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February 18, 2025
Holmes and Watson live in an encore presentation!
An encrypted cable summons from his older brother, the brilliant yet un-celebrated Mycroft who works secretly behind the scenes at the highest levels of His Majesty's government, sends Sherlock and Watson dashing off to Scotland to investigate the brutal murder of architect Sir Alistair Sinclair and his foreman, Dennis McKay. The location and particularly gruesome resemblance of their murders to the slaying of David Rizzio, Queen Mary's erstwhile Italian secretary and confidante lead Mycroft to hypothesize a political connection to the German Kaiser and a potential assassination threat to Queen Victoria who occasionally vacations at Holyroodhouse. Enroute to Scotland on a specially chartered coach, Holmes and Watson narrowly escape death themselves at the hands of an enraged bomb-throwing Scots nationalist. The game is clearly afoot and it would seem that Mycroft's suspicions are well-founded. But when Holmes and Watson hear the cries of a weeping women, the supposed footsteps of the wraith of David Rizzio humming an operatic aria that while vaguely Italian somehow doesn't seem quite right and a pool of blood that never dries, the clues lead Holmes to a solution much more mundane than the one Mycroft had imagined but in fact much more down to earth and certainly more deadly!
Like so many other contemporary novels that receive mixed reviews (I am reminded of THE EGYPTOLOGIST, THE THIRD TRANSLATION or THE RULE OF FOUR), the "bad news" is based in readers' expectations. Those anticipating a triumphant return to the style with which Carr wowed his readers in THE ALIENIST or THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS are doomed to disappointment. There is very little, indeed next to nothing, by way of elegant prose or descriptive writing in THE ITALIAN SECRETARY that would place the reader in the misty, gothic atmosphere of Holyroodhouse and Victorian Scotland.
The "good news" is that like so many of Conan Doyle's original Holmes short stories, THE ITALIAN SECRETARY is driven almost exclusively by plot and character! And most of that, as opposed to arising through description of action or events, is revealed through dialogue that is an uncannily accurate reproduction of the type of genteel, Victorian male conversation that was the trademark of Doyle's stories. As it was with the titles I mentioned earlier, the enjoyment of a novel like this rests in allowing it to successfully be what it is instead of feeling that it has failed to be what many mistaken readers wanted it to be!
If I wanted to quibble at all, I would suggest that Carr should have included a few more examples of Holmes' logical chains of deduction for our edification and entertainment. Other than that exceedingly minor cavil, I'll offer the opinion that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's estate got a damn good bargain when they commissioned THE ITALIAN SECRETARY. This first-rate yarn ends magnificently with a subtle, philosophical discussion on the power of ghosts and the supernatural that, if I may say so, sounds like a more upbeat, modern version of Holmes and Watson. Well ... why not? It is Caleb Carr's novel, after all!
Paul Weiss
An encrypted cable summons from his older brother, the brilliant yet un-celebrated Mycroft who works secretly behind the scenes at the highest levels of His Majesty's government, sends Sherlock and Watson dashing off to Scotland to investigate the brutal murder of architect Sir Alistair Sinclair and his foreman, Dennis McKay. The location and particularly gruesome resemblance of their murders to the slaying of David Rizzio, Queen Mary's erstwhile Italian secretary and confidante lead Mycroft to hypothesize a political connection to the German Kaiser and a potential assassination threat to Queen Victoria who occasionally vacations at Holyroodhouse. Enroute to Scotland on a specially chartered coach, Holmes and Watson narrowly escape death themselves at the hands of an enraged bomb-throwing Scots nationalist. The game is clearly afoot and it would seem that Mycroft's suspicions are well-founded. But when Holmes and Watson hear the cries of a weeping women, the supposed footsteps of the wraith of David Rizzio humming an operatic aria that while vaguely Italian somehow doesn't seem quite right and a pool of blood that never dries, the clues lead Holmes to a solution much more mundane than the one Mycroft had imagined but in fact much more down to earth and certainly more deadly!
