221b_recs | Entries tagged with character: inspector lestrade

Title: The Men Who Talked Between the Words
Author: Odamaki
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade, brief John Watson/Mary Morstan, Harry Watson/OFC, James Sholto/OMC, Billy Wiggins/OFC
Length: @460,000 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: past abuse (including implied/referenced child abuse), implied/referenced suicide (not of any character from the TV show), implied/referenced drug use
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: John expected to be a father some day; he expected to have the house, and the wife and the nice suburban job. Sherlock never expected to have children, in part because he never expected to make it past 30. As it turns out, you don't get a choice. Crammed into Baker Street with a baby, John struggles with single-parenthood and his own fears, while Sherlock treads the fine line between doing too little and saying too much.

Reccer's comments: It's hard to think of what I can say about this fic that hasn't already been said. Four years in the making, of a length comparable to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this story took extraordinary commitment to create and the end result is simply astonishing. I've been reading Holmesian fiction for quite a long time, and I've never run across another story that felt quite like this one. There's something so authentic and keenly observed about the details. There's a realism here that reaches out and never lets me go. The characters - both the main and the secondary ones - have such distinct voices, and their lives and relationships are deeply grounded and believable.

This is a realistic parentlock fic, and it's the deliciously slowest of slow-burn romances, and that heart of the story is beautiful. But that's really not all there is to it. Odamaki doesn't allow Sherlock, John, and the baby to live in a bubble. The story is full to bursting with the many other people who know them, who affect and are affected by them. Both Sherlock and John have important inward work to do before either is ready to think about romance. It's a story about growth, about healing, about hard-fought and hard-won maturity. About friendships and familiar places that won't stay neatly unchanged, and about painful habits and histories that won't fade away without long and deliberate effort.

When I think of this fic, the love story and the family Sherlock and John make together stands at the center. But I also think of Sherlock and Molly's quiet happiness working on her research together at Barts; James Sholto walking John through his fledgling orchard; Billy playing chess in hospital; Harry lounging with her girlfriend on the couch; Greg's tiepin; the moms in John's playgroup; the voice at the other end of a helpline.

This is a compelling fic about love and family, but it's also about all those other nooks and crannies of life that too often get left out of love stories. There's a village of vivid people wrapped up in this story, and I love them all.

(Also, I should add: 1) the story is complete. It ends at chapter 27. There are still new chapters going up, but they are 'bonus material' like deleted scenes and FAQ responses from the author. 2) The story goes AU after series 3, and incorporates no elements of series 4. The baby is a girl, but she is not the canonical 'Rosie' of the TV show).

pipmer1

Title: Christmas With You
Author: MissDavis
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 23,000 words
Rating: Teen
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: Watch Sherlock, John and Rosie over the years as they celebrate the season as only they can.

Reccer's comments: This charming series of ficlets was written for a 31-day December challenge, using specific prompts for each chapter. The ficlets do make up an entire story, but it is not a linear telling. It jumps back and forth through time, but there is a common thread throughout: how Sherlock, John and Rosie spend and celebrate Christmas together as they work towards forming a family unit. Some chapters take place before John and Sherlock are a couple, and some take place during their established relationship. No matter; it works in a delightful way.

Mary does appear in a couple of chapters, but only as a ghost and a memory.

Yes, I know it's almost May, but that doesn't mean we all don't need some festive cheer to get us through our days, now more than ever!

unovis could I have a Rosie Watson tag, please? Thank you!

pipmer1

Title: Excultus
Author: mottlemoth
Pairing: Mycroft/Lestrade
Length: 315,000 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: 23rd-century London is a divided city. Two hundred years of genetic tampering has fractured humanity into subspecies, not all of whom are willing to get along. The capital's crime-ridden streets are now home to some fairly fantastic variants of human - some of them more dangerous than others.

For DI Greg Lestrade, Cross-Human Relations at Scotland Yard, it's all just part of the day job.

But when a horrifying discovery forces him to seek the help of Mycroft Holmes, Head of Criminal Psychology, Greg might just be tested past his limits. Mycroft is unpleasant, unforgiving, and famously impossible to please.

But if Greg needs anyone right now, it's a vampire expert.

With dangerous forces fast on their tail, Greg and Mycroft must work together to avert the vampire threat - before it's too late.

[Mystrade Supernatural/Sci-fi AU.]

Reccer's comments: That author's summary pretty much says it all. Futuristic, Sci-Fi AU where some human subspecies co-mingle openly with other humans -- and some do not. This is basically one big epic casefic, where the mystery to be solved involves murderous vampires, and where DI Lestrade and Mycroft Holmes team up to contain the threat, assisted by some nicely fleshed-out OCs.

I should start out right away by letting everyone know that the only Sherlock canon characters here are Greg Lestrade and Mycroft Holmes.There is no Sherlock. There is no John Watson. If that puts anyone off, feel free to move on. I will stress, however, that you will be missing out on a grand action-packed adventure, where the relationship development between the two main characters is a wonder to behold. And I have never read a fic where I am so enthralled by the many OCs who play their supporting roles with so much heart and soul.

At the beginning of the story, Lestrade and Mycroft are strangers who meet one night and have a one-night stand. Unbeknownst to them both, they will soon be caught up in a whirlwind of unsolved murders that require their particular brand of expertise and will force them to work together for the foreseeable future. As the mystery unfolds and their relationship progresses, it becomes clear that Mycroft is holding his cards very close to his vest, and that he is keeping a very large secret from his partner.

I found this story completely enthralling, heart-stopping, and emotionally satisfying. There are several twists and turns, and unexpected reveals, but it all progressed very naturally within the story, and none of it felt like surprise just for the shock factor or for the sake of cleverness. Some you will see coming, and some you won't. But it all comes together in a perfectly logical way. Please do give it a try.

pipmer1

Title: The Consequences of Misidentifying a Corpse
Author: darkest_bird
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 12,535 words
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No major warnings, but references to past child abuse
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: It all began because Sherlock didn't know Irene's body as well as he thought. He's determined not to make the same mistake with John's.

Reccer's comments: From the title and summary, one would think this fic is based on a slightly cracky premise, and it sort of is. It starts out mostly lighthearted, but then veers into more serious, angsty territory before resolving in a satisfying manner. The author has a knack for drawing out the sexual tension that leaves you breathless for more at the end of each chapter, so reading this while it was a WIP was a special kind of delicious torture!

This story is by the same author who wrote the incredible omegaverse AU "A Fold in the Universe". It takes place mid-ASiB, right after Sherlock finds out that Irene Adler is actually still alive after misidentifying her corpse. Being Sherlock, he gets it into his head that he needs to convince John to let him examine his body so that if, god forbid, something were to happen then Sherlock could be secure in the knowledge that he could correctly identify John's body. At least, that's the excuse he gives John.

In the middle of all of this lighthearted humor, Sherlock discovers something unexpected and sobering that helps bring the two of them together in the most intimate of ways.

A bit of a sneak peek to whet your appetite:

( Sneak peek )

discordantwords

Title: In Between
Author: illwick
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Length: 40k words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Drug use, internalized homophobia
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: They've always been there. They always will.

Reccer's comments: This was originally posted as a series – seven individual short stories that, together, form a devastating and emotionally resonant larger picture of two people wholly and completely in love with one another and yet unable (or unwilling) to ever acknowledge that fact out loud.

It begins with Lestrade, at Baker Street to check up on Sherlock following John and Mary's wedding, inadvertently discovering something he was never meant to know—that John and Sherlock had been involved in a sexual relationship prior to Sherlock's death.

This story manages to remain canon-compliant even while providing John and Sherlock with this history. We are given glimpses of their relationship over time through both John and Sherlock's eyes, as they each struggle with the memories of what they had, the pain of what they have lost, their denial and desperate attempts at self-preservation and deflection as they each try to push aside the past and move forward with an uncertain future.

There is a happy ending, eventually, that does not shrug off the weight of all that has happened between them.

But now, here in front of him, in lilac-hued technicolor, is proof that this was not a happy ending. John Watson now lives with his wife in suburbs, and Sherlock Holmes is alone in his empty flat on Baker Street analyzing soil samples and shooting up. And Greg is trying not to think about how Sherlock must have felt three weeks ago, standing beside his former lover and giving a speech at his wedding.

The stories jump back and forth in time but should be read in order, beginning with The Day Before.

verdant_fire

Title: Hello You
Author: weeesi
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 20,944 words
Rating: Not Rated (I'd estimate it at Teen)
Verse: BBC
Author's summary: John kind of can’t believe he’s doing this and kind of can’t imagine doing anything else. He dips his head, heart pounding.

