The Oriental Casebook of Sherlock Holmes: Nine Adventures from the Lost Years

by Ted Riccardi

Sherlock Holmes is dead—or so most of the world thinks. His fatal plunge over the Reichenbach Falls as he struggled with his archenemy, Moriarty, has been widely reported.

But Holmes has escaped and is alive.

In his immediate circle, only Holmes’s brother, the lethargic genius Mycroft, knows of his survival. Even Dr. Watson thinks that the great detective is dead. Among his enemies, Sebastian Moran, Moriarty’s chief henchman, knows of Holmes’s probable escape and waits for their inevitable meeting.

From 1891 to 1894, Holmes wanders through Asia. He is alone, without Watson, without Scotland Yard, armed only with his physical strength and endur-ance and his revered cold logic and rationality.

The adventures recounted in The Oriental Casebook of Sherlock Holmes range from Lhasa to Katmandu, from the East Indies to the deserts of Rajasthan. In Tibet and throughout the Orient, Holmes is caught up in the diplomatic machinations of British imperialism that Rudyard Kipling dubbed “the Great Game.” He confronts the tsarist agent Dorjiloff, the great art thief Anton Furer, and the mysterious Captain Fantôme. And here, written in Holmes’s own words, is the account of “The Giant Rat of Sumatra,” for which until now he so famously thought the world unprepared.

For Holmes’s fans throughout the world, the stories in The Oriental Casebook of Sherlock Holmes fill in an enigmatic gap, the cause of so much speculation in the great detective’s career.
(front flap)

Preface by Dr. John Watson --
The case of the viceroy's assistant --
The case of Hodgson's ghost --
The case of the French savant --
An envoy to Lhasa --
The case of Anton Furer --
The giant rat of Sumatra --
A singular affair at Trincomalee --
Murder in the thieves' bazaar --
The mystery of Jaisalmer --
Afterword by Dr. John Watson.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Short Stories, Crime, Historical Mystery, Audiobook, Suspense

448 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2003

About the author

Ted Riccardi (born 1937) is a professor emeritus in the Department of Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures at Columbia University.

Reviews

[Paul Weiss · Rating 1 out of 5]

My name is Holmes ... Sherlock Holmes!

Ted Riccardi obviously couldn't make up his mind whether he wanted to portray Holmes as a private consulting detective on temporary hiatus after his battle with Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls or as a secret agent working in the Far East on behalf of the British government under the control of his brother Moriarty. Whatever ... ho hum! It didn't work. These stories are over long, over written, and tedious in the extreme. Beyond that, Holmes' skills are extended to the point of ridiculous - an academic and scientific polymath and a polyglot in a myriad of languages many of which lesser mortals in western culture would never have even heard of ... yeah, right!

A very poor imitation of Conan Doyle's masterful stories and definitely not recommended as a worthy addition to the Holmes canon.

Paul Weiss

[Jaylee]

I couldn't get past the first case in this book.

1. By the powers of YOGA, Holmes can now apparently magically reshape his face/body like he's made out of silly putty.

2. This is Watson telling a story that Holmes is telling. So basically, Holmes is our narrator, and yet he adds in dozens of details about the character's emotional state, their love life... a lot of superfluous stuff that I don't think Holmes would ever bring up.

3. It's painfully boring. x_x It's written very much like the original stories were. Very straight and to the point, and the entertaining part comes from the astounding mystery. I never really liked that? I like authors who take Holmes and set him in a NOVEL-like story. So I was just bored out of my mind.

[Marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not the author's fault, but I have yet to finish any book about Holmes aside from some of the Mary Russells. Let's see - in the first story here, Holmes:
1. fakes his own death - okay, fine
2. becomes a yogi
3. is a master of disguise at least twice
4. travels through Asia with no injuries, illness or snafus
5. is able to get people with secrets to talk to him just because they feel like it (true, this is a common thing with some literary detectives)
6. is a master of obscure dialects
7. finds the very piece of info he needs in someone's personal library
8. employs a barrage of able-bodied and completely loyal underlings who never goof up at all
9. sends messages to and from his brother, messages that never disappear in transit or take months to arrive

That sound you hear was my suspended disbelief crashing to the ground under the weight of all of the above. Hercule Poirot, will you take me back?

