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.