Reccer's comments: This fantastic alternate first meeting fic starts off with one of my new favorite iterations of the Fake Relationship trope and then continues on to a delightful comedy of errors, with great banter, believable bumbling, and a very satisfying ending. This reminded me of the early glory days of the show; there's a sense of unfettered joy about it that's really wonderful.

pipmer1

Title: A Christmas Carol
Author: Mottlemoth
Pairing: Mycroft/Lestrade, Sherlock/John
Length: 40,385 words
Rating: Teen
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC/A Christmas Carol

Author's summary: "All lives end... all hearts are broken."

Mycroft Holmes never needed a reason to loathe Christmas - but getting dumped by the love of his life certainly did the trick. It's been a year since Mycroft lost the man he adored, and with Christmas Eve fast approaching, he's counting down the hours until all this festive lunacy is over.

Sadly for Mycroft, fate has other plans.

It's going to take three ghosts to show him the error of his ways. But can he make amends in time? Or will he prove to himself, once and for all, that caring is not an advantage?

Reccer's comments: It's a Mystrade Christmas Carol! Yes, maybe you think the premise is tired and unoriginal but I urge you to think again. The author puts their own unique twists on the tale, and I promise that you won't be bored. You might suffer from emotional whiplash, though, because this fic is in turns funny, heartbreaking, heartwarming, exasperating, tearjerking... and last but not least, joyful and life-affirming. Just like the Dickens tale.

And never fear, Johnlock fans. This story may center around the Mycroft/Lestrade relationship, but even though Sherlock/John is background, their presence is keenly felt throughout. I especially liked Sherlock's relationship with Greg in this, as well as his interactions with his brother. A more human Sherlock you'll never meet!

Grab your hot cocoa, a comfy blanket, and settle in for a whopper of a ghost story.

( sneak peek )

pipmer1

Title: The Last Companion
Author: standbygo
Pairing: Sherlock/John, Sherlock/OMCs, Sherlock/OFCs
Length: 34,075 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Discussions of non-con because Moriarty is creepy
Verse: Sherlock BBC/Firefly

Author's summary: Thirty years after the Miranda Wars, there is peace, both on the Rim and the Core planets. There are a number of old social mores still in place, such as the Order of Companions, but there is a sense that even such respected practices are coming to an end…

Sherlock is a Companion - the best Companion on Persephone. With a bit of detective work on the side, of course. Then he meets a man named John Watson, encounters a series of bizarre cases, and finds his world is getting turned upside down.

Reccer's comments: All of this author’s Sherlock fics are well worth the read, but I chose this one because of the unique fusion with Firefly, a sci-fi television show. I myself wasn’t that familiar with the world of Firefly, and I don’t think knowledge of that world is necessary to enjoy this story to the fullest. The writing is such that any necessary background information is seamlessly woven into the narrative.

In this universe, Sherlock has been groomed from childhood to become a Companion, and in adulthood he has become one of the most sought-after ones. A Companion, to put it delicately, is a paid escort. But Companions have been trained not only in the art of pleasure and seduction, but they are some of the most educated and talented people on the planet. They are paid not only for providing sexual intimacy, but almost anything else that the client may crave as well. And Sherlock’s skills at deduction ensure that the clients always come away satisfied.

Of course being a Companion is not Sherlock’s only vocation. He also does detective work on the side. In the middle of one of his investigations, he is rescued by a stranger going by the name of John Watson. Of course, the two of them get caught up in a case, become fascinated with each other, go dancing, fall in love -- and it almost all comes crashing down due to the machinations of one James Moriarty.

discordantwords

Title: Not English But Angels
Author: Sideris
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson; Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade
Length: 203,251 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Dubious consent, show-typical violence
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: A sort-of canon, sort-of AU fic in which I twist and supplement canon to weave it into a new story in which Sherlock and John come from different worlds and nothing is quite what it seems.

There were times I didn't even think you were human. - John

I may be on the side of the angels, but don’t think for one second that I am one of them. - Sherlock

Reccer's comments:

Where to even begin with this one?

This fandom is rich in stories where Sherlock makes his slow transition from Great Man to Good One, and this is one of my favorites. Somehow it never seemed to quite find its audience—it's currently sitting at fewer than 175 kudos on AO3.

The author takes what might seem an outlandish premise—Sherlock and Mycroft are Angels, sent down to Earth on an investigative mission from Heaven—and manage to make it work perfectly within the bounds of existing canon material. The story here happens between the lines, filling in gaps, taking events that we've seen on screen (and read about on John's blog) and shifting our perspective on them.

