The Valley of Fear

A Pennsylvania mining town and a secret cult provide the background for this adventure that tests the wits of Sherlock Holmes. Clive Merrison and Michael Williams individually do fine work portraying Holmes and Watson, respectively. But taken together, the actors fail to alter their vocal tones and styles to distinguish the two characters. Likewise, the frequent flashbacks from London in the 1890s to America in the 1870s are not easily distinguished. Confusion aside, the BBC once again provides an exciting and entertaining dramatization, with a full cast, music, and sound effects that bring the story alive. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine