Sexton Blake Bibliography: 2005
TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN — VOL.1: THE MODERN BABYLON · 2005 · Black Coat Press · £22.95
Illustrator: None
Other content: Mask of the Monster by Matthew Baugh; Cadavres Exquis by Bill Cunningham; When Lemmy Met Jules by Terrance Dicks; The Vanishing Devil by Win Scott Eckert; The Three Jewish Horsemen by Viviane Etrivert; The Last Vendetta by Rick Lai; The Sainte-Geneviéve Caper by Alain le Bussy; Journey to the Center of Chaos by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier; Lacunal Visions by Samuel T. Payne; The Kind-Hearted Torturer by John Peel; Penumbra by Chris Roberson; The Paris-Ganymede Clock by Robert Sheckley; The Titan Unwrecked; or, Futility Revisited by Brian Stableford.
Notes: This tells of an early case of Harry Dickson, the 'American Sherlock Holmes'. In the first instalment of two, Dickson is sent by his mentor, Holmes, to learn the ropes of real day-to-day detective work with Sexton Blake. While Blake is away fighting a 'notorious Devil Doctor in Limehouse' and hanging 'upside-down trying to free himself from a runaway balloon', among other things, Dickson assists by doing the more mundane legwork (such as is normally undertaken by Tinker, who is referred to in passing as 'T'). Dickson is also made responsible for feeding and walking Pedro. As a reward for his efforts, the young detective is eventually given a case of his own; that being the subject of this tale. After his initial appearance, Sexton Blake drops out of the story.
Rating: ★★★★☆