The Sherlock we meet at the start of this story is cold, detached, manipulative, self-serving and so utterly far from human it's difficult to imagine he'll ever get there. He's not exactly popular with Management, something that Mycroft (ever-ambitious and yet fiercely protective) anxiously seeks to smooth over. Sherlock wants a human specimen he can study up close, and John, his new flatmate, seems to suit those purposes perfectly. From there, as he and John grow closer, we witness Sherlock's defenses crumble and fall away as he finds himself entirely blindsided by unexpected affection and moved to act in increasingly irrational ways to ensure that John remains safe. The slow progression of their relationship is poignant and touching and frustrating and incredibly satisfying all at once.

There's a case which cleverly incorporates elements from BBC canon—Sherlock finds himself caught up in Moriarty's web while investigating the deaths of several Nephilim, while Mycroft begins to realize he's being used as a pawn in a conspiracy of biblical proportions. This all comes to a head with a twist that made my jaw drop (and which sent me rushing back to the beginning to pay attention to all of the clues that I'd missed the first time through.)

As with any fic that adheres to a canon timeline, it can be hard to avoid the sense that you know what's coming next (because… we've already seen it.) But the author manages to put a fresh spin on even dialogue we already know by heart, a feat which feels remarkable.

Note: there is a moment of extremely dubious consent in this story involving John's missing Wednesday. The fic itself is not tagged as such, but the chapter in question (Chapter 11) is clearly marked at the beginning. Highlight for details if you'd like to know the gist of what happens before deciding whether or not to read: Sherlock, fearing he may have revealed his secret, drugs John in order to question him. The drugged conversation takes a turn, and John masturbates while Sherlock watches. Sherlock does not touch John. John does not remember the incident in question and is not told what happened.

This fic is Sherlock's journey from Superior Being to Human Being, and it's a wild, weird and wonderful ride.

( Excerpt under the cut... )

amindamazed

Title: Transports
Author:

ancientreader|

ancientreader
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Length: 136K
Rating: explicit
Warnings: childhood sexual abuse, show-typical violence, character death (not John or Sherlock)
Verse: BBC
Author's summary:
[part 1, Curriculum Vitae] How to become a consulting detective.
[part 2, The Beginning of Knowledge] Jim's lessons are hard to unlearn.

Reccer's comments:
This AU examines Sherlock's troubled relationship with his "transport" and with self-acceptance by having him grapple with the effects of sexual trauma and progressive physical disability. (To clarify, those two life events have entirely independent origins. Sherlock deals with both, but they had nothing to do with each other at the outset.) Although the fic has the "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" tag, the author provides notes and content warnings at the chapter level. It's a roller coaster ride of angst to be sure, but there's wisdom, warmth, and humor throughout. And a happy ending. I actually thought I'd found it via rec here, and I was surprised to discover I was mistaken.

( Read more... )

( And here's a non-random sample )

rachelindeed

Title: Dark Things Happen at the Turn of the Year
Author: Odamaki
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson (or can be read as gen); Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade; Molly Hooper/Greg Lestrade; Sally Donovan, Philip Anderson
Length: 7,200 words
Rating: T
Warnings: character death
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Collection of short fics written for Halloween 2016. See chapter notes for details of contents.

Reccer's comments: This is a wonderful Halloween anthology made up of five short stories, each with very different tones and pairings. Both of the Johnlock vignettes start out scary but wind up sweet, and the wonderful descriptions have a stylistic hint of Bradbury's October Country about them. The Mystrade story of a frustrated genie and his reluctant master is out-and-out charming; the others are more haunting and tragic. A vividly imagined and strikingly written collection of treats that will sweep you away this witching hour! :)

pipmer1

Title: You Have 487 New Messages (Or, In Which Sherlock Holmes Starts a Grouptext)
Author: JenTheSweetie
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 13,000 words
Rating: Teen
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: MH: Please remove me from this thread.

Reccer's comments: This is such a delightful, funny little fic. I adore texting fics in general, and this one had me laughing out loud on several occasions. Most of the chapters are fairly short, and the whole thing is a quick read. If you want a break from angst and drama, either in fic or in real life, then curl up with a nice cup of tea (or glass of wine) and settle in to be entertained.