Like so many other contemporary novels that receive mixed reviews (I am reminded of THE EGYPTOLOGIST, THE THIRD TRANSLATION or THE RULE OF FOUR), the "bad news" is based in readers' expectations. Those anticipating a triumphant return to the style with which Carr wowed his readers in THE ALIENIST or THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS are doomed to disappointment. There is very little, indeed next to nothing, by way of elegant prose or descriptive writing in THE ITALIAN SECRETARY that would place the reader in the misty, gothic atmosphere of Holyroodhouse and Victorian Scotland.
The "good news" is that like so many of Conan Doyle's original Holmes short stories, THE ITALIAN SECRETARY is driven almost exclusively by plot and character! And most of that, as opposed to arising through description of action or events, is revealed through dialogue that is an uncannily accurate reproduction of the type of genteel, Victorian male conversation that was the trademark of Doyle's stories. As it was with the titles I mentioned earlier, the enjoyment of a novel like this rests in allowing it to successfully be what it is instead of feeling that it has failed to be what many mistaken readers wanted it to be!
If I wanted to quibble at all, I would suggest that Carr should have included a few more examples of Holmes' logical chains of deduction for our edification and entertainment. Other than that exceedingly minor cavil, I'll offer the opinion that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's estate got a damn good bargain when they commissioned THE ITALIAN SECRETARY. This first-rate yarn ends magnificently with a subtle, philosophical discussion on the power of ghosts and the supernatural that, if I may say so, sounds like a more upbeat, modern version of Holmes and Watson. Well ... why not? It is Caleb Carr's novel, after all!
Paul Weiss
August 18, 2017
Considering my "feelings" about Surrender, New York I'm sure many of you figured Caleb Carr and I weren't on speaking terms. Alas, I reserved this book for my libraries mystery book club before that dark day when I was seized with an urge to hurl that giant cheetah themed doorstop into a wood chipper (would that I had acted on that urge).
Also in my defense historical fiction is Carr's comfort zone and I figured at the very least I'd get some pretty great descriptions of Victorian era England. If there's one thing Carr does well (besides providing detailed instructions for the care and raising of cheetahs) its set a scene and paint a picture.
Also working in his favor this time is that this book was actually sanctioned by the Conan Doyle estate something, I'm under the impression, that is not especially easy to do.
So all things being equal this should have been a top drawer reading experience.
Really gross and violent murders that resulted in inexplicable injuries to the bodies that bear a very striking resemblance to the gastly murder of THE ITALIAN SECRETARY of Mary Queen of Scott's hundreds of years ago? Check.
Possible government conspiracy/assassination attempts putting Queen Victoria in imminent danger? Check
Greatest detective team EVER? Check.
Awesome time period? Check.
Spooking setting in a haunted Scottish castle where maybe, possibly, there's a chance of REAL GHOSTS? Check
Plenty of suspects including but not limited to; one eyed surly servants, rakish blacksmith's who
like to build medieval catapults when they're not deflowering innocent flame haired chamber maids, horribly evil nobility hiding behind their ancient pedigrees? Secret Scottish revolutionaries hiding in plain site? Check
All of those things combine to make a pretty great mystery written with a very distinct and well executed Sherlock Holmes "style."
Unfortunately they make up only about fifty percent of the book. The other fifty percent of what is (thanks be to the literature gods) a mercifully short read at 352 pages is given over to our narrator Dr. Watson going on and on and on and on and on and on about bloody everything. They have to take a train to Scotland? Watson spends twenty some pages talking about the train, the people on the train, what the train looks like, how Holmes can be annoying when they're on trains. They get to the Scottish Castle? Watson likes the castle and tells you why for about five years. They encounter a possibly supernatural something in the abandoned tower in the castle? Watson's interior monologue muses on the supernatural like fucking Hamlet trying to decide if he should follow his father's ghosts advice (and we all know how much Hamlet liked to think things over).
Any time other characters get involved the action immediately kicks into high gear and its as riveting as The Hound of the Baskervilles. But get Watson by himself for any length of time and you're left with a terrific cure for insomnia.
If there's one thing Caleb Carr likes its the sound of his own voice and that is never clearer than when he projects himself through the normally very interesting and often smarter (in certain areas) half of the infamous Baker Street duo.
