Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell

Sherlock Holmes Pastiche by Nicholas Meyer #6

by Nicholas Meyer

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson cross the Atlantic at the height of World War I in pursuit of a mysterious coded telegram in this new pastiche from the author of The Return of the Pharaoh . June, 1916. With a world war raging on the continent, exhausted John H. Watson, M.D. is operating on the wounded full-time when his labors are interrupted by a knock on his door, revealing …

Sherlock Holmes, with a black eye, a missing tooth and a cracked rib. The story he has to tell will set in motion a series of world-changing events in the most consequential case of the detective’s career. Amid rebellion in Ireland and revolution in Russia, Germany has a secret plan to win the war and Sir William Melville of the British Secret Service dispatches the two aging friends to learn what the scheme is before it can be put into effect. In pursuit of a mysterious coded telegram sent from Berlin to an unknown recipient in Mexico, Holmes and Watson must cross the Atlantic, dodge German U-boats and assassination attempts, and evade the intrigues of young J. Edgar Hoover, while enlisting the help of a beautiful, eccentric Washington socialite as they seek to foil the schemes of Holmes’s nemesis, the escaped German spymaster Von Bork.

Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell plunges Holmes into a world that eerily resembles our own, where entangling alliances, treaties, and human frailty threaten to create another cataclysm.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical, Historical Mystery, Crime

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 27, 2024

About the author

Nicholas Meyer graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in theater and film-making, & is a film writer, producer, director and novelist best known for his involvement in the Star Trek films. He is also well known as the director for the landmark 1983 TV-Movie "The Day After", for which he was nominated for a Best Director Emmy Award. In 1977, Meyer was nominated for an Adapted Screenplay Academy Award for adapting his own 1974 novel, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, to the screen.

In addition to his work on Star Trek, Meyer has written several novels, and has written and/or directed several other films.Most notable being the 1983 made-for-television anti-nuclear movie The Day After.

Meyer wrote three Sherlock Holmes novels: The West End Horror, The Canary Trainer, and The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. The latter was Meyer's most famous Holmes novel and the project for which he was best known prior to his Star Trek involvement. It was also adapted into a 1976 film, directed by Herbert Ross, for which Meyer wrote the screenplay.

Reviews

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw the movie Thor - Love and Thunder, I thought, hey, decent movie, but it's not really a Thor story. I feel the same way about Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell. It's a nice historical espionage mystery, but it didn't feel like Holmes to me.

One area in which Meyer stayed true to Conan Doyle was in Watson's Victorian attitude towards women. This disregard for any woman who didn't fit his narrow view of what Woman should be made his passionate defense of a genderfluid character somewhat baffling to me. Watson is not known for his progressive thinking, and he really hadn't demonstrated any elsewhere in the book.

The pacing is slower than I expected from a race to intercept the infamous WWI Zimmerman telegram and, despite Watson's urgency at points, the story drags. I felt that Sherlock only tangentially interacted with Watson, giving him little to write about.

Why you should read this: If you're a fan of Holmesian pastiches, this might scratch that itch.

Why you might not want to: I felt like there were too many degrees of separation between Conan Doyle's characters and Meyer's, but to be fair, I feel that way about many pastiches. If you're expecting a tale like The Seven-Percent Solution or The West End Horror, you might be disappointed.

I received an advance copy from Mysterious Press via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

3 out of 5 stars.

[Timothy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a couple of his recent Sherlock Holmes pastiches, Nicolas Meyer has stepped up his game. Not in terms of plotting or character, at which he has always been the gold standard, or in his channeling of the voice and more importantly the heart of John Watson (for Watson's heart is Sherlock's heart, much as Watson's voice is Sherlock's voice). But the world of Sherlock Holmes is essentially domestic, with criminals who will be dealt with by the courts (once Holmes has revealed then to Scotland Yard). But in The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols and now his latest, Sherlock Holmes and the Telegraph from Hell, the author moves Holmes onto the world stage, raising the stakes of his investigations enormously.

The plot is simple: what if the outcome of World War I depended upon the contents of a telegram, and Britain were desperate to know the contents of that telegram? Well, it did. The story of the Zimmerman Telegram is historical fact. Meyer's inspired move is to couple that fact to Doyle's (or Watson's) story "His Last Bow," which hints at Holmes's role in the war about to engulf Europe. And thereby hangs a tale that takes Holmes and Watson in their twilight years from London to Washington to Mexico City, dogged by assassins every step of the way.

The truth is, this isn't really a detective story, though it's strewn with Holmes's customary legerdemain. And it's not really a spy story, though Watson can hardly turn around without bumping into a spy. It's a coming of age story for a man in his sixties who has come to realize that his fog-bound streets, hansom cabs, and skills at single-stick are not enough to see him through the dangerous new world of the 20th century. He must confront his own parochialism, the smallness of his lifelong efforts against evil.

