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Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Ruby Elephants
It is summer 1890 and the game is afoot. When an elephant escapes from the London Zoological Gardens, Holmes and Watson become embroiled in one of their strangest cases yet. Engaged by a jeweller in fear for his life, the trail leads Sherlock to two secret societies, each pursuing the eight ruby elephants said to unlock a vault containing the lost Nizam diamond.
Standing in his way are some deadly foes: the Archangels: assassins in top hats and tailcoats, hell bent on the murder of the great detective and the acquisition of the treasures of the realm.
The adventure leads the intrepid pair to Lord's Cricket Ground, the Royal Albert Hall, a bizarre series of thefts at the National Gallery, deepest rural Suffolk and ultimately the very heart of the Empire. With high speed chases on Penny Farthings and a cast of eccentric characters, it takes all of Holmes' ingenuity - and a little help from Mycroft - to unravel this elephantine mystery.
Standing in his way are some deadly foes: the Archangels: assassins in top hats and tailcoats, hell bent on the murder of the great detective and the acquisition of the treasures of the realm.
The adventure leads the intrepid pair to Lord's Cricket Ground, the Royal Albert Hall, a bizarre series of thefts at the National Gallery, deepest rural Suffolk and ultimately the very heart of the Empire. With high speed chases on Penny Farthings and a cast of eccentric characters, it takes all of Holmes' ingenuity - and a little help from Mycroft - to unravel this elephantine mystery.
- GenresMystery
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2015
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24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 8, 2018
1890 Nizam diamond is a famous lost jewel but Eight ruby elephants hold the key to unlocking the secret to the mystery of lost wealth but For Dr Watson & Sherlock Holmes they also lead to murder & game a foot and its an elephant.
I found this one bit difficult to get into as it's bit slow, but when strange suicide note in poetic code is found it is job for Mycroft not Sherlock to solve. This has secret societies of very silly business men sort of pun at Freemason lot & lot of elephants in it along with Mycroft's copy of Three men in a boat which find rather odd book for him to read.
But my biggest worry is my cat has been using this book as a cushion
This odd Mycroft into cricket with Mrs Hutson at match with W.G Grace out for duck which I find all most impossible .To locked room mystery & Queen Victoria. This full of wit but still full of wit but I find his Mycroft odd.
I thought cover was boring but the paper elephants are in it but not that inspiring.
The book is little haphazard jumping about a bit but over all its a good Holmes.
Seeing the other books that he has writen I am very surprised that wrote this so well as load of rubbish & sexist how to catch females for sex, or dirty joke books & silly books for children about Bump an elephant he's got them on the brain obsessed with elephants only thing is he doesn't Say that they Indian or African but seeing Indians are in the book it must be Indian Elephants but way things going with any elephants they could be like the Dodo.
I found this one bit difficult to get into as it's bit slow, but when strange suicide note in poetic code is found it is job for Mycroft not Sherlock to solve. This has secret societies of very silly business men sort of pun at Freemason lot & lot of elephants in it along with Mycroft's copy of Three men in a boat which find rather odd book for him to read.
But my biggest worry is my cat has been using this book as a cushion
This odd Mycroft into cricket with Mrs Hutson at match with W.G Grace out for duck which I find all most impossible .To locked room mystery & Queen Victoria. This full of wit but still full of wit but I find his Mycroft odd.
I thought cover was boring but the paper elephants are in it but not that inspiring.
The book is little haphazard jumping about a bit but over all its a good Holmes.
Seeing the other books that he has writen I am very surprised that wrote this so well as load of rubbish & sexist how to catch females for sex, or dirty joke books & silly books for children about Bump an elephant he's got them on the brain obsessed with elephants only thing is he doesn't Say that they Indian or African but seeing Indians are in the book it must be Indian Elephants but way things going with any elephants they could be like the Dodo.
January 11, 2016
Diamonds, Rubies, lots of bad guys and lots of action. We already know Sherlock will win in the end but the journey there is a great one
Recommended
Recommended
August 23, 2023
The rating of a mere 2 stars might seem a bit harsh, especially as this book is not entirely without qualities, yet... In my eyes, this is not a particularly good Holmesian pastiche. Now, I am a bit biased, I fully admit, but (due to my long acquaintance with Holmes and company) I have a list of what makes me content with a Holmesiana - and the majority of this list went unchecked in the case of this book, quite sadly.
