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tobin_elliott's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Maybe it's my familiarity with Meyer's version of Sherlock now, maybe I've just read too many of them in relatively quick succession, but I'm finding I'm getting less and less enjoyment from them as I go. This is easily my least favourite of the bunch.
Meyer follows his typical pattern of pulling Holmes and Watson away from their usual haunts, inserts some cameos with varying degrees of success, mentions some popular novels/music/plays of the time period, brings in a pretty woman, then wraps up the mystery.
It's feeling a touch formulaic at this point. I'd love to see Meyer just dig in and give us one that's closer to the Doyle playbook.
Meyer follows his typical pattern of pulling Holmes and Watson away from their usual haunts, inserts some cameos with varying degrees of success, mentions some popular novels/music/plays of the time period, brings in a pretty woman, then wraps up the mystery.
It's feeling a touch formulaic at this point. I'd love to see Meyer just dig in and give us one that's closer to the Doyle playbook.
duchessofreadin's review
5.0
Absolutely fantastic! I was hooked from the start as I was reading this book. It was wonderful.
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are off on another adventure. Dr. Watson has taken his wife to Egypt to recover from her tuberculosis, and there, he runs into his old friend, Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is undercover, attempting to find a missing Duke, and Watson gets pulled into the investigation as it moves forward.
A missing Duke, the promise of an unplundered tomb, and a case so intriguing that you are going to be unable to put the book down once you start. I am suffering from a horrible book hangover, but excited to see what else this author has to offer!
Revisit Egypt, and another case with Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are off on another adventure. Dr. Watson has taken his wife to Egypt to recover from her tuberculosis, and there, he runs into his old friend, Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is undercover, attempting to find a missing Duke, and Watson gets pulled into the investigation as it moves forward.
A missing Duke, the promise of an unplundered tomb, and a case so intriguing that you are going to be unable to put the book down once you start. I am suffering from a horrible book hangover, but excited to see what else this author has to offer!
Revisit Egypt, and another case with Sherlock Holmes.
shirleytupperfreeman's review
This was a fun listen. Nicholas Meyer has revived Sherlock Holmes and John Watson stories in the style of Arthur Conan Doyle. Meyer writes as if these are recently discovered and unpublished stories of Watson's documenting previously unknown adventures with Sherlock Holmes. In this version, Watson has brought his wife to Egypt because her doctor prescribes the treatments and climate she can receive there. While there he runs into a soldier - who of course is actually Holmes - on a missing persons case. The two get into all kinds of adventure and danger as they pursue the lost. Very clever pastiche (I had to look up that word).
esdeecarlson's review
4.0
**This book was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.**
Meyer’s pastiche is predictably excellent; his writing takes great pains to match Doyle’s, and his footnotes “explaining” discrepancies and references in “Watson’s journal” add a delightful touch of reality to the scene.
The setting is the real star of the show. Beautifully painted by “Watson’s” excited prose, Egypt, from the health clinic to the Khan El-Khalili to the desolate sands of the desert, is a fabulous setting to drop the famed Holmes and Watson into, and Meyer clearly appreciates that. The only downside is that Holmes and Watson are complete Egyptological novices, and so any reader familiar with late Victorian Egyptology will probably cringe as experts in the field are forced to spend time during the digging season explaining the most basic of concepts to them, which I rather feel Holmes might have acquired by skimming a book. That said, most readers will not be familiar, so this should not be a detriment, and it is fun to see a cameo from Howard Carter.
The very best part of this book, however, is the relationship between Holmes and Watson. As the two are thrown into one of their most dangerous cases yet, we get to see the deep and fervent friendship between the two men in a way that nonetheless stays perfectly true to their characters.
Meyer’s pastiche is predictably excellent; his writing takes great pains to match Doyle’s, and his footnotes “explaining” discrepancies and references in “Watson’s journal” add a delightful touch of reality to the scene.
The setting is the real star of the show. Beautifully painted by “Watson’s” excited prose, Egypt, from the health clinic to the Khan El-Khalili to the desolate sands of the desert, is a fabulous setting to drop the famed Holmes and Watson into, and Meyer clearly appreciates that. The only downside is that Holmes and Watson are complete Egyptological novices, and so any reader familiar with late Victorian Egyptology will probably cringe as experts in the field are forced to spend time during the digging season explaining the most basic of concepts to them, which I rather feel Holmes might have acquired by skimming a book. That said, most readers will not be familiar, so this should not be a detriment, and it is fun to see a cameo from Howard Carter.
The very best part of this book, however, is the relationship between Holmes and Watson. As the two are thrown into one of their most dangerous cases yet, we get to see the deep and fervent friendship between the two men in a way that nonetheless stays perfectly true to their characters.
annieb123's review
4.0
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Return of the Pharaoh is the 5th Holmes & Watson pastiche by Nicholas Meyer. Released 9th Nov. 2021 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 272 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats (paperback due out in Nov 2022). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a very well written homage, done with respect and insight, by a talented author who is gifted at his craft. The characterizations, obviously, are paramount, and he does them justice. There are canonical fans who likely won't be satisfied with *anything* added to the genre, but really, this is a respectful and eminently readable book.