Don't misunderstand me. There's plenty of adventure and derring-do in this novel, but there's an elegiac mood to it, too. And that raises it above Meyer's previous efforts. Which makes it all the more worth the read.

[Kerrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell was an excellently written pastiche based on some actual historical events and persons. The author certainly did his history homework and the bare bones of the tale closely matched WWl historical facts & timeline, though I must add that this was not a “docudrama” by any means and author may have made slight alterations to suit the Sherlock Holmes story. I felt the author wrote Dr. Watson’s account in a manner closely resembling Sir Conan Doyle’s style of expression. The tale was not so much of a mystery as it was.an adventure story of espionage and political intrigue to thwart Germany’s plan to win World War l .The precursor to. MI6 asks Holmes & Dr. Watson to intercept German telegrams & codes to discern vital information regarding their enemy war plans to defeat allied countries and to persuade the U.S. to abandon their isolationist policy to join the allied countries to defeat Germany.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to love Nicholas Meyer's Holmes pastiches, but I have to say that I've been disappointed with the last 2 books in the series, and I fear I won't be reading any more. Meyer seems incapable of writing a story that doesn't allow modern politics and events to interfere, which jars you right out of immersion into the story. I would also agree with other reviewers that the story was more spy thriller than mystery, and although that isn't a bad genre in and of itself, is not what you're expecting from a Holmes story. I would recommend skipping it.

[Tobin Elliott · Rating 2 out of 5]

And with this latest installment, I'm officially done with the Nicholas Meyer version of Sherlock Holmes (though, I suspect he's also close to, if not done himself).

To be transparent, I haven't truly enjoyed the last two or three Holmes adventures by Meyer, but I'm a bit of a completist, so I gamely read on, just to be able to say, yes, I completed the damn series. Then, of course, he put out another one, that I equally gamely ignored for as long as I could, reminding myself of how little I got from the previous couple, and it would likely be the same here.

It was the same here.

I've complained of this before, but the two things that have become quite annoying in the Meyer pastiches is that he has to drop in as many real life cameos as he can pack in. What started out as kind of a fun little thing in THE SEVEN PER CENT SOLUTION has become overbearing, six books in. The other, and to my mind, more egregious issue is that Meyer fully insists on pulling Holmes and Watson completely away from their home base and environs and send them gallivanting hither and yon across the globe, forsaking much of the mood and atmosphere of the ACD originals.

And this time, while there's some of Holmes's detective work on display, in this yarn, he and Watson are acting more as spies than detectives, and once again, this is not my Holmes and Watson.

Is it a good story? Sure it is. Would I have enjoyed it more with two wholly original characters with some of the traits of a certain pair of sleuths from Baker Street? Yes, I would have.

So, for me, I can't handle two of my favourite fictional characters being bent and twisted in unnatural ways for no good reason. I'm out, even if a seventh book comes along... and it appears there is...next week.

Sigh. Nope.

[Matthew Kresal · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are few writers more adept at writing Sherlock Holmes pastiches than Nicholas Meyer. Indeed, with the publication of his The Seven Percent Solution, Meyer can lay claim to having started a Holmesian revolution that fans of the great detective are still reaping the harvest of even decades later. Which is why it’s always exciting with a new Meyer-Holmes novel makes an appearance. The Telegram from Hell is the latest such example and reveals an author who still hasn’t lost his touch.

Nor finding a way to bring new life into the detective and his faithful narrator. Having moved up and down the lives of Holmes and Watson across previous pastiches, Meyer presents a post-canon adventure for the duo. This time, years after the events of His Last Bow, taking the elder pair into the final years of the First World War. A time when Britain was shattered, having already lost a generation of young men, by an unending war, the threat of an assault of German U-Boats finishing it off, and America sitting on the sidelines. Into this comes a German plot and two old men who might just determine the course of the war and the fate of a nation.

As that might attest, this isn’t your typical Holmes pastiche. Indeed, from Meyer’s own back catalog, Telegram from Hell feels like a cross between The West End Horror and The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols. The former in that this novel features a slew of cameos and major supporting roles drawn from historical figures of the time, particularly in the US where events take Holmes and Watson to the nation’s capital. The latter in that this isn’t so much a mystery as a spy thriller with adventure elements, taking the pair into foreign lands on a mission for the British government.

Even so, Telegram from Hell is a heck of a read. One that combines Meyer’s Holmesian knowledge with a flair for period trappings and quick character sketches. Running a tad under 300 pages, it’s also well-paced as it thunders along, despite covering months of time as the pair gradually work to uncover the German plot while dealing with numerous efforts to thwart them. All building to a satisfying conclusion that draws from real history and, as Meyer himself admits in the afterword, sees him exploiting some nuggets of truth for dramatic purposes.