Still, the mystery was compelling enough so I felt the urge to finish the story, even if I found certain subplots quite over the top. I appreciate that Inspector Gregson got into the spotlight, it's always nice to see a variety in the focal point of the Yard, yet I did not particularly like this interpretation of his character... I also appreciate the humour - it leaned towards situational comedy (e.g. - Watson's spit-take) more than I am used to, and I huffed in amusement more than once.
Yet, my biggest pet peeve was Watson. This was not the worst interpretation of his character I've encountered (Heaven forbid, far, faaar from it), but he was a bit of a drama queen - not in a good sense. Also, Holmes' character seemed a bit... off. Not fully OOC, yet not fully as I perceive him (which certain authors can manage in a very satisfactory manner.) And, my dear fellow, the story jumped - oh, did the story jump - all over the place and a bit beyond, so much that it at first seems without rhyme or reason. But once you caught the rhythm, it was almost a bit predictable (It was like running into Monty Python's newscaster and saying along with him "And now for something completely different!")
More than once I found myself rolling my eyes heavenward and thinking this is bad. Not a good visiting card for a book, yet I'm still willing to give this author another chance.
Still, the mystery was compelling enough so I felt the urge to finish the story, even if I found certain subplots quite over the top. I appreciate that Inspector Gregson got into the spotlight, it's always nice to see a variety in the focal point of the Yard, yet I did not particularly like this interpretation of his character... I also appreciate the humour - it leaned towards situational comedy (e.g. - Watson's spit-take) more than I am used to, and I huffed in amusement more than once.
Yet, my biggest pet peeve was Watson. This was not the worst interpretation of his character I've encountered (Heaven forbid, far, faaar from it), but he was a bit of a drama queen - not in a good sense. Also, Holmes' character seemed a bit... off. Not fully OOC, yet not fully as I perceive him (which certain authors can manage in a very satisfactory manner.) And, my dear fellow, the story jumped - oh, did the story jump - all over the place and a bit beyond, so much that it at first seems without rhyme or reason. But once you caught the rhythm, it was almost a bit predictable (It was like running into Monty Python's newscaster and saying along with him "And now for something completely different!")
More than once I found myself rolling my eyes heavenward and thinking this is bad. Not a good visiting card for a book, yet I'm still willing to give this author another chance.
June 21, 2020
What a magical mystery tour of a novel. A lot of the time I found myself as bemused as poor Dr Watson as what exactly was going on and who all these mad characters were, between maharajahs, femmes fatales, midget monocle manufacturers, doppelgangers, an aesthete called Macintosh who makes soup brewed from a mammoth’s femur, the list goes on and on.
Sherlock, a little too superciliously knowing here for my taste – although I suspect the author has his tongue firmly in his cheek when the detective explains his ‘elementary’ deductions – races through the book with a befuddled Watson trying to keep up behind him. If this were a film, the special effects would be spectacular, between escape in a hot air balloon or a perilous ascent to the top of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square. I enjoyed it, I think I did. My advice to would-be readers: don’t try and analyse it too closely. Just go along for the ride.
Sherlock, a little too superciliously knowing here for my taste – although I suspect the author has his tongue firmly in his cheek when the detective explains his ‘elementary’ deductions – races through the book with a befuddled Watson trying to keep up behind him. If this were a film, the special effects would be spectacular, between escape in a hot air balloon or a perilous ascent to the top of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square. I enjoyed it, I think I did. My advice to would-be readers: don’t try and analyse it too closely. Just go along for the ride.
November 27, 2024
Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are involved in an adventure that starts out with searching for their missing landlady, Mrs. Hudson. While hot on the trail they encounter Mycroft Holmes searching for the Five Ruby Elephants and the gang that stole them from the queen.
January 11, 2016
Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Ruby Elephants by Christopher James
*** Possible Spoilers, but I really hope I just drop hints ***
The adventure begins when Holmes steps in to stop a runaway elephant. The elephant has apparently been deliberately wounded, causing it to go amok with a family riding in its howdah. Fortunately the family was uninjured.
