FOR THE SAKE OF THE GAME is now the fourth anthology edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger that contains short stories and other contributions all inspired by the Sherlock Holmes canon of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

If you’re an avid Sherlockian, of course you’re buying these as you go along just to keep the love going. But mystery lovers in general, even if they’re not immersed in the gaslit Victorian world of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, will still find some things to enjoy as well.

There are 14 contributions here from very well-known writers such as Peter S. Beagle (who contributes a song, about which the less said, the better) Toni L.P. Kelner (who explores the world of Sherlock Holmes conventions in “The Adventure of the Six Sherlocks”), and gems such as F. Paul Wilson’s wonderful pastiche of a retired Holmes re-visiting a femme fatale he encountered before he even met Watson (“The Adventure of the Abu Qir Sapphire”) and Gregg Hurwitz’s high-tech vengeance story “Buy A Bullet” featuring Orphan X.

I must especially call out D. P. Lyle’s “Bottom Line” which features a small-town wannabe Sherlock that could have devolved into cornpone but remarkably doesn’t. The characters feel real, the setting is right and I could easily see myself reading a series based on the folks in this story.

Also to be commended, with reservations, is the graphic segment with story by William Kotzwinkle and art by Joe Servello in “The Case of the Naked Butterfly.” This 10-page tale recounts a mystery where all the characters are insects, from butterflies to praying mantises and beetles. It’s beautiful, but the small scale of the book and the soft paper don’t do justice to the artwork. It would have been lovely on high-gloss black and white photo paper. Still, be sure to closely study this piece.

All anthologies end up being a mixed bag. What I like about this one is that not every story is a traditional Holmes/Watson piece. Some are pretty far from the original inspiration and that’s the point. These are works that use the Sherlock Holmes stories as a muse from which to build their own tales. And there’s plenty here that will entertain you.  —Mark Rose

Get it at Amazon.