A traditional Holmes mystery Telegram from Hell is not but, for fans of Meyer’s previous pastiches or historical thrillers, there is plenty to enjoy here. A Holmesian spy thriller, a cross between Meyer’s earlier works, is a good summary of it. For those craving some Holmesian thrills and taking the detective and Doctor Watson out of their comfort zone, Telegram from Hell comes recommended.

[Angharad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this early copy in exchange for my honest review.

Before diving into this book, I had no idea who the author was or what his previous works were like. I'm thrilled to say that after finishing "The Telegram from Hell," I'm eager to explore more of his Sherlock Holmes novels. Nicholas Meyer's skill in mimicking Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's signature style is impeccable, employing accurate language and phrases that often got me Googling with a grin. The use of historical photos of individuals, locations, and objects from that era significantly enhanced the sense of being transported into a personal diary, where news articles and footnotes were inserted into the margins.

Despite being the latest in a series, the narrative was easy to follow, with nods to the original Sherlock Holmes stories and other works by Nicholas Meyer. The story's concept, about an older Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Watson heading to America to prevent England from falling into the abyss of war by involving America in World War I, was captivating and executed superbly. I had to do a lot of research on my own because I will admit that I am about as well versed in American and British history and politics as Holmes himself (which is to say, not very well), but comparing the events of the book to actual events was both enlightening and charming. It was a fun twist on history and the Sherlock genre. Fans of this era will find this book particularly engaging! I'm a big admirer of Nicholas Meyer and am currently adding his other Sherlock Holmes novels to my wishlist.

[Gary Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicholas Meyer never disappoints. An author who I preorder. Out of fear, I might not get his latest effort on the day it is released. Blessedly, it is another "Holmes and Watson" book. Meyer is the only one I would trust besides Doyle to write one. I have each his books, thankful for each, every one a pleasure. This story puts H & W in the middle of WWI, England, America, and Mexico. Meyer weaves a lot of actual history and real characters, so well, his family must have been weavers, before he took up this trade. Woven more accurately, and more comfortably, than my own old Harris Tweed. There is no provision for the sixth star this book deserves.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tried, but couldn't get through all of it (100 pages or so). I remember reading the old ones in school, but this one failed to captivate me as they once did.

[John Botkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicholas Meyer is not new to the genre of Holmesian pastiche and I've found his newer volumes over the last few years to be especially well done as he weaves the detective's adventure into historical details with ease. This story picks up Holmes' government work after His Last Bow. The story moves along quickly and, of course, Sherlock shines at several turns, even in old age. If you know anything of the details surrounding the USA's entrance into The Great War, the story is obvious. However, the joy is in the telling.

For me, only two shortcomings kept this book from gaining five stars. First is Meyer's (and may other authors') use of modern thinking and mores in the minds and mouths of historical figures and their fictional contemporaries. I'm immediately taken out of the story when this happens. Second, is Meyer's (and again, many other authors') exaggeration of Holmes' mild drug use in the early canon stories. He can be largely forgiven, though, as this is a direct callback to his first Holmes book, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.

[Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-1/2 stars- but I feel as if a book like this one, where an author is taking on characters that are not of his own invention and is mimicking the style of the source material creator rather than using his own voice, should be judged on a different scale than the typical novel. It has been quite a few years since I last read a Sherlock Holmes book by Arthur Conan Doyle. Back in the day I read and enjoyed a number of them. I've also enjoyed various screen adaptations that feature Doyle's brilliant detective and his loyal sidekick Dr. Watson. One of my all time favorite board games is named 221B Baker Street, which of course is Sherlock Holmes' home address. The game comes with multiple cases for players to race to be the first to solve. After going through all of the cases and still thirsting for more, I ended up writing new ones so that my friends could continue to play the game. As the case creator I could not be a participant, but watching my friends try to solve a mystery that I came up with was just as much fun as actively playing, maybe more. This was some of my earliest fiction writing, and like Nicholas Meyer, rather than writing in my own voice I was doing my best imitation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, working within the world he created while also expanding it with my own imagination, playing with the wonderful characters of his invention while throwing in some new ones I concocted. I recommend to all aspiring authors that they write a few short stories in the style of a writer they admire. Particularly when those writers created characters who appear in multiple books, so there is plenty of material to study and emulate. Before finding your own voice, it isn't a bad idea to try on someone else's. Excelling at writing requires practice. If you're having trouble coming up with an original story, temporarily blocked from releasing your genius, you can always borrow from someone else who laid out a blueprint. What you can't necessarily do is publish those efforts, unless your source material is now in the public domain. After reading Sherlock Homes and the Telegram from Hell by Nicholas Meyer, I googled to see who else has written Sherlock Holmes stories. I was not expecting to see familiar names, so was surprised to find notable authors such as Neil Gaiman, Michael Chabon, and Stephen King on the list. Taking up where Arthur Conan Doyle left off is apparently a popular activity, even if not done to stretch out the usage of your favorite board game, and Nicholas Meyer is one such author who was up to the challenge. This particular book of his (he has written several Sherlock entries) differs from the original Sherlock Holmes stories in that it leaves the criminal underworld of London behind for the world of American politics during wartime. Rather than attempting to solve a crime (with the exception of a quickie murder mystery early on when they are on their way to the states via sea voyage), Holmes and Watson are trying to prevent Germany from being victorious in World War I, or as I like to call it, the war that definitely did not end all wars. During the time period this tale takes place in (1916 - 1918: each chapter is conveniently dated), Holmes and Watson are getting up there in years. Most of their detecting and side kick adventures are behind them. Much of the world is engaged in battle, excluding the United States of America that is refraining from intervention. The case given to the world's greatest detective and the doctor who made him a celebrity by chronicling their escapades is to get their hands on a telegram (which causes them to leave Washington DC behind for Mexico) and then decipher it in order to foil Germany. In so doing, President Woodrow Wilson may finally be convinced to throw the USA's military might into affecting the outcome of World War I rather than remaining a bystander. Stakes don't get much bigger than the fate of the world order. It was interesting to see Holmes and Watson out of their usual element, but since to me the setting of Sherlock Holmes stories is part of their charm, I would have preferred a case where he matches wits with Professor Moriarty and proves himself to be more clever than officers of the law in Scotland Yard. Nicholas Meyer does a masterful job of writing a story that feels in tone very much like the Sherlock Holmes books I remember. But The Telegram from Hell resides in vastly different physical territory than classics such as A Study in Scarlet and The Hound of the Baskervilles. Other readers may appreciate this aspect more than I did - or less. The setting put me in mind of non-Sherlock Holmes books such as Killers of the Flower Moon, mostly because of brief appearance on the pages by J. Edgar Hoover, and The Plot Against America, which is about America's reluctance to enter World War II. My complaints of insufficient nostalgia aside, Nicholas Meyer nevertheless wrote an admirable book that was an infectious read. Since I turned through the pages rather quickly by my standards, I think I will give another Sherlock Holmes story via Nicholas Meyer a go. While this one was less of a mystery than it was a spy thriller, perhaps the next one will have a more traditional feel to it. I enjoy spy novels as well, but Sherlock Holmes is not my top go-to character for that genre. Still, I would not hesitate to recommend the work of Nicholas Meyer to readers who have already gone through all of the original works and want more of the wonderful literary landscape that Arthur Conan Doyle brilliantly created and left behind for other creatives to play with as they see fit.

[Rayrumtum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is set in the middle of WW1. The British intelligence learns the Germans are planning unrestricted submarine warfare which risks bringing the US into the war. They learn there is a plan to keep the US out of the war even in that event. Watson and Holmes go on a mission to learn what that plan is to thwart it.

[Becci West · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Sherlock Holmes pastiche. Interesting historical fiction based on real life events during WW1. England needs the United States to become an Allie to stop the war. A telegram intercepted from Germany could change the course of the war. The game is afoot for Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3+

at times the story dragged in spite of being short. 9 months on the move across US/Mexico often getting scant info at every turn felt realistic but that does not always make for a great story.

[Claire Q · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is more of a historical spy thriller than a Sherlock mystery - I think you could have also inserted a James Bond-esque character and had a similar story.

[Christopher Cannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holmes and Watson are put into a historical,fiction tale of the Zimmerman telegram sent from Germany to Mexico to influence WW1. There is much globe trotting and not as much mystery and deduction as in ‘real’ Sherlock Holmes stories, but it is a good historical fiction novel.
I got an advance reader copy via NetGalley from the publisher for an honest review.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Janna Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love mysteries, you'll love this one; if you love Sherlock Holmes mysteries, you'll love it even more! In this latest Holmes adventure created by Nicholas Meyer, the author cleverly brings the British detective and his loyal friend and confidante Watson, across the Atlantic to work on a case in America.

It's smack in the middle of WWI when the British Secret Service suspects Germany has a secret plan to win the war. It's now up to Holmes and Watson to find and decipher the coded telegram that will help the British set a plan in motion to thwart Germany's evil plans. Their efforts almost get both of them killed at different times; place them on a train to Mexico where they have no knowledge of the country or the language; encounter an unknown federal agent named J. Edgar Hoover; and find themselves in the company of a beautiful but mysterious woman.

It's an exciting adventure with an historically serious theme about international intrigue and the horrors of war...everything deftly managed by the excellence and wit of author Nicholas Meyer.

Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell

[Randy Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Expertly researched, but feels a bit off from the traditional Sherlock Holmes experience. Reads more like a Ken Follett spy novel than a Holmes detective story. Holmes and Watson travel across the ocean and across the US and Mexico in this one. WWI buffs may like the detail Meyer provides.