Then Wenceslas Chatburn, a jeweler with whom Holmes has a bit of history (the man fixed Holmes’ golden snuffbox) states that his shop has been entered and a note left on his desk. The note, which reads MELA SHIKAR, is a reference to the act of catching an elephant in the wild.
Upon going to the shop, Holmes notices that the man’s ruby elephant tie pin is missing. There is a hidden room in the attic, which Catburn finally admits is the meeting place for a group of men who served in India. They call themselves The House of the Ruby Elephant. Apparently the ruby elephant tie pin was a mark of rank, and there are eight total among the members of the group.
Holmes discovers that there is a hidden entrance to their meeting room accessible from the roof through a chimney that comes though a fake painting. Holmes and Watson hide in the room to witness a meeting, only to find they are not the only spies present.
Warwick Snitterton, a former member of the group is caught by Holmes and Watson. Snitterton tells Holmes that he has no idea what is going on and to stay out of it.
There are a number of threads that make the cloth of which this adventure is made. At times they seem so disconnected that it seems like multiple cases, but they all come together in the end. The pace is at times almost frantic and at others it seems to stall. But each part is important to the whole.
Some threads are:
What role does female violinist Miss Penelope Braithwaite play?
How can someone threaten the Queen, and steal from her Majesty’s own Person?
Who is the mysterious blind man?
Who are the ninja-like foursome that call themselves the Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael?
How does a body wind up on top of Nelson’s Column?
How is Maharajah Singh, close acquaintance of the Queen involved?
What secret does the eight ruby elephants unlock?
How does the villain expect to get away with stealing the Koh-I-Noor, the Queen’s Timur Ruby necklace, and the Nazim diamond, which hasn’t been seen for decades?
And finally, who is the real mastermind behind all of the hidden trails and false fronts?
I strongly recommend you read this book and find out!
I give this book five stars. Sometimes it becomes difficult to sort out everything that is happening—since it all seems to happen at the same time! That makes the book a challenge, but it is worth it in the end!
Quoth the Raven…
*** Possible Spoilers, but I really hope I just drop hints ***
The adventure begins when Holmes steps in to stop a runaway elephant. The elephant has apparently been deliberately wounded, causing it to go amok with a family riding in its howdah. Fortunately the family was uninjured.
Then Wenceslas Chatburn, a jeweler with whom Holmes has a bit of history (the man fixed Holmes’ golden snuffbox) states that his shop has been entered and a note left on his desk. The note, which reads MELA SHIKAR, is a reference to the act of catching an elephant in the wild.
Upon going to the shop, Holmes notices that the man’s ruby elephant tie pin is missing. There is a hidden room in the attic, which Catburn finally admits is the meeting place for a group of men who served in India. They call themselves The House of the Ruby Elephant. Apparently the ruby elephant tie pin was a mark of rank, and there are eight total among the members of the group.
Holmes discovers that there is a hidden entrance to their meeting room accessible from the roof through a chimney that comes though a fake painting. Holmes and Watson hide in the room to witness a meeting, only to find they are not the only spies present.
Warwick Snitterton, a former member of the group is caught by Holmes and Watson. Snitterton tells Holmes that he has no idea what is going on and to stay out of it.
There are a number of threads that make the cloth of which this adventure is made. At times they seem so disconnected that it seems like multiple cases, but they all come together in the end. The pace is at times almost frantic and at others it seems to stall. But each part is important to the whole.
Some threads are:
What role does female violinist Miss Penelope Braithwaite play?
How can someone threaten the Queen, and steal from her Majesty’s own Person?
Who is the mysterious blind man?
Who are the ninja-like foursome that call themselves the Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael?
How does a body wind up on top of Nelson’s Column?
How is Maharajah Singh, close acquaintance of the Queen involved?
What secret does the eight ruby elephants unlock?
How does the villain expect to get away with stealing the Koh-I-Noor, the Queen’s Timur Ruby necklace, and the Nazim diamond, which hasn’t been seen for decades?
And finally, who is the real mastermind behind all of the hidden trails and false fronts?
I strongly recommend you read this book and find out!
I give this book five stars. Sometimes it becomes difficult to sort out everything that is happening—since it all seems to happen at the same time! That makes the book a challenge, but it is worth it in the end!
Quoth the Raven…
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews