I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.

His name is synonymous with extraordinary detective work. Sherlock Holmes is a legend, solver of many crimes. In this book, he is at the beginning, honing his skills. Sherlock has started attracting notice for his keen observations. He is asked to give an opinion on a vision that a museum director claimed to have. There is no plausible explanation.

Sherlock brings a colleague, Mr. Stamford, with him as he meets the director. Did the director see something otherworldly? As Holmes begins his questioning, the director and his associate admit that a crime occurred at the museum – the Rosetta Stone has been taken! Can Sherlock Holmes find the stone before the museum has to pay the ransom? How will Sherlock deduce the location of the stone?

Sherlock manages to unravel this twisted tale. He notices clues that the police overlook. While the police are convinced that the stone is on a boat being readied for a burial at sea, Sherlock disagrees. The missing Rosetta Stone is located and through his clever thinking, the criminals are located. Justice prevails. The police are amazed at the outcome, convinced that Sherlock Holmes is just an eccentric. He has single-handedly managed to solve the case with a certain level of modesty.

Linda Stratmann captures the essence of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s character and various books. Her style evokes that of other Sherlock Holmes books seamlessly. She is descriptive and thorough. As in all Sherlock Holmes books, the events in the case occur in chronological order. No flash backs here! Her devotion to details strikes the right tone. This story leaves the reader interested and engaged until the conclusion.

I enjoyed this book. The beginning is a bit cumbersome while the characters and case are introduced but the pace picks up quickly once the key characters are established. Linda Stratmann takes an inventive look at the early days of the great detective. It is nice to see an author respect the style and tradition of Holmes while placing her mark on the genre.

I recommend this book, it is refreshing to read a mystery that progresses linearly for a change. Fans of mystery will enjoy this book and Sherlock Holmes fans should add this to their must read list.

My Rating: 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

Additional Thoughts: It has been a while since I have read a Sherlock Holmes book. When reading this book I was quickly reminded of the style and pace of the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series. Holmes taught us all that things aren’t always as they seem. Current mysteries forget this lesson sometimes.

The current mode of story telling involves flashing back to the beginning instead of starting there. It was fun to just follow the case without all the jumping around. It’s fall/winter and time to cozy up with a good book and some hot cocoa. Get to it!!