[Scott Nickels · Rating 3 out of 5]

There may not be a more enthusiastic fan of Nicholas Meyer’s work, be it his Sherlock Holmes novels or his authorship of some great Star Trek movies. I read his early Holmes books “The Seven Percent Solution” and “The West End Horror” and loved them both. “Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell” amazed me for all the non-fiction World War I-era historical facts that produce the skeletal bones that drive this story; however, I just could not get captivated by the plot like I have Meyer’s previous efforts. Perhaps it’s my own fault for viewing stories differently in my elder years. However, I found the plotting slow at times and struggled not to jump ahead at several points. I also struggled with the personalities of Holmes and Watson as they did not connect with Conan Doyle’s characters.
Is this book good enough to recommend? My answer is “yes.” A solid but not spectacular effort by Nicholas Meyer stands taller than most others that attempt to follow the grand master’s Holmes and Watson’s portrayals. So a big thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of “Sherlock Holmes and the Telegraph from Hell.”

[Owen Furr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe im just on a mystery kick but this book was also pretty darn good! It combines sherlock holmes with world war 1 which was really unique. A lot of it is also historically accurate, and the author just adds sherlock holmes and his storyline to it!

[Oolookitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sloooooooow-moving. Have really liked a lot of his other books but this one felt very dull to me and I started skimming to get to the end.

[Eva Kenworthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a Sherlock Holmes story, it's historical war fiction that has Holmes and Watson in it. It was well written and researched, but I was bored.

[Ray Palen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the era of public domain there are literally thousands of titles purporting to be Sherlock Holmes stories. However, one of the first to boldly step into the shoes of the late, great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was author Nicholas Meyer whose first Holmes novel THE SEVEN-PER-CENT SOLUTION read like it could have been penned by Doyle himself.

Recent years has seen Meyer take to writing more Holmes novels, equally as impressive as his first one, and the latest novel is entitled SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE TELEGRAM FROM HELL. This story, although filled with so much of the feeling and detail that marked a Doyle production, feels very different as it features an aging Holmes and Watson in the waning days of World War I.

At the point where the story picks up, June 1916, Germany is on the precipice of winning the war in Europe while the United States under President Wilson sits idly by and remaining uninvolved. With the U.S. also not providing any more financial aid to the nearly bankrupt European allies, all is over but the shouting of victory in the streets of Berlin. Watson feels the pain of this bloody war when his housekeeper, Maria, receives a telegram about the brutal death of her nephew Harry. This initial telegram will serve as a symbolic representation of the further use of telegrams in this clever tale.

Watson is then met by a disguised Holmes, sporting a black eye, missing tooth, and cracked rib. He was in one of his many disguises and had spent weeks in prison to get close to a traitor to the U.K. working for the enemy in this bloody war. They both decide that they must get more involved and ironically are contacted by the man known as ‘M.’ The name serves two purposes for the head of the British Secret Service --- first off, it is an allusion to the handle used by James Bond’s handler with MI-6 in the novels of Ian Fleming while also supposedly being a reference to Holmes’ late older brother, Mycroft, who worked for the British government and often called on Sherlock for assistance.

M and his colleague Admiral Hall sign Holmes and Watson up for an assignment of utmost secrecy involving national security in the face of the deadly war going on around them. They are to board a ship called Norlina, which will take them to the U.S. where their mission is set. Aboard the ship is a small mix of European and American passengers and crew, some of whom are not who they claim to be. A German man is stabbed to death in the room of a woman named Violet who was heading to Boston for work as a vocal teacher. ‘Violet’ ends up being someone else on the side of Holmes and Watson whereby the German was an enemy seeking to pass messages about their mission to the other side. It will not be the last time that the mysterious ‘Violet’ intervenes on their behalf in this story.

This novel is mixed with real and fictional characters as well as various historic events all taking place during this period of WWI. One of those characters is a young J. Edgar Hoover, who is called to investigate the murder on board the ship once it arrives in the U.S. Shortly into their landing on U.S. soil, a man leaps to his death from a building and it is reported in local papers that the renowned Sherlock Holmes took his own life. Hoover and our protagonists know that this is a mere unhappy Holmes fanatic, but they agree to allow the ruse of Holmes’ death exist for a short while to allow Holmes and Watson to get on with their mission in clandestine fashion.

The pair call on a woman charged with assisting them, the American named Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. She is seeing a German Ambassador who is part of a cleverly coded telegram being sent to German spymaster and one of Holmes’ arch rivals, Von Bork. The letter is easily deciphered by the trio and its destination is a Western Union office in Mexico City. The intended recipient is the ‘late’ Mexican president, Huerta, but that may be a name being utilized by someone else for subterfuge.

Holmes and Watson board a train to Mexico City, following Watson nearly being killed by a gunshot in one of many skirmishes the pair must face. They need to be there to intercept and stop the telegram from Hell, as Longworth referred to it, for it may lead to the final push Germany needs to win the war. With the U.S. still standing on the sidelines, Germany is confident that a submarine war featuring their impressive U-Boats will put them over the top. The historical intrigue continues around our pair as they witness many U.S. soldiers aboard their very train who are heading to Mexico City to apprehend Mexican fighter, Pancho Villa.

