An entertaining Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson mystery that continues the legacy series written by Arthur Conan Doyle. Nicholas Meyer writes another book with a great story line that any Holmes lover will find deserving of 5 stars.

Ever since the first Sherlock Holmes adventure was published by Arthur Conan Doyle in the 1880s, readers have been fascinated by the famed literary detective and his powers of observation and reasoning. In The Return of the Pharaoh: From the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D., author Nicholas Meyer brings the detective out of his retirement to work yet another case...

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com - and aired on Shelf Discovery

Absolutely fantastic! I was hooked from the start as I was reading this book. It was wonderful.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are off on another adventure. Dr. Watson has taken his wife to Egypt to recover from her tuberculosis, and there, he runs into his old friend, Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is undercover, attempting to find a missing Duke, and Watson gets pulled into the investigation as it moves forward.

A missing Duke, the promise of an unplundered tomb, and a case so intriguing that you are going to be unable to put the book down once you start. I am suffering from a horrible book hangover, but excited to see what else this author has to offer!

Revisit Egypt, and another case with Sherlock Holmes.

The Return of the Pharaoh is the 5th Holmes & Watson pastiche by Nicholas Meyer. Released 9th Nov. 2021 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 272 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats (paperback due out in Nov 2022). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a very well written homage, done with respect and insight, by a talented author who is gifted at his craft. The characterizations, obviously, are paramount, and he does them justice. There are canonical fans who likely won't be satisfied with *anything* added to the genre, but really, this is a respectful and eminently readable book.

This installment sees Dr. Watson accompanying his wife to Egypt, to a sanatorium to try to improve her health after a recent tuberculosis diagnosis. Soon he's embroiled in a curious missing persons case with Holmes and the game is most definitely afoot. The plotting, denouement, and resolution are satisfying and complete. The author has also listed a short bibliography of source material at the back of the book which is worth a perusal.

Four stars. It's a diverting read and while it's not *actually* Conan Doyle, it could easily *have been*. One interesting thing to me is how much effort writers must expend writing in the style of another writer. I believe it craves more talent and a great deal of humility to suppress their natural voices in order to let the other writer's voice come out clearly. This one succeeds.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

How delightful to discover a new Holmes novel from the same person who wrote The Seven Per Cent Solution back in the 70’s! The author hasn’t lost his touch, describing for us in Watson’s voice an adventure featuring our favorite detective duo fortuitously reunited in Egypt. Watson is there to accompany his wife as she recovers from tuberculosis, and Holmes turns up incognito in search of a missing person. Death, danger, and drama ensue as Holmes and Watson, helped by the likes of Howard Carter, pursue the clues into various archaeological sites including the pyramids. There’s a sense of old-fashioned adventure throughout, as in a dramatic train scene that had a made-for-cinema flavor. The ending is not the most exciting, but the story is an enjoyable ride with old friends.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital advance review copy.

The author never fails to entertain with his ongoing tales of Sherlock. I have missed his continuing of the legendary detective

Nicholas Meyer continues the reminiscences of John Watson in the Return of the Pharaoh. Watson's wife has weakened lungs which are being treated in Egypt. He becomes involved with Sherlock Holmes in a case involving Egyptian antiquities and gold as Holmes tries to find a missing duke for his wife. Lots of antiquities puzzles and crime in 1911 Egypt.

I have been a huge Sherlock Holmes fan ever since I was a teenager and I vaguely remember watching the movie The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, based on the book by Nicolas Meyer, but until now had never read any of his books. After a many year gap, Meyer came back to writing Sherlock Holmes books in 2019 with the release of The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols. When I was offered the opportunity to review his latest Holmes book, The Return of the Pharaoh, I jumped at the chance!

As with many Sherlock Holmes stories not written by Doyle, this book is presented as having come from the journals of John H. Watson, M.D. The book’s introduction opens with a letter to Meyer asking if he will once again edit an excerpt from Watson’s journal, which of course he agrees to. This is one book where you don’t want to skip the introduction.

The story takes Holmes and Watson to Egypt on a very unusual case. Watson actually goes to Egypt hoping that it will help his ailing wife Juliet, but when he runs into Holmes, he is drawn in to the adventure with his old friend despite his hesitance to leave her. This adventure takes place in 1911 when the Egyptology craze is in full force. Holmes has been hired to locate a British royal named Michael, the Duke of Uxbridge. He has been hired by the man’s Brazilian wife and brother-in-law who insist on progress updates.

Holmes is traveling under the guise of Colonel Arbuthnot and it is funny when Watson recognizes his own regimental green tie on a man and then realizes that it is Holmes in disguise. The two of course then pair up to solve this Egyptian mystery. The adventure is filled with interesting Egyptian history, a lot of intrigue, suspense, and many twists and turns. It was a joy to be back reading a new Sherlock Holmes adventure and Meyer does a wonderful job of bringing it all to life.

If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan like I am, I highly encourage you to pick up this grand and wonderfully written adventure, you won’t regret it. My next task is to go back and read The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols! I hope Meyer will be “editing” many more Holmes adventures in the future.

Nicholas Meyer was one of the first and best authors to take up Conan Doyle's mantle and write the quality Holmes tales we want and need. This book is no exception, and struck me as an entertaining and honorable addition to my Holmes shelf.

It's an excellent addition to Meyer's series of additional Sherlock Holmes mysteries. With the action taking place in Egypt where Holmes has been hired to find a missing duke of profligate habits by his wife. The Duke is an amTateur Egyptologist who believes he has a map to a lost tomb.

Mixing a very authentic atmosphere, with historical characters like Howard Carter, and plenty of excitement, it' tons of fun.

I'm so into this series! It's a genuine homage to the original Holmes character and books instead of a cheap milking of a classic. The stories are told as if John H. Watson, M.D. was a real historical person who wrote about the adventures of his friend, Sherlock Holmes and it's so spot-on with the details of time and place, I dare say a bit more detailed than the original books, that it feels real.

Holmes and Watson go to Egypt to investigate a missing Lord who was an amateur archaeologist that may have discovered the unopened tomb of Thutmose. For anyone who knows me, this is obviously a subject I fully geek out over and was so into, I read this in two days.

Essentially, a Lord has disappeared in the desert so of course, there are potential enemies everywhere, suspected spies, bad desert weather and wind, and rumors of treasures to add complications for Holmes and Watson, but really, the story is a neat and tidy mystery that you'd expect with lots of adventure, fast-paced thriller moments, and a satisfactory ending. I highly recommend this one to all fans of mystery and Holmes.

The review of The Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer is in the January 2022 issue of Gumshoe Review and is exclusive to them until February 1st, 2022.

You may read the review at this link: <http://www.gumshoereview.com/php/Review-id.php?id=6796>

A worthy successor to Arthur Conan Doyle. Not only does he “reveal” unknown cases of Sherlock Holmes that stand up to the originals I think that he gives Sherlock and Watson more personality without changing the essentials that make them so memorable; they are just more.

A case with a pharaoh’s curse. What more could you ask more. Definitely recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Sherlock Holmes returns in a previously unpublished case that has been sent to Nicholas Meyer. What a fun and clever premise! Once again, Mr Meyers has woven a tale of the adventure of Sherlock and his compatriot, Dr Watson, the keeper of the journal that details the cases he has shared with the renowned detective.

The Return of the Pharaoh finds the two friends in Egypt. Watson has accompanied his wife, who is undergoing treatment for tuberculosis, while Sherlock is in Egypt on the hunt for a missing duke. The two join forces for an adventure neither will soon forget.

Once again Nicholas Meyer brings Holmes and Watson to life. There are also glimpses of Watson’s wife, Juliet, and she is a delight. In addition to a well-conceived plot and great dialogue, there is Egypt itself. The author has included wonderful descriptions of the area, the people, and the historic artifacts that play an important role in the story. This addition of this background is interesting and provides another layer to an already well-written tale.

The Return of Pharaoh was a very entertaining and imaginative read. I hope the author receives another “unpublished manuscript” in the very near future!

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

An intriguing new tale of Sherlock Holmes.

I am an avid Sherlock Holmes fan and have read and listened to all of the stories, so it was so wonderful to have a new addition. This was my first of Meyer’s Holmes tales and I am definitely interested in reading more. As a Sherlock Holmes super fan, I mean my 3 start review as a compliment — I definitely thought I would end up disliking it, but I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I highly recommend for anyone interested in Holmes, and I think fellow fans will also find it a worthwhile read.

There were definitely moments where I found myself lost in the story as if Arthur Conan Doyle wrote it himself, but overall, it was clearly written though a modern lens. The story was quite Watson-heavy, which gave him a much more active role. Counter to that, Holmes was not his usual, perfect, all-knowing self; this made him seem like a much more real-life detective and I missed Holmes’ magic. The story itself was interesting, though it would have made for a stronger short story or novella in my opinion — and perhaps it would have been more concise if Holmes were sharper.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NeGalley for the ARC!

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* 4.5 really lied this book! i will be reading the other books in this series! one of the better sherlock spin offs, really love the way its written!

I did not realize this was the 6th book in the author’s Sherlock and Watson series, but I loved this book and will go back to read the others! I am always interested in Egyptology, so Holmes and Watson on a case there was very appealing and Nicholas Meyer does a great job of taking the reader right there with them. Also love that the author is a fellow Iowa Hawkeye!

Dr. Watson brings his second wife, Juliet, to Egypt to cure her tb. He runs into Sherlock, who is looking for a missing nobleman. They join forces. In Return of the Pharoah, the game is once again afoot!

This author does the best job of the many writers trying to replicate Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The prose reads exactly like the original novels. There are a lot of obscure words and setting the scene going on, which you may or may not enjoy. The thrill of seeing Sherlock’s enormous brain solve the puzzle by deductive reason is not really evident as the mystery’s solution was easy to unravel. However, the unusual setting still made Return of the Pharoah a 4-star read for me.

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

“Return” is a terrific addition to the Sherlock Holmes genre.

Holmes and Watson travel to Egypt to discover some of the secrets of the pyramids. With cameo appearances from some famous Egyptologists, including Howard Carter, the story was fast-moving, engaging, and true to the genre. I hope Nicholas Meyer continues to “discover” more of Watson’s work!

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

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy.
 
 
From the blurb:
 
In 1910, Dr. John Watson travelled to Egypt with his wife Juliet. Her tuberculosis has returned and her doctor recommends a stay at a sanatorium in a dry climate. But while his wife undergoes treatment, Dr. Watson bumps into an old friend--Sherlock Holmes, in disguise and on a case. An English Duke with a penchant for Egyptology has disappeared, leading to enquiries from his wife and the Home Office.

Holmes has discovered that the missing duke has indeed vanished from his lavish rooms in Cairo and that he was on the trail of a previous undiscovered and unopened tomb. And that he's only the latest Egyptologist to die or disappear under odd circumstances. With the help of Howard Carter, Holmes and Watson are on the trail of something much bigger, more important, and more sinister than an errant lord.
 
My thoughts:
 
This is the author’s fifth Sherlock story (Note to self: Get the other 4!!) It is such beautifully written and the way Nicholas describes Egypt (from their way of life through a history lesson of the different Pharaohs up to an actual sand storm!). It’s very authentic of the Egypt of the 1900's. It's like you're actually there. It shows he has really done his research.
 
Also love the footnotes at the end of every chapter which explains references of his other stories, a welcome addition to first time readers.
 
As a long time Sherlock fan I’ve read a lot of great books but the way the author portrays the detective, it’s something hard to explain, differently to other writers. I shall edit the review when I find the right words!!.