My other issues, which I will be forced to be pretty vague about as its basically the key to the entire mystery, has to do with just how off track everyone is with what is really going on. This wouldn't be such an issue if the case wasn't being brought to Sherlock by his brother Mycroft who, devoted fans of the original books will recall, has used his own enormous brain to basically run England's empire from behind the throne for years (much is made over the fact that he's allowed to sit down in Queen Victoria's presence). Hell Mycroft has every branch of the England's military elite with him including people who are in charge of the Queen's security and investigating things like spies and attempts on her life and they are ALL so far off base with what's happening its almost comical.
I'm not sure if that's intentional but its all worked out so quickly with some really simple recon and observation. Like Watson (given enough time) could have done it on his own easy. I suspect Carr is in fact going for a whole Mycroft was just making things too complicated thing but as the story opens we're banged over the head with this being their most difficult, secret, and world shaking case ever!!!!! and it just totally isn't.
So neither great nor especially bad...just eh.
But I can assure you there are NO goddamn cheetahs.
Also in my defense historical fiction is Carr's comfort zone and I figured at the very least I'd get some pretty great descriptions of Victorian era England. If there's one thing Carr does well (besides providing detailed instructions for the care and raising of cheetahs) its set a scene and paint a picture.
Also working in his favor this time is that this book was actually sanctioned by the Conan Doyle estate something, I'm under the impression, that is not especially easy to do.
So all things being equal this should have been a top drawer reading experience.
Really gross and violent murders that resulted in inexplicable injuries to the bodies that bear a very striking resemblance to the gastly murder of THE ITALIAN SECRETARY of Mary Queen of Scott's hundreds of years ago? Check.
Possible government conspiracy/assassination attempts putting Queen Victoria in imminent danger? Check
Greatest detective team EVER? Check.
Awesome time period? Check.
Spooking setting in a haunted Scottish castle where maybe, possibly, there's a chance of REAL GHOSTS? Check
Plenty of suspects including but not limited to; one eyed surly servants, rakish blacksmith's who
like to build medieval catapults when they're not deflowering innocent flame haired chamber maids, horribly evil nobility hiding behind their ancient pedigrees? Secret Scottish revolutionaries hiding in plain site? Check
All of those things combine to make a pretty great mystery written with a very distinct and well executed Sherlock Holmes "style."
Unfortunately they make up only about fifty percent of the book. The other fifty percent of what is (thanks be to the literature gods) a mercifully short read at 352 pages is given over to our narrator Dr. Watson going on and on and on and on and on and on about bloody everything. They have to take a train to Scotland? Watson spends twenty some pages talking about the train, the people on the train, what the train looks like, how Holmes can be annoying when they're on trains. They get to the Scottish Castle? Watson likes the castle and tells you why for about five years. They encounter a possibly supernatural something in the abandoned tower in the castle? Watson's interior monologue muses on the supernatural like fucking Hamlet trying to decide if he should follow his father's ghosts advice (and we all know how much Hamlet liked to think things over).
Any time other characters get involved the action immediately kicks into high gear and its as riveting as The Hound of the Baskervilles. But get Watson by himself for any length of time and you're left with a terrific cure for insomnia.
If there's one thing Caleb Carr likes its the sound of his own voice and that is never clearer than when he projects himself through the normally very interesting and often smarter (in certain areas) half of the infamous Baker Street duo.
My other issues, which I will be forced to be pretty vague about as its basically the key to the entire mystery, has to do with just how off track everyone is with what is really going on. This wouldn't be such an issue if the case wasn't being brought to Sherlock by his brother Mycroft who, devoted fans of the original books will recall, has used his own enormous brain to basically run England's empire from behind the throne for years (much is made over the fact that he's allowed to sit down in Queen Victoria's presence). Hell Mycroft has every branch of the England's military elite with him including people who are in charge of the Queen's security and investigating things like spies and attempts on her life and they are ALL so far off base with what's happening its almost comical.
I'm not sure if that's intentional but its all worked out so quickly with some really simple recon and observation. Like Watson (given enough time) could have done it on his own easy. I suspect Carr is in fact going for a whole Mycroft was just making things too complicated thing but as the story opens we're banged over the head with this being their most difficult, secret, and world shaking case ever!!!!! and it just totally isn't.
So neither great nor especially bad...just eh.
But I can assure you there are NO goddamn cheetahs.
August 12, 2009
The Italian Secretary is a pretty sweet piece of Sherlock Holmes apocrypha. There have been a number of attempts to write Holmes by authors other than Doyle, and those attempts have achieved varying degrees of success -- some dreadful and some impressive. Caleb Carr's attempt falls between these extremes, although it is tilted more toward the impressive end of the teeter-totter.
Carr does a fine job of capturing Holmes' rhythms and personality, and one never feels like one's reading a false Sherlock, but the same can't be said for Dr. Watson, and therein lies the very slight and slippery problem that keeps The Italian Secretary from being impressively brilliant. Carr's Watson seems positively thick.
Doyle's Watson is often slow to pick up the meaning of threads that Holmes captures with ease, but he never seems stupid. Carr's Watson, however, seems incapable of managing the simplest deductions, and that makes him difficult for readers to fully embrace The Italian Secretary. Watson's emotion is right, but his intelligence is wrong, which strikes a false note in his characterization, and when the narrator of a story is off-putting the story can never fully work.
Still, Carr's use of the case of the Italian Secretary is inspired. It offers a plot that could easily be plagiarized (of course, it is not) from a hidden diary of Doyle's, and it has the further benefit of being an actual case in Scottish criminal history. The idea is compelling, the supporting cast, including Mycroft Holmes, is excellent, and Carr's Holmes is close to Doyle's own.
The Italian Secretary is a passable effort at literary expansion. Doyle purists will likely hate what Carr's done, and Carr purists will likely love what he has done. Passing fans of both, though, what will they think? Probably what I think. The Italian Secretary is a fun distraction, a pleasant summer read, a pleasurable way to pass the time, but not quite impressive enough.
Carr does a fine job of capturing Holmes' rhythms and personality, and one never feels like one's reading a false Sherlock, but the same can't be said for Dr. Watson, and therein lies the very slight and slippery problem that keeps The Italian Secretary from being impressively brilliant. Carr's Watson seems positively thick.
Doyle's Watson is often slow to pick up the meaning of threads that Holmes captures with ease, but he never seems stupid. Carr's Watson, however, seems incapable of managing the simplest deductions, and that makes him difficult for readers to fully embrace The Italian Secretary. Watson's emotion is right, but his intelligence is wrong, which strikes a false note in his characterization, and when the narrator of a story is off-putting the story can never fully work.
Still, Carr's use of the case of the Italian Secretary is inspired. It offers a plot that could easily be plagiarized (of course, it is not) from a hidden diary of Doyle's, and it has the further benefit of being an actual case in Scottish criminal history. The idea is compelling, the supporting cast, including Mycroft Holmes, is excellent, and Carr's Holmes is close to Doyle's own.
The Italian Secretary is a passable effort at literary expansion. Doyle purists will likely hate what Carr's done, and Carr purists will likely love what he has done. Passing fans of both, though, what will they think? Probably what I think. The Italian Secretary is a fun distraction, a pleasant summer read, a pleasurable way to pass the time, but not quite impressive enough.
May 29, 2024
Catching up…
I remember how excited I was when this came out a few years back, because I am a big fan of Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes. So, I was curious about how any other author would interpret him. Carr is another author who had been commissioned by the Conan Doyle estate to write a Holmes short story, which then grew to novel length.
Interestingly enough, it almost feels like there are more authors out there writing Sherlock Holmes stories than Conan Doyle actually wrote. (He managed 4 novels and 60 short stories.)
I won’t try and count the many authors at this point, but those of you who are Conan Doyle fans, know what I am talking about, right?
And, now that nobody needs permission from the estate (effective 2022), anybody can use the famous detective character in a story. So, who knows how many more authors will incorporate Sherlock Holmes into their storyline.
Back to this one. As a donation to my Little Free Library Shed, it was another opportunity for me to re-visit this long ago read, and write my review.
What Carr does is keep Holmes and Dr. Watson in London and Scotland during the time of Queen Victoria, same time period, more or less as Conan Doyle.
This story imagines an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria. With 9 failed attempts on her life, Mycroft, Holmes, brother, is quite concerned what the German and Scottish nationalists might be up to next. Are they attempting to maneuver a war against England?
There are some parts of this book that are hard to read, because the author chooses to write as people may speak – like – “…we’ll nae let ye muhrder more Scots patriots…”
I wanted this to be purely Holmes and Dr. Watson doing simple detecting work. But it didn’t feel that way. It just fell flat.
Have I been spoiled by the original Conan Doyle, and the many television actors who successfully played Sherlock and/or Dr. Watson, i.e., Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Martin Freeman (Dr. Watson)?
I was even charmed by actors Jeremy Brett (Sherlock) and Basil Rathbone (Sherlock). I know I am dating myself, but they really did know how to pull off a good Sherlock.
Getting back to the book, and my attempts to stay focused (here on my review and with my reading), I think Carr’s problem was trying too hard to keep in the spirit of the original, but still trying to find opportunities for invention. I am not sure, in my opinion, he was able to meet it. At least for me.
I remember how excited I was when this came out a few years back, because I am a big fan of Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes. So, I was curious about how any other author would interpret him. Carr is another author who had been commissioned by the Conan Doyle estate to write a Holmes short story, which then grew to novel length.
Interestingly enough, it almost feels like there are more authors out there writing Sherlock Holmes stories than Conan Doyle actually wrote. (He managed 4 novels and 60 short stories.)
I won’t try and count the many authors at this point, but those of you who are Conan Doyle fans, know what I am talking about, right?
And, now that nobody needs permission from the estate (effective 2022), anybody can use the famous detective character in a story. So, who knows how many more authors will incorporate Sherlock Holmes into their storyline.
Back to this one. As a donation to my Little Free Library Shed, it was another opportunity for me to re-visit this long ago read, and write my review.
What Carr does is keep Holmes and Dr. Watson in London and Scotland during the time of Queen Victoria, same time period, more or less as Conan Doyle.
This story imagines an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria. With 9 failed attempts on her life, Mycroft, Holmes, brother, is quite concerned what the German and Scottish nationalists might be up to next. Are they attempting to maneuver a war against England?
There are some parts of this book that are hard to read, because the author chooses to write as people may speak – like – “…we’ll nae let ye muhrder more Scots patriots…”
I wanted this to be purely Holmes and Dr. Watson doing simple detecting work. But it didn’t feel that way. It just fell flat.
Have I been spoiled by the original Conan Doyle, and the many television actors who successfully played Sherlock and/or Dr. Watson, i.e., Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Martin Freeman (Dr. Watson)?
I was even charmed by actors Jeremy Brett (Sherlock) and Basil Rathbone (Sherlock). I know I am dating myself, but they really did know how to pull off a good Sherlock.
Getting back to the book, and my attempts to stay focused (here on my review and with my reading), I think Carr’s problem was trying too hard to keep in the spirit of the original, but still trying to find opportunities for invention. I am not sure, in my opinion, he was able to meet it. At least for me.
July 2, 2020
I was disappointed in this novel. I had high hopes, as I remember being very taken by the dark & interesting debut of Carr's, The Alienist. In this work, Carr takes on the Sherlock Holmes genre, also a mark in it's favor, along with potential ghostly dealings in the Scottish castle of Mary Queen of Scots, and murder of course. Do I dare say by about halfway in, I was bored? I did like the recapping of the Mary, Queen of Scots story & the awful murder of her jester, David Rizzio, to set the stage. Obviously there was enough fairly interesting plot lines & characters to keep me reading ( and part of a TBR challenge) but over all: ho hum.
July 30, 2012
This is an artful emulation a Conan Doyle escapade with Holmes and Watson, but it felt a bit tedious to me. The murders of two people on the grounds of the Holyrood castle of Mary Queen of Scotts raises suspicions that they relate to domestic or international plots against Queen Victoria, but the multiple wounds of the bodies bears a spooky resemblance to murder of Mary�s Italian secretary believed to haunt the castle. Carr does an admirable job with the diction and sensibilities of our beloved detectives and with the building up of tension and intrigue. However, the major parts of the mystery are not solved by their brilliance, but by disclosure from characters encountered. Also, we get set up for a dangerous climax, but it seems contrived and it gets deflated without direct dealings with the villain. Was this on purpose, as if to emphasize the pair being heroes who are not action figures as in today�s thrillers? To me there also was an excessive focus on the status of ghosts, but perhaps this is Carr�s attempt to resolve of the contrast between the scientific approach of the detectives and Doyle�s personal beliefs in communicating with the dead and in fairies.
July 28, 2015
Very Elementary
It must be very difficult and also intimidating to try to follow in the footsteps of a well-known author such as Arthur Conan Doyle, who has created the world’s most famous detective and sidekick and who has spun a microcosm of four novels and fifty-six stories. The reading public’s expectations will necessarily run high.
To give Caleb Carr and his Holmes adventure The Italian Secretary their due, I’d say that the language is redolent of the old-fashioned and well-paced style people used in 19th century literature and that Carr, unlike, for example Horowitz, really manages to revive the atmosphere of that era. Unfortunately, however, he overdoes it: Doyle’s Watson is not by half as rambling and droning a story teller as Carr’s Watson. The repetition of tiny, and often irrelevant details in The Italian Secretary is endless, and one could probably endure it if it were not so banal at times. There is incessant talking about Mycroft being privileged by the Queen in that he is allowed to sit in her presence, and about similar things, and a third of the novel has been spent before we actually get to the place where the murders have been committed.
Then there is another deadly sin, as I think: We simply know too soon who the villains are and what motives they have, and, by the way, there are hardly enough suspects in the novel to have our suspicions run wild for a long time. Carr not only mars the detection bit of the story but he also impairs it with instances of improbability:
All in all, I give the author credit for his style, for his frequent references to other, canonical Holmes adventures and for his wry humour. Nevertheless the development of the plot, the underlying crime, the element of detection (i.e. the exploitation of the whodunit-factor) were very faulty to my taste. Had Carr made a short story out of it all, it would not have mattered that much but for a novel, all this was very poor fare – made worse by the lengthy and pointless dialogues.
It must be very difficult and also intimidating to try to follow in the footsteps of a well-known author such as Arthur Conan Doyle, who has created the world’s most famous detective and sidekick and who has spun a microcosm of four novels and fifty-six stories. The reading public’s expectations will necessarily run high.
To give Caleb Carr and his Holmes adventure The Italian Secretary their due, I’d say that the language is redolent of the old-fashioned and well-paced style people used in 19th century literature and that Carr, unlike, for example Horowitz, really manages to revive the atmosphere of that era. Unfortunately, however, he overdoes it: Doyle’s Watson is not by half as rambling and droning a story teller as Carr’s Watson. The repetition of tiny, and often irrelevant details in The Italian Secretary is endless, and one could probably endure it if it were not so banal at times. There is incessant talking about Mycroft being privileged by the Queen in that he is allowed to sit in her presence, and about similar things, and a third of the novel has been spent before we actually get to the place where the murders have been committed.
Then there is another deadly sin, as I think: We simply know too soon who the villains are and what motives they have, and, by the way, there are hardly enough suspects in the novel to have our suspicions run wild for a long time. Carr not only mars the detection bit of the story but he also impairs it with instances of improbability:
All in all, I give the author credit for his style, for his frequent references to other, canonical Holmes adventures and for his wry humour. Nevertheless the development of the plot, the underlying crime, the element of detection (i.e. the exploitation of the whodunit-factor) were very faulty to my taste. Had Carr made a short story out of it all, it would not have mattered that much but for a novel, all this was very poor fare – made worse by the lengthy and pointless dialogues.
May 20, 2021
An addition to the lore of Sherlock Holmes, sanctioned by the A.C. Doyle trust. An interesting story (not spectacular) with a Dr. Watson that is much more clever and perceptive than we have come to expect.
May 23, 2012
Rating Clarification: 3.5 Stars
Pretty entertainly Holmes pastiche, although I have to admit that I found Carr's writing style somewhat convoluted and irritating. However, the story premise and plot development kept me reading on. Enjoyed the supernatural elements, and thought Carr did a good job of maintaining an authentic "voice" for Holmes, Watson and Mycroft (although Carr's Watson and Mycroft were a little too dense (aka stupid) from ACD's original portrayal of them, IMO).