The resolution of this epic tale is as unpredictable as everything that has preceded it. In order for WWI to end in favor of the Allies, this mission of Holmes and Watson must be a success. Having the obvious knowledge about the outcome of WWI does not take away one iota of enjoyment in Meyer’s SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE TELEGRAM FROM HELL and this is a Holmes tale no fan of his novels should miss.

Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter

[Carole Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Bookreporter.com Historical Fiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this era of public domain, there are literally thousands of titles purporting to be Sherlock Holmes stories. However, one of the first to boldly step into the shoes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was Nicholas Meyer, whose first Holmes novel, THE SEVEN-PER-CENT SOLUTION, reads like it could have been penned by Doyle himself. His latest effort, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE TELEGRAM FROM HELL, feels very different as it features an aging Holmes and Watson in the waning days of World War I.

When the story picks up in June 1916, Germany is on the precipice of winning the war in Europe, while the United States under President Woodrow Wilson sits idly by and remains uninvolved. With the US not providing any more financial aid to the nearly bankrupt European allies, all is over but the shouting of victory in the streets of Berlin. Watson feels the pain of this bloody war when his housekeeper, Maria, receives a telegram notifying her of the brutal death of her nephew, Harry.

Watson is then met by a disguised Holmes, sporting a black eye, a missing tooth and a cracked rib. He spent weeks in prison to get close to a traitor to the UK working for the enemy in this bloody war. They decide that they must get more involved and are contacted by the man known as “M.” The name serves two purposes for the head of the British Secret Service. It is an allusion to the codename used by James Bond’s handler with MI6 in Ian Fleming’s novels, while also supposedly being a reference to Holmes’ late brother, Mycroft, who worked for the British government and often called on Holmes for assistance.

M and his colleague, Admiral Hall, sign Holmes and Watson up for an assignment of utmost secrecy involving national security in the face of the deadly war going on around them. They are to board the Norlina, which will take them to the US where their mission is set. Aboard the ship is a small mix of European and American passengers and crew members, some of whom are not who they claim to be. A German man is stabbed to death in the room of a woman named Violet, who is heading to Boston to work as a voice teacher. Violet ends up being someone else who is on the side of Holmes and Watson, whereby the German was an enemy seeking to pass messages about their mission to the other side. It will not be the last time that the mysterious Violet intervenes on their behalf.

The novel is mixed with real and fictional characters, as well as various events taking place during this WWI period. A young J. Edgar Hoover is called to investigate the murder on board the ship once it arrives in the US. Shortly into their landing, a man leaps to his death from a building. It is reported in local papers that the renowned Sherlock Holmes took his own life. Hoover and our protagonists know that this is an unhappy Holmes fanatic, but they agree to allow the ruse of Holmes’ death to exist for a short while to allow Holmes and Watson to get on with their assignment in clandestine fashion.

Assisting them is Alice Roosevelt Longworth, the daughter of former President Theodore Roosevelt. She is seeing a German ambassador who is part of a cleverly coded telegram being sent to Von Bork, a German spymaster and one of Holmes’ archrivals. The letter is easily deciphered by the trio, and its destination is a Western Union office in Mexico City. The intended recipient is the “late” Mexican president Huerta, but that may be a name being utilized by someone else for subterfuge.

Holmes and Watson board a train to Mexico City after Watson is nearly killed by a gunshot in one of many skirmishes they must face. They need to be there to intercept and stop the telegram from hell, as Longworth refers to it, for it may lead to the final push Germany needs to win the war. With the US still standing on the sidelines, Germany is confident that a submarine war featuring their impressive U-boats will put them over the top. The historical intrigue continues around our pair as they witness many US soldiers aboard their very train who are heading to Mexico City to apprehend Mexican fighter Pancho Villa.

The resolution of this epic tale is as unpredictable as everything that has preceded it. In order for WWI to end in favor of the Allies, Holmes and Watson’s mission must be a success. Being aware of the war’s outcome does not take away from the enjoyment of reading SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE TELEGRAM FROM HELL. This is a Holmes tale that no fan of his novels should miss.

Reviewed by Ray Palen

[Bookreporter.com Mystery & Thriller · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this era of public domain, there are literally thousands of titles purporting to be Sherlock Holmes stories. However, one of the first to boldly step into the shoes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was Nicholas Meyer, whose first Holmes novel, THE SEVEN-PER-CENT SOLUTION, reads like it could have been penned by Doyle himself. His latest effort, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE TELEGRAM FROM HELL, feels very different as it features an aging Holmes and Watson in the waning days of World War I.

