Series Rec: The Baker Street Series

[swissmarg]

Title: The Baker Street Series
Author: magicbunni
Pairing: Gen, with minor John/Sarah
Length: ca. 200K words
Rating: G to T
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: None given for the series. Summary of the first part, The Ninth Muse: Conspiracy and murder find Sherlock Holmes and John Watson surrounded by covert enemies in the heart of Scotland Yard. Together, they unearth clues that illuminate the scope, depth, and distorted psychology behind the crime. And, after a pre-emptive strike ordered by the mastermind they pursue, Holmes elects to continue the investigation under conditions that will force John Watson to fight for his friend's -- colleague's -- life.

Reccer's comments: This series is the ultimate in BBC Sherlock gen casefic. It probably comes closer to the format and spirit of the series as aired than anything else I've read, and beyond that, it is simply excellent story-telling. Each case is meticulously planned and expertly executed, with nonstop, pounding action and labyrinthine investigations leading inexorably toward the climax. There is tons of hurt, especially physical injuries, and not much comfort as Sherlock proves again and again that his body is only transport.

The thing that really clinched the series for me, though, is the development of Sherlock's character as he learns to interact with and relate to other people. He never loses his single-mindedness of focus and purpose that often comes across as rude and degrading toward others, but he has moments of connection in each installment that challenge him in new ways. Whether it's his female American counterpart; a potential love interest; Sarah Sawyer (as a platonic ally), who refuses to be put off by the danger surrounding him; and through it all, John. Both he and Sherlock struggle with what place John occupies in Sherlock's life, be it as doctor, protector, sounding board, moral compass, gopher, or, quite possibly, friend.

Excerpt from part 2, The Photography Club:

“Not to be morbid,” Sarah said over her crossed arms as she strode behind them into the street, “What did you ever do with the bullet, Sherlock?”

“I’m thinking of framing it.”

“You could put it on a necklace,” Sarah suggested. “You know I would never suggest this to anyone else, but I don’t think you would shy away from something so dark.”

His brows swept up. “Is it dark?” Invariably, he looked at John.

“Arguably,” John told him.

“How arbitrary.” Sherlock blinked as if the thought had never occurred to him. That was likely because it hadn’t. He rarely considered the emotional content inherent in an object. Holmes raised a hand to summon a cab and darted inside with alarming ease, already texting. John, however, had never seen Sherlock wear jewelry of any kind. A necklace was probably out of the question.

“Think John. If I’d been shot twice, it would have been cufflinks.” Sherlock said lazily as they climbed in. There was nothing to do on the heels of that but laugh.

None of the stories in this series has more than a couple of dozen comments or kudos, and far fewer bookmarks. I am not sure why people are not more enthusiastic about these stories, unless it's the Gen aspect and the length. I know 200,000 words is a big commitment, and you should read them all in order, as each story builds in some way on the one before in terms of the relationships, but the cases are episodic and pretty much self-contained. But like I said at the beginning, if this isn't the absolute go-to gen casefic series in the fandom yet, it definitely should be.

And as an extra bonus, the author has also created some fantastic artwork to go along with the series.

Comments

[clancy-s.livejournal.com]

My main requirement is a good A plot so thanks for the rec. Somehow I'd managed to read the 4th in this series without realising there were 3 others.

[swissmarg]

Well, you *can* read them separately but there are things that I think come through better when you read them in order. It's not like you won't understand what's going on if you read them out of order, or only read one or two of them, though.

[carolyn-claire.livejournal.com]

So true--these stories are wonderful, lots of fun to read. John isn't even in the first one--Sherlock in uni--and it may be my favorite for the insights we get into who Sherlock is and how he got that way.

[swissmarg]

I think you mean The Witch's Heart by the same author, but it's not technically part of this series. It may work as a prequel of some sort, but it's not officially linked. I have to admit I haven't actually read it yet! Although it's been recced on this comm by the_hobbet.

[carolyn-claire.livejournal.com]

That's the one--I've always thought of it as part of the series, since we see Merriweather (the artist Sherlock consults about the missing woman) again after she's introduced in Witch's Heart. There's no linking story between it and the first story John's in, though (I would love for the author to write one!).

[the-hobbet.livejournal.com]

Magicbunni's stories rank in my top ten and I'm also baffled as to why they have so few comments and kudos. In addition to the intricate plotting and fast action, they have wonderful character development and insights.

Go, read, comment, kudo, and help other fans find these deserving stories.

[shadowfireflame.livejournal.com]

Oh, God, I love this series so very much! It's incredible, and I agree with you that it comes possibly the closest to canon as aired in terms of format and spirit. Thanks for reccing!