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A review by thebeardedpoet
The Return of the Pharaoh: From the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D. by Nicholas Meyer
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!