It takes place post-Series 4. The whole thing starts when Sherlock Holmes starts a grouptext, asking who took his skull. Mycroft repeatedly asks to be removed from the thread, to no avail (hence, the summary). Different topics come up, participants keep changing the name of the grouptext, borderline crack ensues - and eventual johnlock is revealed. Have fun!

pipmer1

Title: You Should Have Changed Course Long Ago
Author: msdisdain
Pairing: Sherlock/John, background Mycroft/Lestrade
Length: 33,235 words
Rating: Explicit
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: John realizes too late what has been in his heart all along, and flees London. But can he ever truly leave Sherlock behind?

Reccer's comments: Written before Series 4, this story is in turns heartbreaking, painful, cathartic - and, above all else - joyful and full of hope. Told mostly from John's POV, it begins with both Mary and the baby gone. John finally finds the courage to tell Sherlock what he really wants, only to have Sherlock send him away because he can't trust that he isn't John's consolation prize. And so begins a painful journey for both men, separated by both distance and time, as they struggle to accept the fact that neither one is going to have what he truly wants. And it's not until that reality is finally accepted, that both men can fall back together again. Painful, but worth the payoff in the end.

( sneak peek )

pipmer1

Title: Sacre Coeur
Author: Mamaorion
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 127158 words (including appendices; actual story is around 95,000 words)
Rating: Mature
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: Memories return. Old secrets are unearthed. Seven years of hidden love ignite. Who is behind the mind control, and how far back does it reach into Sherlock's past?

This multi-chapter patchwork fixit fic diverts from the path at season three and turns season 4 into a collage. This was the Johnlock I wanted. May it be healing for you, too.

Reccer's comments: This is marvelous storytelling, with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It re-imagines Season 3 in a whole new light, and therefore Season 4 -- well. I don't want to give away too much. But the tale involves memory loss, secret organizations, and a backstory that includes Sherrinford as the third Holmes sibling (and what a delightful, if flawed, character he is.) Mary is a marvelous villain here, done in a way that I wish the show would have done. There are flashbacks to Sherlock's teenage years, where *everything* begins, and connects neatly with all the events in canon up to, and partially inclusive of, Series 3.

And of course, at the heart of it all is the love between Sherlock and John.

vulgarweed

Title: The Magnificent Division
Author: gardnerhill
Pairing: Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade
Length: 9,186
Rating: Teen
Verse: BBC + Elementary, also crossover with Cabin Pressure and a stealth Doctor Who nod
Author's summary:If you want something talked about, get a man. If you want something done, get a woman.

Reccer's comments: Lestrade doesn’t know where to turn when his partner Mycroft Holmes is kidnapped and Sherlock is under house arrest - until a very steely and competent Mrs. Hudson hooks him up with well, a monstrous regiment of women, all with terrifying personal skill sets (and who have a special and hilarious method of subduing male opponents). Well, females: not all the members of this brilliant strike team are human, technically. There’s an American doctor, a charter plane owner, a team leader who drives like James Bond, a tough police officer who works for a mysterious black-ops agency, a cadaver expert, a ruler among her own species (and her followers too),and a not-really-dead assassin and mom.

This is a cracking good adventure tale, fast-paced and thrilling and very funny, and with a lot of wise things to say about women, emotional labor, and ways of devaluing and underestimating women’s strengths both subtle and obvious.

Lestrade gets his Mycroft back alive and he also learns some valuable lessons from his experience as the secondary character in someone else’s action story.

The story focuses mostly on the rescue mission and the teamwork - but the little emotional sting between two women and a child at the end still burns a bit when the tale is done.

Excerpt: Martha Hudson hugged Greg as he got up to go. “He’s a reptile. But he’s your reptile. We’ll find him.”

Mycroft had once called him a goldfish. Goldfish, reptile – they were a proper menagerie weren’t they?

Greg realised that he was actually exhausted enough to sleep properly now. He pondered the whirl the night had been as he gave the cabbie the address and sat back. Six of them all together – seven if you counted the Queen. And his job in the team of commandos was to make the sandwiches and worry about his missing lover.

He smiled a little. So this is what it feels like to be The Girl in an action film.

bowl-of-glow.livejournal.com

Title: Breakable
Author: MissDavis on AO3
Pairings: Sherlock/John (established)
Length: 117627 words
Rating: Explicit
Verse: BBC Sherlock
Author's summary: After John is seriously injured, Sherlock struggles to figure out how to help him, keep himself sane, and maybe, just maybe, get their life back to the way it's supposed to be.