When the story picks up in June 1916, Germany is on the precipice of winning the war in Europe, while the United States under President Woodrow Wilson sits idly by and remains uninvolved. With the US not providing any more financial aid to the nearly bankrupt European allies, all is over but the shouting of victory in the streets of Berlin. Watson feels the pain of this bloody war when his housekeeper, Maria, receives a telegram notifying her of the brutal death of her nephew, Harry.

Watson is then met by a disguised Holmes, sporting a black eye, a missing tooth and a cracked rib. He spent weeks in prison to get close to a traitor to the UK working for the enemy in this bloody war. They decide that they must get more involved and are contacted by the man known as “M.” The name serves two purposes for the head of the British Secret Service. It is an allusion to the codename used by James Bond’s handler with MI6 in Ian Fleming’s novels, while also supposedly being a reference to Holmes’ late brother, Mycroft, who worked for the British government and often called on Holmes for assistance.

M and his colleague, Admiral Hall, sign Holmes and Watson up for an assignment of utmost secrecy involving national security in the face of the deadly war going on around them. They are to board the Norlina, which will take them to the US where their mission is set. Aboard the ship is a small mix of European and American passengers and crew members, some of whom are not who they claim to be. A German man is stabbed to death in the room of a woman named Violet, who is heading to Boston to work as a voice teacher. Violet ends up being someone else who is on the side of Holmes and Watson, whereby the German was an enemy seeking to pass messages about their mission to the other side. It will not be the last time that the mysterious Violet intervenes on their behalf.

The novel is mixed with real and fictional characters, as well as various events taking place during this WWI period. A young J. Edgar Hoover is called to investigate the murder on board the ship once it arrives in the US. Shortly into their landing, a man leaps to his death from a building. It is reported in local papers that the renowned Sherlock Holmes took his own life. Hoover and our protagonists know that this is an unhappy Holmes fanatic, but they agree to allow the ruse of Holmes’ death to exist for a short while to allow Holmes and Watson to get on with their assignment in clandestine fashion.

Assisting them is Alice Roosevelt Longworth, the daughter of former President Theodore Roosevelt. She is seeing a German ambassador who is part of a cleverly coded telegram being sent to Von Bork, a German spymaster and one of Holmes’ archrivals. The letter is easily deciphered by the trio, and its destination is a Western Union office in Mexico City. The intended recipient is the “late” Mexican president Huerta, but that may be a name being utilized by someone else for subterfuge.

Holmes and Watson board a train to Mexico City after Watson is nearly killed by a gunshot in one of many skirmishes they must face. They need to be there to intercept and stop the telegram from hell, as Longworth refers to it, for it may lead to the final push Germany needs to win the war. With the US still standing on the sidelines, Germany is confident that a submarine war featuring their impressive U-boats will put them over the top. The historical intrigue continues around our pair as they witness many US soldiers aboard their very train who are heading to Mexico City to apprehend Mexican fighter Pancho Villa.

The resolution of this epic tale is as unpredictable as everything that has preceded it. In order for WWI to end in favor of the Allies, Holmes and Watson’s mission must be a success. Being aware of the war’s outcome does not take away from the enjoyment of reading SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE TELEGRAM FROM HELL. This is a Holmes tale that no fan of his novels should miss.

Reviewed by Ray Palen

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Penzler Press Mysterious Press for an advance copy of this story continuing the adventures of the world's first consulting detective and his trusty companion during the darkest days of the First World War.

The first Sherlock Holmes story I read was in a collection of 6 stories. The story "The Red-Headed League" a story I was drawn to for I had red hair, and I think was the only story with illustrations. I really don't remember the other 5 stories, as Sherlock Holmes and Watson became my new obsession. Why this story hit me, sitting in the back sit of a car going to the Bronx to visit my grandparents, I have no idea, but I do know by the time we parked, I had read it twice. Soon I was reading all the stories in fact most of the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, though his spiritualism books had to wait. I found records of the radio show, and later tapes that I played, and watched the movies when I could. I read the pastiches, Raffles, Solar Pons and the like. And all the continuing adventures, including tales with Dracula, Mr. Hyde and even vs Cthulhu. Some were good, some were ok. Only a few gave me the same feeling that the first story gave me. These were the books by Nicholas Meyer, a writer and director of some fabulous films, Star Trek II and Time After Time. Meyer had a real feeling for the characters, and delved deeper into what made them, and what drove them. Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell shows the duo at a time in their life when the Empire they have fought for seems to be dying, along with so many of their countrymen in a War that seems to have no meaning. However the game is still afoot, and so are they traveling to the wilds of America to defeat a German plot that could end the war, and change the face of Europe, forever.

