Editorial Content for Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing: A Case History Recorded by John H. Watson, M.D.
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
It is no secret that my all-time favorite fictional character is Sherlock Holmes. However, as a Holmesian, it is sometimes difficult to navigate all of the options available in the age of public domain. There are literally thousands of novels, short stories, films, TV shows and streaming series about Holmes, and not all of them are great.
That is not the case with author and screenwriter Nicholas Meyer. In my humble opinion, his books are the most faithful to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original version. This was evident in his first Holmes novel, the 1976 bestseller THE SEVEN-PER-CENT-SOLUTION, and continues in his most recent effort, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE REAL THING.
This time, Meyer has penned a story about the dark side of fine art and the forgeries and double dealings done within the industry that can bring about homicidal responses in an effort to protect the restoration of classic artwork, which is often duplicated by those with subversive morals, delusions of grandeur and financial windfalls when trading in these items.
"SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE REAL THING delivers everything a Holmes fan should expect from a great tale masterminded by Nicholas Meyer."
On a snowy winter day, Sherlock Holmes is suffering from a severe case of boredom when Lady Vera Glendenning alerts him and Watson to a missing tenant. Rupert Milestone is a portrait artist who disappeared while still owing her a few months’ rent. The police have turned up nothing, so she feels compelled to ask Holmes for assistance.
Holmes and Watson head to Milestone’s apartment, even with the snow picking up. Upon full inspection of the premises, Holmes discovers a considerable amount of dried blood on the floor with all the old, spilled paint. He also finds an unframed Rembrandt painting, which, to the untrained eye, looks like an original. Not being an expert in fine art, he reaches out to his brother, Mycroft, and Milestone’s employer to attempt to authenticate it. The response he gets, especially from a world-renowned art restorer, shows a great deal of interest in the painting and a bit of desperation to possess it.
Holmes’ frequent colleague, Inspector Lestrade, uncovers a dead body hidden within the confines of a melting snowman. It initially is feared to be Milestone. Knowing that there are people out there willing to kill to protect whatever chicanery Milestone and his cohorts have been involved in is enough to put Holmes and Watson on high alert while continuing their investigation. They call on Juliet Packwood, to whom the widowed Watson takes quite a shine, to provide her expert opinion. She will play a key role in the made-up play, a tip of the hat to the play within a play conceived by Hamlet. Hopefully a killer or killers will be revealed.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE REAL THING delivers everything a Holmes fan should expect from a great tale masterminded by Nicholas Meyer. In the acknowledgements, Meyer hints that this may be his last Sherlock Holmes novel, which is why he cleverly brings everything full circle with several references to the first Holmes story, A STUDY IN SCARLET.
Teaser
London, 189–: While the great city is brought to a standstill by a series of blizzards, a landlady complains that her artist tenant is behind on rent. The next thing you know, there are several corpses, and Sherlock Holmes and his biographer, John H. Watson, MD, find themselves drawn into one of the most bizarre cases of the great detective’s career. And into the cutthroat big business of Art, where chicanery and mendacity (and cut throats) proliferate. What makes a work of art worth killing for? Is it the artist, his mistress, his dealer or his blackmailer? The cast of characters is large. But are they perpetrators, accomplices or victims? And just who is Juliet Packwood, with whom Watson has become infatuated?
Promo
London, 189–: While the great city is brought to a standstill by a series of blizzards, a landlady complains that her artist tenant is behind on rent. The next thing you know, there are several corpses, and Sherlock Holmes and his biographer, John H. Watson, MD, find themselves drawn into one of the most bizarre cases of the great detective’s career. And into the cutthroat big business of Art, where chicanery and mendacity (and cut throats) proliferate. What makes a work of art worth killing for? Is it the artist, his mistress, his dealer or his blackmailer? The cast of characters is large. But are they perpetrators, accomplices or victims? And just who is Juliet Packwood, with whom Watson has become infatuated?
About the Book
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson delve into the world of art forgery in this new historical mystery from the author of SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE TELEGRAM FROM HELL.
London, 189–: The great city is brought to a standstill by a series of blizzards and Sherlock Holmes is bored to distraction. It would take a miracle to bring a case to the detective’s door.
What arrives is not promising: a landlady who complains her artist tenant is behind on rent. Not exactly the miracle for which Holmes was hoping. But, next thing you know, there are several corpses and Sherlock Holmes and his biographer, John H. Watson, MD, find themselves drawn into one of the most bizarre cases of the great detective’s career. And into the cutthroat big business of Art, where chicanery and mendacity (and cut throats) proliferate.
What makes a work of art worth killing for? Is it the artist, his mistress, his dealer or his blackmailer? The cast of characters is large. But are they perpetrators, accomplices or victims? And just who is Juliet Packwood, with whom Watson has become infatuated?
Oh, and there’s one other problem: Is this a genuine Holmes case or a clever forgery? Is this the real thing?
If you can’t tell the difference, what is the difference?
Audiobook available, read by David Robb and Nick Meyer
