Sherlock Holmes and the Unholy Trinity

by Paul D. Gilbert

A new adventure from the author of Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes and The Giant Rat of Sumatra

A colorfully dressed Bedouin brandishing a sword and wearing an ancient symbol of Christianity interrupts the breakfast of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson with a cryptic message of warning: they must stay away from the affairs of his people. Before long the world’s most famous detective and his tenacious assistant are dispatched to the Vatican to investigate the murder of Cardinal Tosca. Considered the Pope’s natural successor, Tosca was involved in work of a controversial nature—talk of a lost gospel coincided with the arrival of several mysterious packages from Egypt—and he was killed as he worked on the translation of an ancient scroll. All clues point towards Holmes and Watson’s Bedouin intruder and there are whispers of the involvement of a so-called "unholy trinity." The duo embark upon a dangerous trip to Egypt, the birthplace of the Coptic Church, to uncover the nature of a parchment missing from Cardinal Tosca’s office and, ultimately, the motives of the Bedouin.

Genres: Mystery

204 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2015

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE BEST Sherlock pastiche that I have had the good fortune and pleasure of reading! If there wasn't a different author listed on the cover I would have naturally thought it an undiscovered story from Sir Doyle himself. I read all through the night ..... I simply couldn't put it down.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 1 out of 5]

Denna är mycket riktigt scherlock holmes-artad. Den fångar in de absolut sämsta sidorna av både karaktären (som framställs som en ständigt drogad idiot-savant utan social skicklighet) och formatet (holmes träffar på något exotiskt, som han förstår trots sarkastiska kommentarer om det; därefter kommer en lösning som är slumpartad). Det är därför en bok som en vän av karaktären bör undvika.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark times

Holmes and Watson are drawn into a very Illumanati-esque adventure, leaving London for Rome then Egypt and back to London to thwart a conspiracy that could encompass the globe. Gilbert captures the era and Watson's narrative style.Check it out.

[Jackie Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this incredible story.....Wow! this has twists and turns throughout, with an unexpected twist at the end. Paul D Gilbert has managed to get under the skin of Sir ACD with the voice of the late, great Jeremy Brett. The wonderful descriptive writing creates an amazing atmosphere of Victorian London and Mr Gilbert has managed to further bring to life Rome and Egypt as in this story Holmes and Watson have to travel a lot more than usual.

I won't give too much away, but the story starts in their living room with a huge, enraged Bedouin brandishing a massive sword. He smashes a chair, gives Holmes a warning and then disappears, leaving the poor Mrs Hudson quaking. There is a murder in the Vatican, lost documents, and a murderous chase to Egypt. The whole story is so well put together, Holmes and Watson, although out of their comfort zone, still have the same banter and Gilbert has pitched the story perfectly with a fast-paced, exciting climax.

I would recommend this to any Holmes' fans or anyone who loves a good crime thriller with a twist. Can't wait for Mr Gilbert's next Holmes' Pastiche.

[Devero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Questo dovrebbe essere il primo libro di una trilogia, da quel che ho compreso.
La trama non è male, si occupa dei casi "omessi" da watson, quello del Cardinale Tosca e quello dei due vescovi copti. Tira in basso gli Illuminati bavaresi, sullo sfondo, e porta Holmes e Watson prima in Italia, poi in Egitto, quindi nuovamente in Italia e a Londra. Ci sono un paio di buchi logici assurdi, come quello del furto della traduzione e del papiro originale: Holmes poteva tranquillamente intervistare il traduttore. Magari non ne aveva una copia, ma il senso di quanto aveva tradotto non poteva esserselo scordato dalla sera alla mattina.
Ad ogni modo mi ha interessato abbastanza da farmi attendere il seguito.
3 stelle.

[Ellen White · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author’s writing was like poetry engulfing us into the world of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, with many twists. Along with the humor and amusement Sherlock gives to Watson. A harsh intruding. Bedouin comes to threaten Holmes to stay out of his affairs of face dire consequences. A private request to come to the Vatican the death of his right hand man has been murdered. The tale takes Watson back to London. While Holmes is on to Egypt, to further investigate the mystery’s put before him.
Excellent and enjoyed.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gilbert does a great job with the Sherlock and Watson relationship, especially with their dialogue. The humor of Holmes's constantly having the upper hand and being one-step-ahead was delightful. The adventure here was tremendous fun, spanning London, Rome, and Cairo. This was a pleasurable read throughout and recommended for anyone who likes a traditional pastiche of Doyle's detective series.

[Tim Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Conspiracy doesn't really hang together, there is a lot of tedious travel, and much remains unexplained. Definitely an "adventure" rather than a "mystery", and the loose ends may be deliberate, given that this is the first book of a trilogy. But there's plenty of action, and it is so well written that none of that matters. A ripping yarn.

[patrick woollcott · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was outstanding can't wait for Mr Gilbert's next story





The book was outstanding can't wait for M Gilbert's next gripping story




This book was outstanding can't wait for his next. Book coming soon l hope

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just so-so, though I did love the twist at the very end. But the whole thing with Watson trying to inconspicuously follow Holmes, thinking that simply by shaving off his mustache he would be unrecognizable... that gave me such a bad case of second hand embarrassment. So cringe-worthy.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holmes is requested by Cardinal Pietro, the Pope's confident to investigate the death of Cardinal Tosca, in Rome. At the time of his death he was translating some ancient scrolls. But where will the evidence lead.
An enjoyable Holmes thriller

[Geoff Ledner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unholy Trinity.

I was not too sure if I had opened the wrong book on my Kindle, as about a third the story through, I thought I could have been reading The Da Vinci Code again. An enjoyable read though.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fifth Sherlock Holmes book by the ever readable Paul D Gilbert.
Sherlock Holmes and the stalwart Doctor Watson embark on an odyssey of detection, which leads to intrigue and murder in The Vatican and deadly danger in The Land Of The Pharoahs, Egypt.

Does the solution to the mystery of The Unholy Trinity lie in these far-flung places, or is the truth to be found closer to home?
Wonderfully evocative of the classic Granada TV series starring the late, great Jeremy Brett and David Burke this is a must read for ant Sherlock Holmes fan.
There are many Sherlock Holmes pastiches out there, some good, some bad, but this- this isn't a pastiche. This is the real deal.
Sherlock Holmes lives!

[Jc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry Mr. Gilbert, but this one just did not measure up to your previous work. The plot seems forced and formulaic. The characters, including the intrepid two, are poorly written, and the large number of "put-Sherlockian-reference-here" plugs do not flow naturally with the story. The understanding of religions, history, and social issues, all seem based on research no deeper than a quick library read, or maybe some work on Wikipedia. I know this author can do better, and I look forward to his next pastiche.

[Narrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Beware of the dangers of interfering with matters that are surely no concern of yours, Mr Holmes!"
So begins another adventure for Sherlock Holmes and his trusted companion Dr Watson. This book kept me engrossed that I read it within one day.....

[Michael D Keen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one

I was not sure what to expect when I started this book, but it turned out to be a novel that I could not put down. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good mystery.

[Dehemi Fabio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes, the usual.