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The Adventure of the Spanish Drums
October, 1903.
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson’s latest adventure takes them away from the glittering metropolis of London, and into the depths of the Cumberland countryside.
On the arrival of a letter from Watson’s former Army colleague, Captain Harry Vaughan of the Border Regiment, they instantly stand to attention…
A daringly bold theft has taken place.
Someone has stolen the Border Regiment’s most prized possession – the Arroyo Drums.
Someone has been negligent in protecting the drums and the regiment find themselves embarrassed and discomfited.
The Regiment had captured the drums in a battle with the French during the Peninsular War in 1811.
They have proudly paraded their prize on the 28th October ever since.
Enlisting the help of Cornelius Armstrong, Carlisle Inspector for the local authorities, Holmes and Watson try to use their powers of reasoning to sift through what few clues they have.
Then another crime is discovered.
The Town Hall plaque has been stolen.
Is there a connection between both break-ins?
And why are the thieves targeting the Carlisle Regiment?
In a series of high-octane twists and turns, Sherlock and Watson attack the mystery head on and begin to uncover more evidence that points them in a surprising direction…
'A treat for any Sherlock Holmes fan.' - Robert Foster, best-selling author of 'The Lunar Code'.
Martin Daley currently works part time for the Local Authority and runs his own (employment-related) investigation service. He lives with his wife Wendy, near Carlisle.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson’s latest adventure takes them away from the glittering metropolis of London, and into the depths of the Cumberland countryside.
On the arrival of a letter from Watson’s former Army colleague, Captain Harry Vaughan of the Border Regiment, they instantly stand to attention…
A daringly bold theft has taken place.
Someone has stolen the Border Regiment’s most prized possession – the Arroyo Drums.
Someone has been negligent in protecting the drums and the regiment find themselves embarrassed and discomfited.
The Regiment had captured the drums in a battle with the French during the Peninsular War in 1811.
They have proudly paraded their prize on the 28th October ever since.
Enlisting the help of Cornelius Armstrong, Carlisle Inspector for the local authorities, Holmes and Watson try to use their powers of reasoning to sift through what few clues they have.
Then another crime is discovered.
The Town Hall plaque has been stolen.
Is there a connection between both break-ins?
And why are the thieves targeting the Carlisle Regiment?
In a series of high-octane twists and turns, Sherlock and Watson attack the mystery head on and begin to uncover more evidence that points them in a surprising direction…
'A treat for any Sherlock Holmes fan.' - Robert Foster, best-selling author of 'The Lunar Code'.
Martin Daley currently works part time for the Local Authority and runs his own (employment-related) investigation service. He lives with his wife Wendy, near Carlisle.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.
- GenresMystery
157 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2010
10 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 8, 2015
This is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche set in Carlisle 1903.
It is about the theft of the Arroyo drums which really exist. There is a coherent explanation why Sherlock picks up this case.
Within the story you visit Watson's past. The prose is well done and there is no difference in the characterisation of the heores compared to the original stories.
Furthermore I liked the discussions between Holmes and Watson about their future.
In Carlisle Homes and Watson meet Inspector Cornelius Armstrong, a character created by the author and described in detail in two books starring Armstrong.
It is about the theft of the Arroyo drums which really exist. There is a coherent explanation why Sherlock picks up this case.
Within the story you visit Watson's past. The prose is well done and there is no difference in the characterisation of the heores compared to the original stories.
Furthermore I liked the discussions between Holmes and Watson about their future.
In Carlisle Homes and Watson meet Inspector Cornelius Armstrong, a character created by the author and described in detail in two books starring Armstrong.
September 1, 2025
As Martin Daley is one of my favourite authors I had expected to start my review saying how much I enjoyed this book. It was however quite average. While the story itself was an okay read it wasn't anything special. Even Sherlock Holmes admitted that his detective skill were slowing and that it was time for him to retire. The descriptions and illustrations of Carlisle thoughout was a welcome relief to a rather slow storyline
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews