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cgonya1's review
5.0
I was given a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I have not read anything by Nicholas Meyer before this novel. This is Mr. Meyer’s fifth Sherlock Holmes pastiche, and I believe he did the Great Detective admirable justice.
In 1910, Dr. John Watson travels to Egypt in the hopes that it will cure his wife Juliet of her tuberculosis. While she is in isolation and treatment, Watson runs into Sherlock Holmes, who is in disguise and on a case. A Duke’s wife has inquired his services to search for her missing husband, who has succumbed to the Egyptian mania, searching for an undiscovered tomb and its gold. It doesn’t take much convincing for Watson to join Sherlock on his investigation, despite his current situation. As Sherlock and Watson progress, they discover that the Duke is only one of a group of Egyptologists who have had unfortunate circumstances. Our duo ask for the assistance of Howard Carter to take up the trail before more individuals lose their lives.
Like many others before me, I have read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories. Sherlock Holmes was my first detective, and remains my favorite. I proceed to consume as many of the pastiches as I can, with the continued hope that they will follow the legacy without too much embellishment. Nicholas Meyer does a fantastic job of staying within the expectations of each character in regards to how they handle their frustrations, despairs, and thought processes. I also like how human Holmes was portrayed in this novel. There are many pastiche that make the character aloof and stand-offish as well as rude to even Dr. Watson. While it is known that Sherlock contains his emotions, I cannot help but wonder if individuals are forgetting that these two men have been friends for a long time and have gone through many trials and tribulations. Some pastiches still do not give Dr. Watson enough credit when it comes to learning from Sherlock. Meyer, on the other hand, gives Watson more intelligence by also giving him some key roles to the mystery.
I have also always liked when authors include real historical events and persons in to their stories. Historical fiction can only open so many doors. Knowing that the main characters would need assistance, Meyer uses Howard Carter in the story that makes all of the events plausible. The detail he depicts regarding the environment and the governmental clashes make one believe that they are walking beside Holmes and Watson. It is clear that Meyer did a lot of research for this novel, and there is a recommended list of non-fiction books that he graciously supplied.
The mystery was simple and straightforward. In my opinion, it fell just short of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mystery. However, that did not take anything away, because it was so simple. Too much convolution and confusion can make the novel difficult to enjoy, and this was not the case here. I found that because it was so straightforward that it wasn’t until the last chapter that I finally figured out what happened to the Duke. To add to the adventure, there are spies, buried treasure, a desert sandstorm, and crawling around inside a pyramid. If you are someone who is effected by claustrophobia, as I am, some passages may be harder to read than others. But reading them will still make the ending understandable to one character in particular.
Overall I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars, and will add Nicholas Meyer to my list of authors to follow.
I have not read anything by Nicholas Meyer before this novel. This is Mr. Meyer’s fifth Sherlock Holmes pastiche, and I believe he did the Great Detective admirable justice.
In 1910, Dr. John Watson travels to Egypt in the hopes that it will cure his wife Juliet of her tuberculosis. While she is in isolation and treatment, Watson runs into Sherlock Holmes, who is in disguise and on a case. A Duke’s wife has inquired his services to search for her missing husband, who has succumbed to the Egyptian mania, searching for an undiscovered tomb and its gold. It doesn’t take much convincing for Watson to join Sherlock on his investigation, despite his current situation. As Sherlock and Watson progress, they discover that the Duke is only one of a group of Egyptologists who have had unfortunate circumstances. Our duo ask for the assistance of Howard Carter to take up the trail before more individuals lose their lives.
Like many others before me, I have read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories. Sherlock Holmes was my first detective, and remains my favorite. I proceed to consume as many of the pastiches as I can, with the continued hope that they will follow the legacy without too much embellishment. Nicholas Meyer does a fantastic job of staying within the expectations of each character in regards to how they handle their frustrations, despairs, and thought processes. I also like how human Holmes was portrayed in this novel. There are many pastiche that make the character aloof and stand-offish as well as rude to even Dr. Watson. While it is known that Sherlock contains his emotions, I cannot help but wonder if individuals are forgetting that these two men have been friends for a long time and have gone through many trials and tribulations. Some pastiches still do not give Dr. Watson enough credit when it comes to learning from Sherlock. Meyer, on the other hand, gives Watson more intelligence by also giving him some key roles to the mystery.
I have also always liked when authors include real historical events and persons in to their stories. Historical fiction can only open so many doors. Knowing that the main characters would need assistance, Meyer uses Howard Carter in the story that makes all of the events plausible. The detail he depicts regarding the environment and the governmental clashes make one believe that they are walking beside Holmes and Watson. It is clear that Meyer did a lot of research for this novel, and there is a recommended list of non-fiction books that he graciously supplied.
The mystery was simple and straightforward. In my opinion, it fell just short of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mystery. However, that did not take anything away, because it was so simple. Too much convolution and confusion can make the novel difficult to enjoy, and this was not the case here. I found that because it was so straightforward that it wasn’t until the last chapter that I finally figured out what happened to the Duke. To add to the adventure, there are spies, buried treasure, a desert sandstorm, and crawling around inside a pyramid. If you are someone who is effected by claustrophobia, as I am, some passages may be harder to read than others. But reading them will still make the ending understandable to one character in particular.
Overall I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars, and will add Nicholas Meyer to my list of authors to follow.
tessa_talks_books's review
5.0
What I Enjoyed
The Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer is another Sherlock Holmes mystery from the reminiscences of Dr. John H. Watson. What I enjoyed the most about this book, as I have other Nicholas Meyer's Sherlock Holmes stories, is how well the tone, atmosphere, verbiage, and more reflect the original series by Sir Conan Doyle. Yet, it adds an extra intangible Myers-ness that I especially enjoy.
Dr. Watson is married to the lovely Juliet. She is having a reoccurrence of tuberculosis, so she must go to a better climate to heal. At her doctor's advice, the couple heads to a hospital in Cairo, Egypt, a spa-like facility for ex-military and their families. The exchanges between the loving couple provide a foundational element that makes the notoriously cerebral tale more relatable and humanizes in unexpected ways. And Juliet having consumption gives a little touch of relatedness to today's covid pandemic. I loved that small little relatable touch.
Watson forgets to contact Sherlock Holmes to let him know about the trip. But, surprise surprise, one night when he decides to go to a bar in the city after Juliet retires for the evening - who is sitting next to him at the bar and wearing his military uniform tie – none other than his dear friend Sherlock Holmes. Watson's annoyance and Holmes' logic meet in some of the funniest exchanges in the story. I love these little bits of humor that come from minor annoyances that only true friends can have.
I also enjoyed how the story picks up to thriller speed as Watson and Holmes face peril after peril while figuring out what happened to the duke that Holmes is hired to find. The adventure to solve the mystery leads them all over Cairo and to an illegal archaeological dig in the Valley of Kings. The setting is brilliant and lends to the thrills as I was reminded of great action adventures stories that have also taken place in the exact location.
Characters
Dr. Watson is the ever-present unflappable foil to Sherlock Holmes' intense logical mind. Whereas Holmes is so logical that he doesn't understand the intricacies of human emotion, Watson understands perfectly and yet is just as astute in discerning clues as the detective. Together, they make a formidable investigative team.
To Read or Not to Read
If you are looking for a Sherlock Holmes mystery with lots of thrills and plenty of Holmes-ness, you must pick up this book today. You are going to love it!
The Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer is another Sherlock Holmes mystery from the reminiscences of Dr. John H. Watson. What I enjoyed the most about this book, as I have other Nicholas Meyer's Sherlock Holmes stories, is how well the tone, atmosphere, verbiage, and more reflect the original series by Sir Conan Doyle. Yet, it adds an extra intangible Myers-ness that I especially enjoy.
Dr. Watson is married to the lovely Juliet. She is having a reoccurrence of tuberculosis, so she must go to a better climate to heal. At her doctor's advice, the couple heads to a hospital in Cairo, Egypt, a spa-like facility for ex-military and their families. The exchanges between the loving couple provide a foundational element that makes the notoriously cerebral tale more relatable and humanizes in unexpected ways. And Juliet having consumption gives a little touch of relatedness to today's covid pandemic. I loved that small little relatable touch.
Watson forgets to contact Sherlock Holmes to let him know about the trip. But, surprise surprise, one night when he decides to go to a bar in the city after Juliet retires for the evening - who is sitting next to him at the bar and wearing his military uniform tie – none other than his dear friend Sherlock Holmes. Watson's annoyance and Holmes' logic meet in some of the funniest exchanges in the story. I love these little bits of humor that come from minor annoyances that only true friends can have.
I also enjoyed how the story picks up to thriller speed as Watson and Holmes face peril after peril while figuring out what happened to the duke that Holmes is hired to find. The adventure to solve the mystery leads them all over Cairo and to an illegal archaeological dig in the Valley of Kings. The setting is brilliant and lends to the thrills as I was reminded of great action adventures stories that have also taken place in the exact location.
Characters
Dr. Watson is the ever-present unflappable foil to Sherlock Holmes' intense logical mind. Whereas Holmes is so logical that he doesn't understand the intricacies of human emotion, Watson understands perfectly and yet is just as astute in discerning clues as the detective. Together, they make a formidable investigative team.
To Read or Not to Read
If you are looking for a Sherlock Holmes mystery with lots of thrills and plenty of Holmes-ness, you must pick up this book today. You are going to love it!
vesper1931's review
medium-paced
5.0
1910 November Due to the illness of his wife Juliet, she and Dr Watson arrange to stay in Cairo for her treatment. Several months later Dr Watson discovers Holmes, disguised as a Colonel Arbuthnot, on a case. That of the missing Duke of Uxbridge. And so the adventure begins.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery, with its cast of likeable and varied characters. Another good addition to the series which can easily be read as a standalone story.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery, with its cast of likeable and varied characters. Another good addition to the series which can easily be read as a standalone story.
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