The game is afoot in the excellent Sherlock Holmes tale of spies and revolution, the Adventures of the Peculiar Protocols.

Sherlock Holmes’ brother Mycroft enlists Holmes’ help with a mysterious French manuscript. The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion is ostensibly a book recording a conference of Jews describing their plan of world takeover. However, Holmes believes it is a fraud. Confirming the Jewish connection, the Home Office spy who died protecting it was killed with a knife bearing a Jewish star. Does the manuscript’s sudden appearance relate to the nascent Russian revolution? Is it an attempt to blame the entire revolution on the already frequently scapegoated Russian Jews?

The author’s Seven-Percent Solution is my favorite neo-Holmes tale so I snatched this one up as soon as I saw it on NetGalley. And I wasn’t disappointed. This book is equally good and feels like it was written by Doyle himself. The level of detail that matches the original stories is excellent! I most highly recommend the Adventures of the Peculiar Protocols for every Holmes fan. 5 stars!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a died-in-the-wool Sherlock fan, but not a purist, so I am always on the lookout for a good Sherlock pastiche. Especially from the talented Nicholas Meyer, author of The Seven-Percent Solution. One of the many agents of Sherlock's brother Mycroft was murdered while delivering a copy of the anti-Semitic tract known as The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Mycroft is desperate to find the original and its author. Oddly, the murdered agent still had the document on her person, written in Russian. Mycroft fears the effects of its distribution in England. Sherlock enlists Dr. Watson's sister-in-law to translate the text. They also meet with an American couple, William English Walling, and his Russian Jewish wife, Anna Strunsky. The Wallings are on the way home from Russia. The 1905 Revolution has just been brutally suppressed, and the Wallings have a good idea where the document came from. It's a surprise that Anna Strunsky will accompany them posing as their translator, at least to Dr. Watson. They travel across Europe on The Orient Express, and into danger in the Ukraine, Budapest, and Russia, with unknown pursuers.


The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols is a rollicking adventure based on real historical events and persons. The Wallings were co-founders of the NAACP along with W.E.B. DuBois, and I had never heard of them. I had also heard of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion but never knew its long history. Based on lies and plagiarism, it is responsible for the deaths of untold numbers of Jews. It plays on the worst human prejudices and continues to rear its ugly head. For example, Henry Ford had 500,000 copies printed and distributed through his newspaper in America. There are colorful descriptions of the great cities of Europe through which they pass, as well as the general squalor of Eastern Europe. The funicular railway in Budapest makes an appearance, which I particularly enjoyed, having ridden it several years ago.

I highly recommend The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols, both for Sherlock Holmes fans and those who enjoy historical fiction that can teach the reader a thing or two! Thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for an advance copy. The opinions are my own.

It’s 1905 and Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are prevailed upon by Holmes’ brother, Mycroft, to conduct a secret investigation. A manuscript has been discovered that seems to indicate that a secret organization is planning to take over the world. The subsequent events take Holmes and Watson into Russia, where they are determined to trace the origins of this document, with the help of a somewhat mysterious woman.

According to the author, Nicholas Meyer, this latest adventure of the intrepid Sherlock Holmes is based on an unpublished case recorded by Dr Watson. This isn’t the first time Mr Meyer has “found” and published one of Watson’s journal entries. Some years ago I read another such novel, The Seven Percent Solution” and found it quite enjoyable. And, once again, The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols has captured my interest. Not only is it a well-written story in the manner of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, it is also based on real events that were occurring in 1905. Fans of the fictional detective will find this latest book by Nicholas Meyer a particularly good addition to the Sherlock Holmes lore.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols
(Adapted from the Journals of John H. Watson, M.D.) by Nicholas Meyer from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/MacMillan in order to read and give an honest review.

" ...an intelligent and intriguing read ..."

I have always been a fan of author Arthur Conan Doyle and have always loved stories that bring the brilliant duo back to life. In The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols, Nicholas Meyer does just that.   At an auction, a newly discovered mysterious journal of Dr JohnWatson surfaces with the notes from a 1905 investigation: The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols. After a lengthy absence from his partner Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson a newlywed and very busy physician is drawn back into the life when a murder points to a mysterious document, zionists, antisemitism and political corruption. Fiction mixed with real events in history this is a unique approach taking us on the Orient Express from Paris to Russia. Holmes, Watson and their fiery and very beautiful translator, Anna Strunsky are on a quest to find the original source of the document and the corruption behind it. They are chased by a wide-reaching group who wants to stop them from asking questions that could disrupt their plans and destroy their future!

I have to say although slow to get into at first I enjoyed it and found it an intelligent and intriguing read that I would definitely recommend!

The latest from Nicholas Meyers is another fascinating look at Sherlock Holmes. The Peculiar Protocols is a worthy successor to The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.

In 1973, there was a Hollywood writer's strike. About a year later, 45-years ago, screenwriter and now author Nicholas Meyer’s The Seven-Per-Cent Solution was on the New York Times Bestseller list. And it remained there for a year. By the early 2000s, I was done with graduate school and finally reading a lot more for fun. Rediscovering the Sherlock Holmes stories I had loved as a kid was a big part of my reading at that time. But, of course, you work your way through the canon by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and, be left wanting more.

For me, it was around this time I found a battered old mass-market paperback copy of Meyer’s The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. It had lived a long life for a mmpb, and had been read several times judging by the creases in the spine and covers. And, at a large used bookstore in Oklahoma City, it was set out to be read again. I’m pretty sure I got it off a spinner rack for $1. I had read some other, more recent Sherlockian pastiches by then, though I couldn’t say exactly what now.

Arguably, it was thanks to Meyer's first Sherlock pastiche that The Great Detective's adventures experienced a revival in the 1970s and has never gone out of style since. Now that I've gone on and on about this first novel, and you discover Meyer, in fact, wrote a few more, you may be tempted to feel left behind by a series that has outpaced you.

If you didn't already know, Sherlock Holmes is one of my all time favorite characters, so I was absolutely thrilled when I was approved for The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyer. It's such a cool concept that this is from one of John Watson's recently found journals. Aside from spending more time with some favorite characters, I love that Meyer's voice sounds so much like Conan Doyle's original stories. Plus, the "editor's" footnotes are so intriguing. If you are a fan of Holmes and The Seven Per-Cent Solution, I highly recommend giving this mystery a try.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The Adventure Of The Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyer is a Sherlock Holmes Mystery. A recently unearthed Watson Journal brings to life a previously unknown case. The time is 1905 and the seeds of World War I are beginning to sprout. Holmes and Watson undertake an undercover investigation the behest of Holmes’s brother Mycroft who works for the British Secret Service. Conspiracies abound and they can trust no-one on a dangerous journey aboard the Orient Express from Paris to Russia during the last gasp of the Tsarist regime. I enjoyed this story very much and it’s twists and turns will keep you guessing till the very end. Publishing Date October 15, 2019. #NetGalley #TheAdventureOfThePeculiarProtocols #NicholasMeyer #HolmesandWatson #Bookstagram #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #MysteriesandThrillers

The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols is a new Holmes & Watson homage from Nicholas Meyer. Due out 15th Oct 2019 from Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

I'm a huge Holmes and Watson fan and this was an interesting and worthwhile addition to the category. The author does a creditable stylistic homage to Conan Doyle as well as developing (but not exploding) the canon. I enjoyed reading the interactions and dialogue and seeing more of Mycroft, who has always intrigued me.

The plot is skillfully interwoven with actual historical characters and occurrences so that it fits fairly seamlessly into a framework of real history. The story revolves around the political machinations of the Russian propagandizing of the fraudulent Protocols of the Elders of Zion to incite violence and pogroms against Jews in Europe. The message is frightening and timely.

I would heartily recommend it to fans of the canon who are yearning for more Holmes and Watson adventures. Meyer is a capable, masterful writer with a sure voice who captures the period very well.

Four stars. Well done and entertaining.

I love the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. I've read all of them over and over again. Even though I know the outcome of each story...I still love to read them again. The Hound of the Baskervilles has always been my favorite. And as a Sherlock fan, I've watched many movies and television shows based on the characters and devoured many re-tellings and new stories with relish. Some have been great -- others not so good. Certain classic characters are just difficult to revisit with the same feel as the original....and Sherlock is probably one of the most difficult, in my opinion.

I have to admit that I have never read The Seven-Percent Solution or any of Nicholas Meyer's other Sherlock tales. I have always heard great things about his tales based on memoirs of Dr. Watson. But in my quest this year to read more books that I've been meaning to read but never seem to get to.....I had Nicholas Meyer's books on the list of must-reads! So, when I saw this new book coming out, I jumped right on it. I'm so glad I did! Very enjoyable story!

I'm picky about my Sherlock stories....new forays into his exploits need to be true to the original character and not mess about with his personality too much. I have to say I enjoyed Nicholas Meyer's slant on the characters. He tweaked a little bit...but not in any way that made me cringe. The plot is appropriately grandiose -- Sherlock doesn't take on just any old case, you know! Go big, or stay at home smoking your pipe and playing the violin. It's a big case with plotting evildoers....but not over-the-top cheesy. Perfect. Boo, evildoers! Go get them, Sherlock! And be sure to write all this down, Watson!

