'Sherlock Holmes acquires a new client when a beautiful young woman, Isabel Stone, faints on the steps of his Baker Street rooms. She has come to beg his assistance in reclaiming some priceless jewels kept from her by her tyrannical stepfather, Captain Grimbold Pratt. But shortly after agreeing to take her case, Captain Pratt comes to Baker Street, not quite so tyrannical as Isabel would have them believe. Holmes and his cousin, Dr Henry Vernier, must unravel a tense family mystery dating back to the Indian Mutiny, where neither of them is sure who to believe… '
Quite often I find myself thinking about what makes a good Sherlock Holmes story. Obviously there's the need for a good central mystery, these stories are mystery books after-all, and Sherlock Holmes without a case to solve is often something that's best left alone. There's also the need for a good grasp of the character, you need to understand why Sherlock and Watson are iconic and popular figures and bring some of that to the work. And one that I personally like, is does it feel like it could be put on television? Any Sherlock Holmes story that captures the feel of the Jeremy Brett television series from the 1980's and 90's is always going to win me over very quickly, and this is what happened with Sherlock Holmes: The Venerable Tiger. I could really picture the iconic Holmes actor walking around this vast country estate, interacting with tigers, and the over the top host, and it made me really enjoy the book even more.
Sherlock Holmes and the Venerable Tiger sees Holmes and his cousin, Doctor Henry Vernier, being presented with a potential case when a delicate young woman Isabel Stone arrives at 221B Baker Street, literally fainting into Vernier's arms when she gets there. She informs the detective that she's lost her fortune, and needs his help to get it back. Her father was one of three men who returned from military duty in India with a cash of jewels worth a fortune. Her father passed away, leaving the riches to Isabel and her mother, who married a friend of her father, Captain Grimbold Pratt. Now her mother has died too, and Grimbold refuses to give Isabel her inheritance.
Whilst Holmes doesn't seem initially interested in the case, but when the huge and imposing Grimbold arrives and threatens Holmes and Vernier the case sparks something in the detective and he agrees to try to get to the bottom of things. He and Vernier travel to Grimbold's estate, where they find even more mystery, and a host of exotic animals waiting for them.
One of the best things about this book is the relaxed nature of it. This isn't a murder investigation, there's no rush to find a killer before they strike again, so there's no real haste to the events. Holmes and Vernier take their time in trying to figure out what's actually happening, which gives readers a lot of time to get to know the characters, especially Grimbold. Over the course of the book the grouchy old military man goes from a potential antagonist to a brusk but lovable figure. He warms to the investigators, and we see that despite his outward appearance he's actually quite a generous and kind host; and one with some hidden depths.
The characters make more than one visit to the estate, and it feels more like they're on holiday more than an active investigation. Which suited me absolutely fine. There were times where I'd become so engaged in seeing the characters just spending time together and getting to know each other that when something happened to move the case forward it would take me a little by surprise, having forgotten the real reason they were there.
That's not something bad though, it's not like the main plot takes a back seat, as when you look back at it it's pretty clear that Holmes is constantly picking up on things and digging for information. It's a very subtle way of investigating that not every Holmes writer is able to make work, but Sam Siciliano does so perfectly here. He has such a good grasp of Holmes and his methods that even as a reader you forget that Holmes is constantly digging and solving the case, being fooled by Holmes just like the characters.
Speaking of the characters, even though Grimbold is the stand out character there's a lot of great characters that come in and out of the narrative, all of them first appearing to be one thing, but turning out to be something more. None of the characters are two dimensional, they've all got layers to them that a lot of side characters in Holmes fiction don't get. Each of them is interesting, and I always found myself wanting to be spending more time with them. If I had to find any fault with the book it was that it wasn't longer, because I'd wanted more time all of these people.
The central mystery has a pretty satisfying conclusion, and there are enough hints laid throughout that you can figure out much of what's happening if you put your mind to it, which is a good thing. There are times where Holmes will pull out a piece of information that the audience isn't privy to that changes the whole case, but Siciliano doesn't really pull this kind of cheap trick, instead allowing the reader to play detective too. There are a few things that are a little predictable, but these moments never feel cheap of lazy, and its always satisfying to see something you've guessed being proven right.
Overall there's a huge amount to love about this book. The characters are some of the best I've read in a Sherlock Holmes story, and I left the book with a huge smile on my face and the desire to read more about them. It kept me entertained throughout, and I never wanted to put the book down, instead wanting to read more and more even when I had other stuff that I needed to do. Easily one of the best Sherlock Holmes pastiche novels on the market. I'm hugely excited to see more of what Siciliano does with these characters.
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