Reccer's comments: John gets injured during a case, remaining paralyzed from the waist down. Both he and Sherlock have to come to terms with their new situation – as John learns how to live with his disability, Sherlock tries to cope with the guilt that is eating away at him.
I loved the way this fic portrayed Sherlock’s and John’s emotional journey, going through grief, anger, sadness, and ultimately acceptance. I also loved that there were moments of tension between Sherlock and John even when it was clear how much the two loved each other and how determined they were to stay together. I found the portrayal of emotions realistic, sometimes even raw, and definitely touching.

( Excerpt )

bowl-of-glow.livejournal.com

Title: The Case of the Unexpected Guest
Author: codswallop (AO3)
Characters: Lestrade, Sherlock & John
Length: 5615 words
Rating: Gen
Verse: BBC Sherlock
Author's summary: Written for the kinkmeme prompt "Lestrade finds a pet bird at a crime scene, but he likes birds, so he delivers it to Sherlock and John rather than having it euthanized. Sherlock is fascinated."

Reccer's comments: As a favour to Lestrade, Sherlock agrees to take care of a peculiar piece of evidence – a little pet bird. Sherlock takes a liking to it, though he pretends otherwise.
If you’re looking for something amusing and sweet, this is the fic for you.

( Excerpt )

scfrankles.livejournal.com

Title: Promises
Author: language_escapes
Pairing: Gen (background Watson/Mrs. Hudson)
Length: 21,770 words
Rating: Mature
Warnings: None
Verse: Шерлок Холмс | Sherlock Holmes (TV 2013) [AKA New Russian Holmes]
Author's summary: Just weeks after they foil Moriarty’s plot against the queen, another case comes to Holmes and Watson, this time in the form of a dead girl found along the banks of the Thames. Case fic.

Reccer's comments: This was one of the stand-out fics from the Winter ‘16

holmestice exchange for me, but it didn’t seem to get the attention it deserved. It’s understandable in a way—it’s a rare ‘verse, and the content warnings may have put some people off too. To begin with the warnings—the author states: nonexplicit, background dubcon; PTSD flashbacks; adaptation-typical gore. If it helps, the gore refers to descriptions of bodies after death, and the dub-con is talked about as having happened but there are no specifics and no descriptions.

Regarding the ‘verse itself: I think as long as you’re prepared to just go with it and accept the differences from the ACD original, you won’t find anything confusing. (I myself had only seen a clip of the series before reading the fic.) The concept of this ‘verse is that these are the real people and the real world behind Watson’s stories. So it may seem bizarre at first that Watson has married Mrs. Hudson, but she isn’t the elderly, motherly Mrs. Hudson we traditionally think of. And Holmes is not an idealised hero. People don’t automatically defer to him simply because he’s Sherlock Holmes; he isn’t in charge of justice the way the ACD Holmes is. We are used on the whole to seeing the ACD Holmes handing criminals over to the police, or giving them a second chance and choosing to let them go. But this Holmes doesn’t have control over either of these situations.

The plot concerns Holmes and Watson trying to bring to justice a man who has been sexually abusing women and then going on to murder some of them. The case isn’t a mystery: the name of the criminal is given to Holmes fairly early on by one of the victims, Kitty Winter. And if it weren’t for all the damage he’s done to so many people, I would describe the murderer as an incidental character—he takes no active part in this fic. This is the point of the story I suppose: it isn’t something that glamorises murder and its perpetrator—the focus is on the victims, both living and dead.

Admittedly this is a bleak story. However, that is balanced by the sheer quality of the writing, how well-drawn the characters are, and how engaging the story is. I always think the hardest thing for a writer is to remove themself entirely from their work and leave the reader alone with the characters. And this writing is so unobtrusive. There is no barrier between the reader and the story—you’re right there in the middle of it.

And even though there is no happy ending, I don’t think the story is entirely without hope. Watson is more pessimistic than Holmes, but we come away knowing both men will always carry on doing the best they can in a highly imperfect world.

scfrankles.livejournal.com

Title: Deathfic 1899
Author: Haldane
Pairing: Various, but all one-sided.
Length: 1,493 words
Rating: Teen and Up
Warnings: Major character death
Verse: ACD, Granada
Author's summary: Death. Fic. 1899. What it says on the tin.