Dr. John Watson is tired. Widowed for the second time, Watson has done what he can for the war effort, helping to mend he battered bodies of boys wounded in battle, hearing of the loss of friends and family, and the darkness that seems to be spreading in the year of 1916. A knock on the door returns Sherlock Holmes back into Watson's life, complete with a broken rib, broken teeth and the clues of a massive plot against the Allies. Germany will soon be declaring unrestricted warfare on the seas, sinking everything they can, allies, neutrals, all ships, in an effort to starve Britain. Germany seems to have no fear of American involvement, as they have a plan to keep America distracted, allowing England to wither on the vine. Entrusted by the British Secret Service Holmes and Watson must travel to America, dodging foreign agents, and even worse American indifference to the war to stop this fiendish plot. Close behind though is an enemy who has sworn vengeance on both men, for very personal reasons.

This is the last of the Watson papers that Meyer has been using as source material, at least according to the introduction. I hope there are others, but one can see that the world has changed much since the gaslight days of hansom cabs, speckled bands and even red-headed leagues. The story is full of war, death, revolutions in Ireland, Russia and other places. Even Holmes is suddenly aware of a world that is bigger than he once thought, and meaner than he has fought. And far more cruel, even in those who govern us. This is not a mystery per se, more a thriller and one with a lot of history, which I quite enjoyed. Even an Irish author of note, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle makes an appearance. There are disguises, tricks and a lot of ratiocination, but there is a sense of an end, maybe for the duo, maybe for Meyer, that permeates the book. I enjoyed it, but I could see a lot of fans wanting more mystery, less soul searching.

A great way to tie up a series of books that has brought me such enjoyment over the years. Meyer respects the characters, and understands what makes them work, and how they work with each other. The ending is nice, a concert with the two men sharing a moment of peace. I do hope there are more, for I am selfish, but as an ending I feel very complete.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was reflecting during a radio interview yesterday that the very first story I read on my own (or that I remember reading on my own, at least) was "The Hound of the Baskervilles,) a post-"Final Problem" Sherlock Holmes story by Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes was thus the first entry on my "Literature to be Devoured" list. One sad but inescapable truth: Doyle stopped writing new and original Holmes stories a loooong time ago, so I have had to be satisfied with pastiches. One of the best authors of the Holmes pastiche is Nicholas Meyer, who reignited interest in Holmes with his novel, "The Seven Percent Solution." Meyer took the real-life three year gap in between "The Final Problem" and "The Empty House" and filled it with Holmes and Watson's Herculean efforts to wret Holmes from the grip of his cocaine addiction. The Seven Percent Solution was an ingenious attempt at giving relevance to that three year gap. For awhile there, before Jeremy Brett, Nicol Williamson (who played Holmes in the film version) was my favorite silver screen Holmes. Ever since 7% emerged, I also have been a fan of Nicholas Meyer.

Meyer followed up with "The West End Horror," which I found another ingenious blend of fictional characters and real people from the nineteenth century. This was followed by "The Canary Trainer," which...I didn't love. Meyer surely does not need my money, as he has dabbled successfully in a couple of legendary franchises, from Sherlock Holmes to Star Trek. But I thought The Canary Trainer lacked energy, a lack which persisted all the way through "The Peculiar Protocols," which had almost no appeal for me.

Be that as it may, I still play the dog who sees a squirrel when a new Meyer pastiche is published. I am pleased to declare that "The Telegram from Hell" has rejuvenated my interest in Meyer's revival of Sherlock Holmes. "The Telegram" begins with an aging Dr. Watson serving as an emergency surgeon for the mobs of wounded British soldiers who have been sent home from WWI. Poor Watson is being run ragged by the constant call to duty, because the British forces are being routed. One might wonder if the German military somehow knows in advance what movements their British counterparts intend. Despite his exhaustion, Watson opens his door one day to find a severely beaten (and equally aging) Holmes, who has been called once again into service by the British government to investigate whether or not the military is indeed inadvertently harboring a mole. The government wants Holmes to reprise his role from "His Last Bow," in which he played a dissident Brit who spied upon and initiated the capture of the German spy Von Bork. Holmes and Watson must figure out who is feeding the Germans information, how they are getting the information in the first place, and of course, a way to stop them.

The details of their investigation are dense and require close attention, but for the first time in a long time, the details merit such consideration. As a backdrop to this perplexing wartime mystery, readers will find both Holmes and Watson not aging well, and wondering aloud whether or not they have outlived their usefulness. The only story in which Holmes was outwitted yet still managed to charm readers was "A Study in Scarlet," where even Holmes himself seems amused by his overconfidence. The opposite is true in "The Telegram from Hell." Holmes seems on much less sure footing. Readers have long practiced patience when Holmes appears to have gone astray, waiting for him to reveal the nuances of a long and complicated solution. The resolution seems much less assured in "The Telegram," in which Holmes is still Holmes, but he also would rather be left alone to keep his bees in his cottage in the Sussex downs. His humanity is genuine, but does not detract from his formidable abilities, which makes him a more appealing character than ever.

As long as readers exist, Sherlock Holmes will be resurrected. One prays that the hands behind the future resurrections is as skillful as the hand of Nicholas Meyer.