[Meaghan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The tone of voice and style were off. Someone used a thesaurus too much and the stories were not particularly interesting. I really *wanted* to like this book, but just didn't.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had two issues with the book, the first being that I wasn't able to get into the initial stories set in Nepal and Tibet easily, but that's me as I don't have a great fascination with those locations. I found the later Indian ones were a bit more interesting.

Point-of-view was the other, more serious problem. Watson was not present for any of these adventures, so he serves as a sort of omniscient narrator based upon what Holmes has told him. However, Holmes himself regularly butts in with direct commentary of his own, making for an incredibly awkward listen! After a while I kept snarling, "Just tell the damned story yourself!"

That having been said, I do plan on listening to the sequel Between the Thames and the Tiber: The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, where Watson is part of the action himself, which should (hopefully) address the point-of-view issue above.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a true Sherlock Holmes fan, then this book is a fun, light read; but it's nowhere near as good as the original Conan Doyle books/stories.

One of the quoted reviews on the back cover states that the author "captured the precise cadence and style of Dr. Watson's accounts." I disagree. The sentence structure is often awkward in its attempt to mimic Conan Doyle's style, and Holmes' methodology here isn't nearly as erudite as in the originals.

Plus, the edition that I have would have benefited greatly from a proofreader: there's at least one egregious mistake (misspelling, or blatant pronoun-antecedent disagreement) per chapter.

Bottom line: read for fun, but don't expect this to live up to the hype - or the originals.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

So far I'm on-board with Riccardi but, I'm a little shaky after reading that Holmes is now able to alter his appearance using a mysterious yoga technique newly acquired from his travels in Tibet. That is fine, I think, if it subtly aids in his use of disguises, but when Riccardi describes Holmes actually transforms into a 'Solid red faces member of the working class' and then into a 'swarthy Brahman' right before Watson's eyes with in a matter of moments, I find myself hoping these stories will be, for the most part, based in the real universe.

Lets see how this progresses...


Very good over all.

[Jayme(theghostreader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book and I was excited because it claims to be the lost cases of Sherlock Holmes after he faked his death. The setting is India and Asia particularly Nepal, Katmandu,and Tibet. I think those places are exotic places. Unfortunately, the stories are rather boring. The plot doesn't really seem to be a plot rather a recount of events. On the plus side, the author kept the original style of the writing. I felt like the original author was writing this book. I am glad I didn't spend money on this book. It didn't feel like Sherlock Holmes at all. As a Sherlock Holmes fan, I was disappointed.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The language used was reminiscent of Doyle's works, though there were many times where phrases or full sentences were pulled from the Doyle source material (once or twice could be shrugged off as "paying homage," but this was excessive in my mind). However, I think the author failed to get the full flavor of Watson-as-narrator. I know these are stories that Holmes tells Watson after they have happened, rather than stories they experience together, but Watson is really ... glazed over in most of these tales. In addition, the stories weren't as engaging as the originals. I kept finding myself liking the progression of a tale and then feeling disappointed in the way it ended.

[Katie Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first Holmes book I've read that wasn't written by Doyle. I was immediately impressed with the language used and the plot and characters in the first few cases were well-done and stayed true to the original books. The last half of the book seemed to wander a bit. Holmes always gave explanation for his findings, never leaving it with, "You know my methods Watson. Apply them." I found the entire last case hard to stay focused on. It was never resolved and therefore in my mind should not have been included.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging, but not much more. The book does a good job of replicating Doyle's tone, but it's often at a remove. All the stories are in retrospect, so it's challenging to feel engaged in the action.

Also, yikes, how poorly edited in places. Clearly the author or editor made some changes in the point of view during the revision process, but no one managed to pick up all the POV changes

Overall, a fun read for the Holmes enthusiast.

[Audiobook Accomplice (Gillian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh gosh, I LOVED the premise, the writing, Simon Prebble… -But-
4-stars when all is said and done
My Full Review →

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 bumped to a 4.0

[Sid · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well I think i expected much more from the book. Set in India and asian subcontinent with sherlock holmes involved offered a lot. But I guess Sherlock Holmes is not just the character it is the plot, the stories and the writing by Arthur Conan Doyle. And Ted Riccardi doesn't do this justice. I found the plots convoluted and not properly compelling. Found a bit too much detail historically which at times was redundant and not useful .

Really hoped for a better book, coudn't go past 300 pages.

[Rachel Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a very good replica of the Sherlock Holmes character or story. Grammar errors made some stories difficult to read/follow. Endings were quick, unsatisfactory, and unlike the original tales, as Sherlock is not the victor. The author is clearly familiar with the locations of the tales and goes into great detail about same. However, as I am not familiar with India and other locations, I was not as entertained by the descriptions as others might be.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is impeccable, but the storytelling lackluster. Most of these mysteries are fairly dull, and their resolutions underwhelming. Riccardi expertly delves into the cultures of India, Nepal, and Tibet, but at times this book reads too much like a travelogue. Unless you are inordinately fascinated by this part of the world, wading through this book will feel like a chore.

[Barsha Rai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Belonging to Nepal, I had this different but good feeling to read this book as it has traversed through our culture and tradition in so many ways. A great thanks to the author for writing the classic Sherlock Holmes stories in a totally different landscape.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Oriental Casebook of Sherlock Holmes is a lovely fanwork! Written in Dr. Watson's distinctive style, the various cases are set during the period of canon after The Final Problem (in which Holmes seemingly dies during a fight with Moriarty) and before The Adventure of the Empty House (which opens with Holmes explaining to Watson how he survived and that he has finally returned to England in search of the last of Moriarty's lieutenants) and recounts various cases that Holmes dealt with while traveling in the middle east and Asia. The cases range greatly; there are rather long accounts of Holmes working as an agent of British interests to relatively short accounts of seemingly bewildering but, to Holmes, fairly straightforward crime. The collection closes with Holmes' musings on what he learned while traveling abroad; primarily, that much of the squalor and barbarity there is the fault of British policy, both in what is actively done to protect British interests and for what is allowed due to British indifference. The volume is excellent, and a fanwork that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in reading Holmsian stories beyond Arthur Conan Doyle's canon.

However, as this is a work of historical fiction set in the late 1800s, readers should keep in mind that there is period-typical racism, primarily in how non-Europeans are discussed by characters who are not Holmes. It is nowhere near as bad it was during The Sign of the Four, but is still presen and something that sensitive readers may wish to consider when reading or deciding whether or not to read.

[Gergely · Rating 1 out of 5]

Intriguing concept and idea, very poorly executed.

Tone and language try too hard to be like Doyle, falling short of that mark. Characters are excessively shilled/overblown.
- Every villain of the week is described as a match for Moriarty - minus minor things like plausible gambits, aura of menace, stuff like that.
- Way too many ladies are painted as on the same level of Irene Adler (you know, the woman for Sherlock), except there's precious little focus on their smarts, decisiveness, quick thinking... the qualities he valued in Miss Adler.
- The timeline of the stories feels very suspect - stories allude to several weeks or months of travel (which would be accurate), yet it all should fit into a 2-year period...and communication with Mycroft in England is uncannily fast and smooth.
- Apparently, Tibetan yogis are the precursors of the Bene Tleilaxu Facedancers. Who knew?
- While Sherlock did serve the Crown on several canon occasions, making him an ambassador/proto-Bond feels very...iffy.

[Rob McMonigal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Sherlock Holmes and I love most of the various non-Doyle versions, which, while varying in quality, keep him quite active.

I did not love this one.

I was a bit nervous about something called "Oriental Casebook" but given the time period of Holmes' adventures, it's not out of the realm for that term to be in active use. But then the stories started, and dragged on with tons of asides that seem to serve no purpose other than to pad the narrative. Holmes is very much detail-oriented, but when the details are about waxing poetic about the nature of beauty in an exotic location or his resisting his emotions towards women and bemoaning his bachelor life, I'm getting checked out.

And then there was the "Moriarty was the illegitimate son of a British foreign official who didn't love him" plot. Yeah, no.

This one is a hard pass, Holmes fans.

[Audioreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book even though I cannot commend it on its mysteries. Those are dull and you get to the end of a story often finding there really was nothing to the "mystery". But on two counts Riccardi does an amazing job. First, his tone completely recaptures the original Doyle mysteries and the relationship between Holmes and Watson (and the voice acting of the audiobook version is incredible). Second, he has a tremendous ability to create long, detailed, believable, nuanced character back stories. The side trips into these stories often echo whole new worlds to a modern Western reader which are a lot of fun. Kudos to that.

[Nicole Ankenmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook: 13hr 18m

The voices of Holmes and Watson are remarkably familiar in this extensive pastiche, written more than a hundred years after the consulting detective first set up shop on Baker's Street.

Like the originals, I couldn't always follow the threads of logic that Holmes was chasing (sometimes because not enough information is provided to draw accurate conclusions until the inevitable revelation monologue), but I was always intrigued through to the end of each episodic tale. A very enjoyable, period-accurate (read: not extremely politically correct by today's standards in posture or content) exploration of our beloved duo.

[Jennifer Wadman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having re-read through of all of ACD’s Holmes writings last year, this pastiche had a lovely and familiar feel. Faithful is style, pacing, vernacular but with the lovely addition of the wealth of knowledge of the true scholar, this work allows for subtle modern sensibilities to shed light on the practices and mores of imperialism in India. A change in location prompts the detective to utilize more psychological tools than scientific. Occasionally I was reminded that this was a new voice speaking through familiar characters, either by vocabulary choices but mainly because this is a kinder, gentler, more reflective Holmes. Refreshing. Prompted research into Indian history and culture.

[J.P. Coman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost liked it. It almost grabbed my attention. For some reason, this author uses 'almost' a lot, which my own editors told me was poor writing. "The almost cloudless sky" and "we were almost at the top of the hill" (when there was no reason not to be on top). The stories were set in Nepal, India, other eastern locations which needed a lot of description to bring the reader into the story. I think I've now run the course of Holmes FanFiction and Pastiche stories.

[Michelle Weaver · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this hard to finish. The stories were over-narrated and long-winded. The voice is off, too. They are supposed to be told by Holmes, but are then given in a mix of first person (being told by Holmes) and third person paraphrasing (with Watson clinically listing what actions Holmes took). I do not mean that different stories are in different voices: it switches back and forth multiple times within an individual story, sometimes with multiple voice shifts within a few pages.

[Bill Suits · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stories but heavy on detail and many could have been edited down. You don't need to have everything a ridiculously long narrative. More variety would have been better or in some case a decrease in length. I have to say that the Giant Rat story was the most disappointing. Best one was the Holmes and Mycroft narrative on a rainy day.

[Matt · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave this book several chances, but I just cannot enjoy it at all. Aside from the nonsense yoga that others have mentioned, the character did not seem, act, or think like the “real” Holmes for much of the book. And it gets annoying when a story features a spoken paragraph, then a narrated paragraph, alternated on end, while telling a third-and sometimes fourth-hand story.

[Gina Guesby Mays · Rating 3 out of 5]

The audiobook was, ok. Ok as meaning it had some tales to listen to, but mostly dry. Stories of a deceased Holmes come back to life but most of the stories were set in India. Not a lot going on but a few criminals and such. Not my favorite of his, but the narrator did a good job with all the characters.

[Pat Beard · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a few good plots in these short stories but the details and voice were just enough off that I couldn't give it a higher rating. I also agree with the reviewer that just couldn't deal with the "shape-shifter" Holmes.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to create something true to the time without the lens of racism taking over - on the other hand it's equally off putting if the MC is exceptionally ahead of his time. Riccardi does a decent job of walking the line between.