Sherlock Holmes Untold is another collection of audio dramas from Bog Finish Productions and probably the best release in this range. Jonathan Barnes has written the eight episodes in this collection, which were directed by Ken Bentley. Nicholas Briggs returns to the microphone as the most famous of Victorian detectives, Sherlock Holmes. Richard Earl returns as his superb version of Dr. John Watson. Other cast members include John Banks, Luke Barton, Jack Holden, and Anthony Whitelock.
It is 1913, and Prime Minister Jasper Cranfield is on a train with his assistant. He learns that Dr. Watson has somehow gotten aboard and wants to arrange a meeting with a mutual acquaintance. Since the journey will take a while, Watson starts to relate some cases involving Sherlock Holmes that have yet to be published. There is a common thread running these latest towels. Holmes and Watson face madness, murder, and blackmail through these tales, but there is something more menacing awaiting the arrival of this train.
I would normally do a bit of a summary of each episode, but since they are connected by one big story and there only one author, I will instead give my thoughts on this thing as a whole.
It is fantastic. Barnes manages to come the closest to the channeling the methods and style of Arthur Conan Doyle than many other Sherlock Holmes pastiche writers.
Briggs is not yet my favorite Holmes, but I am getting used to his style. Richard Earl continues to prove how perfectly cast he is as Watson.
Some familiar characters show up and are not used wastefully.
The thing with these episodes is that elements were mentioned in the original Doyle stories, and Barnes took these scant references and expanded on them to full episodes. He also created one threat running through all of them. A secret society known as the Lighthouse is the latest shadowy group to darken the door to 221 B Baker Street.
The sound design is excellent as well, but Big Finish hardly ever has a problem there.
Barnes expertly spreads out the clues as to the nature of the threat facing Holmes and Watson among a diverse set of episodes. He tends to write a compelling piece of audio drama, but he really outdid himself with this set.
Although no one can be better than the creator of these beloved characters, Barnes gets closer to the mark than any writer has in quite a while.
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