This installment sees Dr. Watson accompanying his wife to Egypt, to a sanatorium to try to improve her health after a recent tuberculosis diagnosis. Soon he's embroiled in a curious missing persons case with Holmes and the game is most definitely afoot. The plotting, denouement, and resolution are satisfying and complete. The author has also listed a short bibliography of source material at the back of the book which is worth a perusal.
Four stars. It's a diverting read and while it's not *actually* Conan Doyle, it could easily *have been*. One interesting thing to me is how much effort writers must expend writing in the style of another writer. I believe it craves more talent and a great deal of humility to suppress their natural voices in order to let the other writer's voice come out clearly. This one succeeds.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Return of the Pharaoh is the 5th Holmes & Watson pastiche by Nicholas Meyer. Released 9th Nov. 2021 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 272 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats (paperback due out in Nov 2022). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a very well written homage, done with respect and insight, by a talented author who is gifted at his craft. The characterizations, obviously, are paramount, and he does them justice. There are canonical fans who likely won't be satisfied with *anything* added to the genre, but really, this is a respectful and eminently readable book.
This installment sees Dr. Watson accompanying his wife to Egypt, to a sanatorium to try to improve her health after a recent tuberculosis diagnosis. Soon he's embroiled in a curious missing persons case with Holmes and the game is most definitely afoot. The plotting, denouement, and resolution are satisfying and complete. The author has also listed a short bibliography of source material at the back of the book which is worth a perusal.
Four stars. It's a diverting read and while it's not *actually* Conan Doyle, it could easily *have been*. One interesting thing to me is how much effort writers must expend writing in the style of another writer. I believe it craves more talent and a great deal of humility to suppress their natural voices in order to let the other writer's voice come out clearly. This one succeeds.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
thebeardedpoet's review
3.0
Note to self: Think twice before trying any future Nicholas Meyer Sherlock Holmes novels!
Meyer's latest Holmes tale sticks closely to the traditional Doyle canon, so purists will probably like it. I had two problems with it. First, the vocabulary was excessively academic with paragraph long sentences featuring a plethora of three-or-more syllable words. Meyer may have thought these stylistic qualities imitated Doyle's Victorian style, but I think that was in error. Doyle's narrative voice for Watson was never this verbose! Second, the story itself was slow and fairly dull, making little use of Holmes' deductions and mercurial mind. The Return of the Pharaoh is rightly described as an "adventure" and not so much a mystery. Yes, there is a case, but Holmes and Watson function much like a later-day hardboiled detective team, blundering into trouble and plugging ahead until the matter reaches an end.
Having been disappointed with Meyer's The Adventures of the Peculiar Protocols, especially since Holmes resorted to an interrogation involving the use of torture, this outing has finally convinced me to take a pass on any future installments. There are other authors writing better Sherlock Holmes these days. Certainly more enjoyable Holmes tales!
Meyer's latest Holmes tale sticks closely to the traditional Doyle canon, so purists will probably like it. I had two problems with it. First, the vocabulary was excessively academic with paragraph long sentences featuring a plethora of three-or-more syllable words. Meyer may have thought these stylistic qualities imitated Doyle's Victorian style, but I think that was in error. Doyle's narrative voice for Watson was never this verbose! Second, the story itself was slow and fairly dull, making little use of Holmes' deductions and mercurial mind. The Return of the Pharaoh is rightly described as an "adventure" and not so much a mystery. Yes, there is a case, but Holmes and Watson function much like a later-day hardboiled detective team, blundering into trouble and plugging ahead until the matter reaches an end.
Having been disappointed with Meyer's The Adventures of the Peculiar Protocols, especially since Holmes resorted to an interrogation involving the use of torture, this outing has finally convinced me to take a pass on any future installments. There are other authors writing better Sherlock Holmes these days. Certainly more enjoyable Holmes tales!
keepingyouonread's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
Watson is in Egypt with his sick wife when he runs into Holmes (who happens to be using Watson’s military regalia to impersonate an officer). Watson details a missing Duke, Egyptian gold, murdered treasure hunters and more.
What I liked: I haven’t read a lot of books set in Egypt so I really enjoyed the setting and learning more about life there in the early 1900s. Real life archeologist, Howard Carter makes an appearance as a minor character.
I didn’t realize there were many good fakes of Egyptian artifacts.
What didn’t work for me: I haven’t read any Sherlock Holmes books so for me the writing style was hard to connect with and at times difficult to read.
I felt like the end was a little obvious once you got there but I wanted more of Holmes and Watson talking through the mystery.
Who should read it: I think if you like Sherlock Holmes books you may connect more with this one, or if you read a lot from that time period so the writing feels more natural.
Thank you Minotaur for my gifted copy. This is out now.
I read this as part of my backlist books. Do you have any backlist books you’re trying to get to this year?
hpuphd's review
5.0
Wonderful, exciting story, as good as anything else Nicholas Meyer has written about Holmes. I hated to see the book end. How would the heroes escape that last, terrible threat? I just trusted that Holmes would figure it all out . . . as he did years ago when I read my first Holmes story in, I think, the fifth grade, “The Red-Headed League.”