The front cover art is awesome! Very engaging and colorful!

All in all, a very enjoyable tale!! I definitely need to backtrack and read Meyer's other Sherlock stories. I'm sorry that I never took the time to do so before now. I'm sure I missed out on several enjoyable books! Rectifying that now!

**I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book from St. Martins Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I really enjoy Sherlock Holmes “newly discovered” stories. Like Meyer’s previous story in this series, he brings in contemporaneous personalities to complicate Holmes' and Watson’s quite existences. This time, the characters are the Zionists concerned with finding a Jewish homeland, and their enemies who are publishing lies about Jews and their influence in the world.

You don’t need to have read the previous novel to appreciate this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A good pastiche is one that captures the spirit of the material it is based upon and then adds to it, as writers like Jo Baker did with her novel, Longbourn (based on Pride and Prejudice), or Tom Stoppard did with his play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (based upon Hamlet). Screenwriter, novelist, and noted Holmes-enthusiast Nicholas Meyer likes to take this one step further with his Sherlock Holmes novels by introducing a framing story, wherein he is given access to a ‘long lost journal’ purportedly written by Sherlock Holmes’s friend and biographer, John Watson, and proceeds to transcribe and publish the story he found in said lost journal.

In this story, The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols, we find an aging Sherlock Holmes ruminating on the new century (it’s 1905) and wondering if there will be a place for him in the new world unfolding before him. There no longer seem to be any oddball crimes or baffling murders that once where the aging detective’s lifeblood. Now, the cases he might solve seem smaller and less important as the world with its newer faster technologies develops. But before Holmes can hang up his hat for good, his brother Mycroft summons him– and Watson, too, by default– to investigate a top-secret document found on the body of an English spy who was murdered and then left in the Thames. Though Holmes is skeptical of the matter at first, he wades deeper into the case as the stakes rise, for if the documents are true, a secret society is making plans to upset the governments of the world in a bid for global domination.

Soon, Holmes and Watson are on the fabled Orient Express in the company of a beautiful but mysterious woman to find the source of the secret documents and discover once and for all their true nature and the identity of those behind their creation. Along the way, Holmes and Watson speak with a variety of experts and ruminate on the changes going on around them, and what that could mean for the future of England.

“In the silence that followed, I attempted to digest so much that had been said. A revolution was taking place half a world away. Events were unfolding that, if the nearsighted chemist enjoying Holmes’s sherry was correct, could conceivably drag the rest of Europe into a conflagration in which massive quantities of British gunpowder might well be required.”

With three previous Holmes pastiche novels and other Holmesian studies to his name, Meyer has experience with the casebooks of Sherlock Holmes, and he uses that knowledge and combines it with his knowledge of scriptwriting to create a story that feels like it really could have been a lost journal that was set aside for years, then lost and found again. The Victorian wordings and the verbal sparring between Holmes and Watson feel perfectly natural, as do the deductions and the one-upmanship forever going on between Holmes and his elder brother Mycroft. If there is a fault in Meyer’s writing, it could only be that the allusions to conspiracy theories and fake news are a little on the nose. Or maybe they aren’t, as Mycroft points out that people have always been willing to believe stories that cast the ‘Other’ in a horrendous light, no matter how outlandish those stories may be. And if some of Meyer’s on-point notes hit close to home, they should serve to remind the reader that hate never dies out completely, and one must always be seeking the truth, no matter how convenient the lie may be.

In The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols, Nicholas Meyer once again delivers a thrilling tale of Holmes’s exploits in a story that feels like it could have come from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s own imagination. It is a thoroughly absorbing story that engages the imagination from cover to cover and leaves one thinking once again of how Sherlock Homes still relates to us more than a century after his first appearance.

First of all, I'm not a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. As a young teen, The Hound of the Baskervilles freaked me out. (It still does.) But when I tried to read A Study in Scarlet, it underwhelmed me. The rest? The stories didn't resonate with me. In addition, most of the Holmesian spin-offs haven't resonated with me, either. It's not Sherlock, it's me. 

All that to say, I can't speak to any similarities or differences in Meyer's style versus Doyle's, how true this version of Holmes is to the original creation, or anything else that matters to die-hard Sherlock fans. 

What I can say is this: I enjoyed The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols. 

The book opens with a preface, wherein Meyer spins a yarn about the Sotheby auction of a previously unknown Watson journal and a colleague asking Meyer to examine it for its authenticity. Meyer (the fictional version) even references his real life work on the Star Trek series as he continues his tale with how he studied the manuscript, edited it, and what changes (if any) he made. It's exactly the sort of preface I've read for published journals of real life people, though most of those editors aren't nearly as amusing as Meyer. 

If you're looking for action on page one, this may seem slow. But my inner English major geeked out about this. The preface sets us up for a story where issues of authenticity and forgeries (not to mention truth and lies) are of vital importance.

The preface gives us an amusing, wink-wink, author's-sleight-of-hand version of this idea. But the story that follows shows just how important this difference is: the results of what we believe to be true affect others in tremendous, sometimes horrific, ways. 

The book is by turns fun and horrifying. It's amusing to read Meyer's "footnotes" and his innuendos about what might (or might not) have happened between Sherlock and the ravishing Anna Strunsky Walling. But the historical basis for this case is eerily prescient of the 20th century and our own century. When Holmes muses that in the 20th century, crimes are getting bigger, we know just how big those will get. 

Meyer weaves current events (such as the failed Russian revolution of 1905) and historical persons into his tale. Constance Garnett, the first English translator of Tolstoy and many other Russian authors, plays a role, as does Professor Chaim Weismann, later president of Israel.

Meyer uses the Protocols, which purport to be minutes from a meeting of Jews plotting to take over the world, for fictional purposes here. (This is revealed early enough that it doesn't seem like a spoiler, in my opinion.) However, the real life version, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, was an actual antisemitic propaganda document that was later exposed as a fraud. Unfortunately, despite condemnation and repeated exposures in the press, it continues to be disseminated in certain areas of the world. 

Watson and Holmes journey to Tsarist Russia, where their search takes them to dark places. The results of antisemitism and authoritarian rule are everywhere. There is one chapter that is heart-wrenching as it portrays the affects of a pogrom on two survivors. Even the normally stoic Sherlock Holmes is unnerved. His anguish, though understated, made me like him all the more.

Overall, this is a well-written novel that makes some serious points.

As Holmes notes, lies left unchecked develop strength and credibility. Lies, such as those presented in the Protocols and other propaganda, fuel fears. The target of those fears? Anyone other than us. Jews, immigrants, anyone who isn't like us. We hate what we fear. Everywhere we look today, we can see the results of hatred. The book is both an entertaining story and a warning. 

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.  

This review will appear on my personal blog on October 7, 2019.

I read Meyer's first Sherlock Holmes books decades ago when they were first published, so I was excited to see this book come out. I didn't know how I had missed these books over the years until I started reading this book!

I was captivated from the first lines. It's a wonderful adventure with intrigue, a mysterious document, hidden agendas, and a beautiful woman. It's 1905 and Mycroft enlists Sherlock's help to decipher a secret document. With Watson's help as well as that of some historical figures, he does and discovers the trail leads to Russia and, possibly to Russia's secret police.

Watson, Holmes, and the woman travel to Russia and discover, to their peril, the secrets behind the document (which also actually exists). The historic and fictional blend seamlessly in this exciting novel.

The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyer

Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson are back in this recently discovered diary entry from the early 1900s. The detective that made Arthur Conan Doyle famous is now in new hands but just as logical and insightful as always. The story has all the elements we have come to know and love, political intrigue, exotic locales, and a cast of fascinating characters.

What I Liked

Tone, pace, and content closely resemble my memory of the original stories. Fans will enjoy that the novel stays true to the original on many essential aspects. This similarity also enables the reader to suspend disbelief easily and even question at times if this is a real diary discovered by the author.

There is a bit more depth to the characters than in the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock achieves a more three-dimensional persona with his possible err in judgment concerning an extramarital affair, and Watson is not the fool that Doyle created. He provides a human element to the story, which works as a foil to Holmes’ logic in many situations.

The fake news angle of the story is relatable to readers today. Using a current topic in the historical context of the novel makes it easier for today’s readers to connect to and enjoy more fully. I think this is an ingenious plot angle for the story to utilize.

What I Wish

The novel had a faster pace. Though Doyle’s stories are paced similarly, the modern reader needs a quicker pace to stay invested in the story. In our on-demand world, attention-spans have changed to expect it and thus, have little patience for the slow build.

To Read or Not to Read

If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes in any incarnation, you will enjoy this story and the approach it takes to a well-known character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The temptation to revisit the world of Sherlock Holmes proves irresistible time and time again, and so I picked up this latest pastiche of the great detective's adventures (this author's fourth). While the use of a real-life antisemitic propaganda piece from 1905, along with other incidents and characters from history, was interesting, the way all the pieces were put together with the slightly-off revisioning of Holmes and Watson left me unconvinced. For me, the rendering of Watson's voice was too different from Doyle's, although as this adventure was purportedly from an unpublished diary that could perhaps be attributed to lack of revision and editing. In any case, even the repeated use of phrases like "You know my methods" did not do the trick to make me think I was reading a "real" Sherlock Holmes adventure.

Oddly enough, I found myself thinking this would work better and be more fun as a graphic novel. Some good visuals would take away the necessity for clumsy verbal description, and speed up the pace of the story, which drags at times.

As a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I was excited to receive The Adventures of the Peculiar Protocols. Opening in 1905, Watson and Holmes are approached by Sherlock’s brother Mycroft who asks for their assistance with a sensitive investigation. An agent has been murdered. Before her death she obtained a copy of the Protocols that detailed secret meetings of a group with plans to take control of the world.
Although Watson has promised his wife that his involvement with Holmes’ investigations is over, he finds himself traveling to Russia with his old friend to discover the origins of the document. Released as part of a plot to foment trouble, they come up against the Okhrana, the Russian secret police.

While the opening chapters of this book are somewhat slow as they research the origins of the Protocols, Nicholas Meyer more than makes up for that with Holmes’ and Watson’s harrowing escape from Russia, evading Russian agents and traveling on the Orient Express. This book is a treat for Holmes fans and I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It is well written and kept me interested all the way through. I would definitely recommend to a fellow reader. The cover is really fantastic, too!

This book was received as an ARC from St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Having read so many Sherlock Holmes and the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, it was refreshing to see another novel in the point of view of Watson "reflecting" on the "peculiar" cases he and Holmes encountered. Some of them were so out there with references to other classic novels such as the Orient Express that it made it even more enticing to read on and see the role Watson and Holmes had for each case. I do have to say my favorite part however, was the author's intro with him saying a variation "if there are errors of any kind...blame Watson." That had me on the floor laughing and a lot of our patrons will enjoy it too.

We will consider adding this title to our Mystery collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Nicholas Meyer presents us with another 'newly discovered' Sherlock Holmes case from Dr. Watson's diaries in The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols. Mycroft Holmes summons his brother Sherlock Holmes to investigate a murder and a document being circulated that warns that a secret group is bent on taking over the world. The document appears to be part of a conspiracy to foment and spur trouble.

My husband and I both read The Seven-Per-Cent Solution by Nicholas Meyer when it came out in 1974. He offered a new view of the perpetually popular Sherlock Holmes. Later my brother shared his copy of Meyer's third Holmes mystery, The West End Horror. I thought this would be a fun read.

Soon after I got into the book I discovered this story is more than entertainment. The story of a secret group is 'fake news' being used for political purposes.

Now, where have we heard that story before?

It is 1905 and Watson is married to a suffragette and has built a practice. Holmes notes that crimes are getting bigger. Electric lights are replacing gas. There is an uprising in Russia and Czar Nicholas is struggling to maintain control. The Jews are looking for a homeland, perhaps in Uganda.

Holmes, of course, needs Watson's assistance; they are not so sure about the help of a female radical socialist, Anna Strunsky. Her beauty alone is problematic for the married Watson. Watson's wife made him pledge to end to his risky adventures with Holmes. Will his marriage survive--or his practice? But this is no regular murder investigation; behind the murder is a plot that will set Europe careening into mass hysteria and death.

The three make a journey on the Orient Express to Odessa, Russia. Proving the document a fake is essential. Thousands of lives hang in the balance. Or is it already too late? Once fake news is in the world, it tends to stay there.

People love to place blame on something concrete, some 'other' as the source of their problems.

This is a fun read, filled with historical references and events, political intrigue, a kidnapping, and an expansion of the classic characters of Watson and Holmes. But the underlying message is serious, chilling, and sadly, timeless.

I was granted access to a free egalley by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

There have been (and most likely will always be) many Sherlock Holmes pastiches in every genre and variation of the Great Detective (and the 'usual suspects' of supporting characters). Nicholas Meyer is among the first I've read and does a fantastic job of emulating Conan Doyle's style and tone. "The Adventures of the Peculiar Protocols" has elements of real like history and people amid the fictional ones, with the (original) Dynamic Duo travelling across Europe and into Russia in the hopes of stamping out literature that (falsely) states a manifesto of Jews wanting to "take over the world" (the titular 'Protocols'). All the classic elements of a Conan Doyle adventure are present, with the atmosphere of all the locales brilliantly depicted. As many of the aspects of this tale is stemmed from real world events, its conclusion is uncharacteristically somber.

Nonetheless, a great 'new' Holmes story to behold and I look forward to more in the future.