Fic for rabidsamfan: The Kidnapping of Arthur Daniel Ruskin

[holmesticemods]

Title: The Kidnapping of Arthur Daniel Ruskin
Recipient: rabidsamfan
Author: capt_facepalm
Verse: ACD Canon
Characters/Pairings: Mr Sherlock Holmes, Dr John Watson, others mentioned
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Children in peril
Summary: An early case fic involving the kidnapping of children

Comments

[rabidsamfan]

Oh, marvelous! Thani you. I will write a proper conment in the morning.

[rabidsamfan]

Sorry for the delay. I was on vacation, and after my flight home I basically spent an entire day sleeping it off.

In any case, I love my story. It sounds very Watsonian! And you have mastered a skill I'm afraid that I lack in creating a plausible mystery. It was nice to see that you gave Holmes some stumbling blocks, too. I do like it when a case is complicated. You had me chasing a wild hare, wondering if the boys got switched at birth, for part of the story, which was an excellent use of misdirection.

I also like it when stories remember that Watson is a doctor as well as a biographer, so that element was most satisfactory.

All in all, a wonderful job. Thank you!

[gardnerhill]

Very good casefic. And a sad light thrown on a nasty crime epidemic of the time.

[graycardinal]

A well-told and thoughtful tale indeed, distinctive in that it offers a puzzle rather more realistic than the closed-circle-of-suspects model that characterizes so much of "English country house" mystery. Points, too, for a Watsonian narrative that has an authentic ring to it. This is definitely proving to be a high-quality round!

[sanguinity]

I am always impressed with people who can write proper casefic! With proper red-herrings and everything! And I do like all the character notes sprinkled throughout: Holmes' concern about Watson's temper, Watson trusting Holmes to pursue alone, Holmes' persistent worry that the second child is dead (and how it only causes him to set his teeth more firmly in the case). A very satisfying read!

[rachelindeed]

Oh, a wonderful casefic that showed Holmes and Watson truly making a difference in rescuing the most vulnerable of children and ultimately shutting down a genuinely despicable ring of criminals. As a parent to an autistic child, I was very interested to see the way you realistically portrayed reactions to his condition among the Ruskin family, and particularly pleased that he and Arthur remained the closest of friends even as they grew older. I was also delighted at that little touch wherein Watson caught the tennis detail that Holmes had missed! And I was also pleased that for once we saw the better angels of human nature on display, and that despite his earlier prejudice and the fears of his family, Mr. Ruskin ultimately did the right thing and was willing to pay a very substantial ransom to save William's life. I was proud of him. This was a gripping read from start to finish, with the language perfectly polished and the characters all at their best. Thank you!