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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Nicholas Meyer channels Conan Doyle and mixes real-life people and events to craft a great Sherlock Holmes tale.
I am not a fan of spy craft novels. I enjoy the Holmes character so thought I'd give it a try, but it just bored me.
ALC Review
Nicholas Meyer's Sherlock Holmes books are beloved by many readers. Some things are simply a matter of taste.
This was my first book by Meyers. The audiobook production is first rate. I enjoyed the performance by David Robb. His vocal versatility and emotive range enhanced my experience of the book.
The premise, engaging the aging and restless Holmes and Watson in the war effort, is clever and ambitious.
I liked the action scenes and classic Sherlock Holmes bits, although this version of Holmes falls short for me.
The novel is heavy on background information and prolonged sedentary dialogue. It's largely a historical novel with espionage.
The footnotes were a grating distraction. Several of them exist only to point to other books by the author. I didn't feel engaged by the plot until nearly seventy percent into it.
There are touching moments on aging and in the relationship between his versions of Watson and Holmes.
The depiction of the war era works well–showing women’s expanding roles in society and even a positive portrayal of a self-aware gender non-conforming character. A scene with that character was my favorite part of the book.
Recommended for fans of Sherlock Holmes pastiche and historical fiction.
Thank you, HighBridge Audio for the ALC via NetGalley for consideration. These are my unbiased opinions.
Nicholas Meyer's Sherlock Holmes books are beloved by many readers. Some things are simply a matter of taste.
This was my first book by Meyers. The audiobook production is first rate. I enjoyed the performance by David Robb. His vocal versatility and emotive range enhanced my experience of the book.
The premise, engaging the aging and restless Holmes and Watson in the war effort, is clever and ambitious.
I liked the action scenes and classic Sherlock Holmes bits, although this version of Holmes falls short for me.
The novel is heavy on background information and prolonged sedentary dialogue. It's largely a historical novel with espionage.
The footnotes were a grating distraction. Several of them exist only to point to other books by the author. I didn't feel engaged by the plot until nearly seventy percent into it.
There are touching moments on aging and in the relationship between his versions of Watson and Holmes.
The depiction of the war era works well–showing women’s expanding roles in society and even a positive portrayal of a self-aware gender non-conforming character. A scene with that character was my favorite part of the book.
Recommended for fans of Sherlock Holmes pastiche and historical fiction.
Thank you, HighBridge Audio for the ALC via NetGalley for consideration. These are my unbiased opinions.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
In wartime morality becomes a dispensable luxury.
In June of 1916 England is at war with Germany in a conflict which will eventually become known as The Great War, there is rebellion in Ireland and unrest in Russia, and the United States is determined to remain neutral. Dr. John Watson, erstwhile companion of the famed consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, had volunteered his services to the Army on the battlefront but, given his age and physical limitations, has instead been pressed into service at a hospital in London. He is overworked, exhausted, and seeing far too many grievous injuries on the young men who are sent his way. Then there comes a knock on his door late one night….an injured and disreputable-looking Sherlock Holmes has come to ask for his help on another case, this time on behalf of the British government. Holmes has recently spent time undercover in a London prison becoming close to a disgraced national hero now accused of treason for his efforts on behalf of Ireland who, the powers that be suspect, may know what the Germans are plotting to break the current stalemate in the war.. He uncovers what the German’s goal is…..they want to use their fleet of U boats to erect a blockade around the British Isles, firing upon ships of any nationality that try to bring supplies to them, and bring them to the point of starvation. The problem of course is that if German ships were to fire upon US vessels the US would have no choice but to join in the war effort, and knowing that such an occurrence would likely doom Germany’s ability to win the war they know such an eventuality must be avoided. Holmes is told that there is a plan, a foolproof one, that would allow the blockade to commence without US ships entering into the war, but his source doesn’t know what the details of the plan are. Holmes and Watson ship out to the United States, landing in Boston and traveling first to New York and then Washington DC in search of those details. They will cross paths with J. Edgar Hoover and Alice Roosevelt Longfellow while foiling attempts on their own lives by an old nemesis, and will ultimately find themselves in Mexico to intercept the delivery via telegram of a coded message, the so-called Telegram from Hell, that will authorize the initiation of the German’s plan to prevent the US from joining the war. As people in their orbit are killed, will Holmes and Watson be able to obtain the telegram, transmit its contents safely back to England, and foil the Germans attempt to secure victory? Or will they die trying? The world is at war, and the concept of fair play is no longer in practice…in the end, winning is all that will matter
For fans of Sherlock Holmes, author Nicholas Meyer is perhaps best known as the author of The Seven Percent Solution (and screenwriter of the film upon which it was based). The concept of this novel, as it was in previous works, is that long lost pages handwritten by Dr. John Watson were obtained at a Sotheby’s auction and entrusted to Nicholas Meyer to edit and release. Meyer opens by saying that he has chosen to edit this tranche of pages as little as possible, that some entries in the pages he received have been revised (perhaps but not necessarily by Watson), and they span the course of about a year (and a very eventful year it was). Weaving real life people and events into a Holmesian story featuring the two beloved characters who have aged and may not be as on top of their game physically and mentally as they once were, the reader is treated to a mystery steeped in politics and statesmanship, both happy to be back in “the game” and only too well aware of the consequential stakes involved. For those who have read the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as well as those who enjoy Sherlockiana of all sorts (including the novels of authors like Laurie R. King, Anthony Horowitz as well as author NIcholas Meyer’s earlier works) should absolutely pick up a copy of this latest adventure. I felt that the voice of Watson narrating the story was quite true to the original, although it is a Watson who while he relishes a return to “the game” questions his ability to perform as needed. I enjoyed the tale a great deal, and was perhaps as happy as Holmes and Watson were themselves to see the two old friends called back into action. Many thanks to NetGalley and The Mysterious Press/Penzler Publishers for allowing me early access to a copy of Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell.
In June of 1916 England is at war with Germany in a conflict which will eventually become known as The Great War, there is rebellion in Ireland and unrest in Russia, and the United States is determined to remain neutral. Dr. John Watson, erstwhile companion of the famed consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, had volunteered his services to the Army on the battlefront but, given his age and physical limitations, has instead been pressed into service at a hospital in London. He is overworked, exhausted, and seeing far too many grievous injuries on the young men who are sent his way. Then there comes a knock on his door late one night….an injured and disreputable-looking Sherlock Holmes has come to ask for his help on another case, this time on behalf of the British government. Holmes has recently spent time undercover in a London prison becoming close to a disgraced national hero now accused of treason for his efforts on behalf of Ireland who, the powers that be suspect, may know what the Germans are plotting to break the current stalemate in the war.. He uncovers what the German’s goal is…..they want to use their fleet of U boats to erect a blockade around the British Isles, firing upon ships of any nationality that try to bring supplies to them, and bring them to the point of starvation. The problem of course is that if German ships were to fire upon US vessels the US would have no choice but to join in the war effort, and knowing that such an occurrence would likely doom Germany’s ability to win the war they know such an eventuality must be avoided. Holmes is told that there is a plan, a foolproof one, that would allow the blockade to commence without US ships entering into the war, but his source doesn’t know what the details of the plan are. Holmes and Watson ship out to the United States, landing in Boston and traveling first to New York and then Washington DC in search of those details. They will cross paths with J. Edgar Hoover and Alice Roosevelt Longfellow while foiling attempts on their own lives by an old nemesis, and will ultimately find themselves in Mexico to intercept the delivery via telegram of a coded message, the so-called Telegram from Hell, that will authorize the initiation of the German’s plan to prevent the US from joining the war. As people in their orbit are killed, will Holmes and Watson be able to obtain the telegram, transmit its contents safely back to England, and foil the Germans attempt to secure victory? Or will they die trying? The world is at war, and the concept of fair play is no longer in practice…in the end, winning is all that will matter
For fans of Sherlock Holmes, author Nicholas Meyer is perhaps best known as the author of The Seven Percent Solution (and screenwriter of the film upon which it was based). The concept of this novel, as it was in previous works, is that long lost pages handwritten by Dr. John Watson were obtained at a Sotheby’s auction and entrusted to Nicholas Meyer to edit and release. Meyer opens by saying that he has chosen to edit this tranche of pages as little as possible, that some entries in the pages he received have been revised (perhaps but not necessarily by Watson), and they span the course of about a year (and a very eventful year it was). Weaving real life people and events into a Holmesian story featuring the two beloved characters who have aged and may not be as on top of their game physically and mentally as they once were, the reader is treated to a mystery steeped in politics and statesmanship, both happy to be back in “the game” and only too well aware of the consequential stakes involved. For those who have read the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as well as those who enjoy Sherlockiana of all sorts (including the novels of authors like Laurie R. King, Anthony Horowitz as well as author NIcholas Meyer’s earlier works) should absolutely pick up a copy of this latest adventure. I felt that the voice of Watson narrating the story was quite true to the original, although it is a Watson who while he relishes a return to “the game” questions his ability to perform as needed. I enjoyed the tale a great deal, and was perhaps as happy as Holmes and Watson were themselves to see the two old friends called back into action. Many thanks to NetGalley and The Mysterious Press/Penzler Publishers for allowing me early access to a copy of Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell.
slow-paced
Sherlock Holmes and Watson must learn what plot Germany has planned to make sure the States do not enter the war. To do this they must cross the Atlantic.
A slow moving plot, too slow at times.
A slow moving plot, too slow at times.