopian feel, while the hope buried in the stories is gleaned from human perseverance.

The Review

The author found such a striking balance of world-building and thought-provoking themes. The exploration of humanity’s worst aspects and how the people in one city fair against those sins was so fascinating to read. The detailed way the author approaches this dystopian sci-fi read was amazing, as was the narrative overall, which did a great job of playing into the themes and genres of this novel with grand futuristic settings and larger-than-life characters.

The characters were the true heart of this narrative. The vast array of different characters really brought this sad and brutal reality to life so perfectly, either by adding to the chaos or becoming a victim of that chaos themselves. Yet the way the author brought out small glimmers of hope throughout the narrative to showcase how there exists those within the darkness to fight for a brighter tomorrow was amazing to read.

The Verdict

Creative, engaging, and thoughtful in its approach, author Glenn Searfoss’s “Babouc’s Vision” is a must-read dystopian sci-fi thriller. A philosophical and introspective look into the mistakes and sins humanity inflicts upon itself far too often, and those who work to fight for change for the future, this novel shines and does an amazing job of exploring the depths of humanity in an entertaining way. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Glenn Searfoss is an American author of works in science fiction, mythology, computer science, and natural history. He lives in Colorado, USA with his wife.