All in all, a worthwhile read, but I enjoyed Laurie R. King and Anthony Horowitz's pastiche attempts more.
Pretty entertainly Holmes pastiche, although I have to admit that I found Carr's writing style somewhat convoluted and irritating. However, the story premise and plot development kept me reading on. Enjoyed the supernatural elements, and thought Carr did a good job of maintaining an authentic "voice" for Holmes, Watson and Mycroft (although Carr's Watson and Mycroft were a little too dense (aka stupid) from ACD's original portrayal of them, IMO).
All in all, a worthwhile read, but I enjoyed Laurie R. King and Anthony Horowitz's pastiche attempts more.
January 1, 2013
Just arrived from Germany through Bookmooch.
A good start for a New Year reading. Having watching recently the movie with Katherine Hepburn on Mary of Scotland's life, I really appreciated the plot.
A good start for a New Year reading. Having watching recently the movie with Katherine Hepburn on Mary of Scotland's life, I really appreciated the plot.
March 23, 2017
One of the best non-ACD versions of Holmes and Watson that I've read. If you love Sherlock Holmes, read this book.
14+ for 'ghosts,' violence, and mentions of unmarried sexual relationship.
14+ for 'ghosts,' violence, and mentions of unmarried sexual relationship.
December 5, 2023
It started so slow; nothing happened until halfway through the book. Once it did, it was just ok. I still enjoyed reading it.
February 21, 2016
It's been a while since I have read any of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories--I know I read quite a few of them back in the the 70's. I thought Carr did a pretty decent job of portraying Holmes in the vein of Doyle and overall I did like this take on the great detective.
The story starts out when Holmes is cryptically summoned by his brother Mycroft to Scotland to look into the deaths of two men who were working on the restoration of Holyroodhouse, the ancient palace of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland.
Mycroft feels that the killings may be linked to a possible assassination attempt on Queen Victoria by Scottish nationalists. But when Holmes and Watson get to Holyrood, another reason for the murders is soon disclosed which is tied to the murder of David Rizzio, the titular Italian Private Secretary of Mary who was murdered by her jealous husband Darnley in the 16th century. Was Rizzio's spirit haunting Holyrood or did other factors play into the deaths?
Overall, not a bad Holmes pastiche which I would mildly recommend.
The story starts out when Holmes is cryptically summoned by his brother Mycroft to Scotland to look into the deaths of two men who were working on the restoration of Holyroodhouse, the ancient palace of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland.
Mycroft feels that the killings may be linked to a possible assassination attempt on Queen Victoria by Scottish nationalists. But when Holmes and Watson get to Holyrood, another reason for the murders is soon disclosed which is tied to the murder of David Rizzio, the titular Italian Private Secretary of Mary who was murdered by her jealous husband Darnley in the 16th century. Was Rizzio's spirit haunting Holyrood or did other factors play into the deaths?
Overall, not a bad Holmes pastiche which I would mildly recommend.
March 10, 2010
I have only read one Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes story before, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Spotting The Italian Secretary in a secondhand bookshop, I picked it up because it was written by Caleb Carr, and I didn't really notice it was a Sherlock Holmes story until I got home.
Caleb Carr was a great choice to write a further adventure of Sherlock Holmes. His own novels The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness are about a Victorian detective too although this time in New York, and he certainly had the feel and atmosphere of the period.
I am now tempted to read more of the original stories, and also found a copy of The Lost World in a charity shop this morning.
Caleb Carr was a great choice to write a further adventure of Sherlock Holmes. His own novels The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness are about a Victorian detective too although this time in New York, and he certainly had the feel and atmosphere of the period.
I am now tempted to read more of the original stories, and also found a copy of The Lost World in a charity shop this morning.
June 19, 2017
Another book that had poor reviews on Goodreads. I was given this as a gift by my friend Jo who knows I love Sherlock and Watson. Well I have to say I don't know what they read but I really enjoyed this. Sherlock and Watson are called to Edinburgh by Mycroft to investigate 2 murders that happened in Holyroodhouse, and now the ghosts of Holyrood are being awakened by someone with a diabolical agenda of greed.
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