Reccer's comments: Well. You may be looking at that warning and that summary and thinking, ‘This really isn’t for me.’ But this is death played firmly for laughs. The story begins with what seems to be a retelling of The Blue Carbuncle. However, things quickly take a very different path…

This is so well-structured—the joke builds and builds. There are so many wonderful lines, and the story is laugh out loud funny. Just perfect.

pipmer1.livejournal.com

Title: Albion and the Woodsman
Author: Glenmore
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 54,437 words
Rating: Not Rated (I would rate it Mature)
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: Post Series 3. Sherlock and John are devastated after Mary Morstan makes her final moves. Sherlock relapses at the crack house, John walks around the world ...and a lot happens in between. Parentlock, in the good way.

Reccer's comments: If you are the type of reader who, like me, generally avoids first-person storytelling, then do yourself a favor and make an exception for this one. It's one of those rare fics that successfully paints Sherlock Holmes as a devoted single parent. The story is in turns funny, heartbreaking, and heartwarming.

It is told from Sherlock's POV, and begins post-series 3. It starts out after Sherlock has been shot for a second time by Mary Watson, an event that leads to her arrest and to John needing to disappear for awhile in order to get his head together. He leaves for a year-long walkabout around the world, leaving Sherlock devastated and returning to drugs. Of course he cleans himself up, only to be confronted several months later by a pregnant stranger claiming that Sherlock is the father.

We get to watch Sherlock fall immediately in love with his son Albion, and then take to single fatherhood like a duck takes to water. As Sherlock grows into his new role, he continues to pine for John and wait for his eventual return. The way Sherlock refers to John in his absence by different epithets such as 'eleven jumpers Watson' and 'Three pairs of brogues Watson' kept me delighted and laughing throughout.

We are introduced to several OC’s, not the least of which is Albion himself. His nanny gives soldier!John a run for his money (once he returns), and even the mother who abandoned him manages to turn her life around and gain at least a smidgen of our respect.

There are struggles and lessons to be learned, not the least of which that 'happily ever after' does not mean what all the fairy-tales claim. Reality is much more complicated, but all the more rewarding because of it.

( sneak preview )

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rachelindeed - Fic Rec: The Men Who Talked Between the Words
pipmer1 - Fic Rec: Christmas With You
pipmer1 - Fic Rec: Excultus
pipmer1 - Fic Rec: The Consequences of Misidentifying a Corpse
discordantwords - Fic Rec: In Between
verdant_fire - fic rec: Hello You
pipmer1 - Fic Rec: A Christmas Carol
pipmer1 - Fic Rec: The Last Companion
discordantwords - Fic Rec: Not English But Angels
amindamazed - fic rec: Transports
rachelindeed - Fic Rec: Dark Things Happen at the Turn of the Year
pipmer1 - Fic Rec: You Have 487 New Messages (Or, In Which Sherlock Holmes Starts a Grouptext)
pipmer1 - Fic Rec: You Should Have Changed Course Long Ago
pipmer1 - Fic Rec: Sacre Coeur
vulgarweed - Fic Rec: The Magnificent Division, by gardnerhill
bowl-of-glow.livejournal.com - Fic Rec (BBC Sherlock) | Breakable
bowl-of-glow.livejournal.com - Fic Rec (BBC Sherlock) | The Case of the Unexpected Guest
scfrankles.livejournal.com - Fic Rec: Promises
scfrankles.livejournal.com - Fic Rec: Deathfic 1899
pipmer1.livejournal.com - Fic Rec: Albion and the Woodsman

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A Sherlock Holmes Recs Community

Entries tagged with character: inspector lestrade

Fic Rec: The Men Who Talked Between the Words

Fic Rec: Christmas With You

Fic Rec: Excultus

Fic Rec: The Consequences of Misidentifying a Corpse

Fic Rec: In Between

fic rec: Hello You

Fic Rec: A Christmas Carol

Fic Rec: The Last Companion

Fic Rec: Not English But Angels

fic rec: Transports

Fic Rec: Dark Things Happen at the Turn of the Year

Fic Rec: You Have 487 New Messages (Or, In Which Sherlock Holmes Starts a Grouptext)

Fic Rec: You Should Have Changed Course Long Ago

Fic Rec: Sacre Coeur

Fic Rec: The Magnificent Division, by gardnerhill

Fic Rec (BBC Sherlock) | Breakable

Fic Rec (BBC Sherlock) | The Case of the Unexpected Guest

Fic Rec: Promises

Fic Rec: Deathfic 1899

Fic Rec: Albion and the Woodsman

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November 2018

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