Review of "Sherlock Holmes and The Real Thing" by Nicholas Meyer

In this Sherlock Holmes pastiche by author Nicholas Meyer, Dr. Watson relates 'the tale of the missing painter', in which Holmes delves into the art world, where it's sometimes hard to tell fakes from the real thing.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson

*****

As the book opens, a blizzard has coated London in snow, Sherlock Holmes has no interesting cases, and the detective is bored and irritable.



Then Lady Glendenning shows up at 221B Baker Street. Her ladyship is an attractive blonde woman whose East London accent proves she wasn't born to the aristocracy.



Her ladyship - the former Vera Pertwee - explains she's the widow of Lord Glendenning, a real estate mogul who left her in charge of a gaggle of properties. Lady Glendenning tells Holmes that one of her tenants, a painter named Rupert Milestone, has disappeared.



Lady Glendenning goes on to explain that Milestone hasn't paid his rent for three months, when his check always arrived right on time in the past. Also, when Lady Glendenning checked Milestone's studio/apartment, the place was empty and dusty, and the unopened mail was piled up inside the door.



When Holmes mentions the police, Lady Glendenning says she reported Milestone's disappearance to Inspector Gregson, and he told her to file a missing person's report -and suggested she consult Sherlock Holmes.



So here she is!



Shortly afterwards, Holmes and Watson meet Lady Glendenning at Rupert Milestone's address: 7 Turncoat Lane in Notting Hill Gate. The artist's studio is 70' by 40', with a high ceiling comprised of a skylight that would provide a painter with ample light. There are canvases around the walls, a damaged painting of Venice on an easel, and a self-portrait of the artist - a very handsome man - hanging near his bed.





When Holmes and Watson return to Baker Street, Sherlock explains what he noticed: footprints from two pairs of shoes that indicate a scuffle occurred; a wad of cash in the toe of a boot; and dried blood on the floor, obscured by red paint.



Holmes speculates that Milestone was murdered, and his body will be found in a snowdrift when the snow starts to melt. Holmes is almost right, because Milestone's body is found in a playground, hidden inside a snowman.



Lady Glendenning pays Holmes a generous fee - and the sleuth no longer has a client - but he can't let it go.



Something about the paraphernalia in Milestone's studio - including a pumice stone and formaldehyde - and the marred painting of Venice raises Holmes' suspicions.



To garner information about the art world, Holmes drops into the VERY exclusive Diogenes Club, to consult with his brother Mycroft, who has arcane knowledge about everything.



While Mycroft scarfs down the eclairs Sherlock's been served, he explains that Sir Jonathan Van Dam, Lord Southbank - who goes by the moniker Lord Johnny - is the most important art dealer in London. Lord Johnny deals EXCLUSIVELY in the old masters, and he's a capable and crafty salesman.



Mycroft goes to explains that Rupert Milestone (the murder victim) was the art restorer for Lord Johnny and that a man named Signor Garibaldi is the authenticator for Lord Johnny, assuring clients the paintings are authentic.



In the course of his investigation, Sherlock learns Milestone was a skilled copycat, a feature common to forgers. To learn more about Milestone, Sherlock sends Watson to the Packwood Gallery that represented the artist, and Watson is attracted to gallerist Juliet Packwood, who works for her uncle. As Sherlock investigates Milestone's homicide, Holmes woos Miss Packwood, and the twains eventually meet (so to speak).



In a fun touch, Holmes gets assistance from Wiggins, a young man who was head of the Baker Street Irregulars a decade ago, when he was a lad.



As Holmes continues to speak to people and collect clues, someone gets spooked and there are more murders. In time Sherlock gets an inspiration that leads him to the killer, and I don't think many armchair sleuths will beat him to the punch.



I don't have many gripes about the novel, though I wonder about children being allowed to enter a playground right after a snowman (with a body inside) is carted away. Additionally, some of the chitchat about real paintings and forgeries is overdone, and I would have preferred more detecting and less conversation.



That said, I'd recommend the book to fans of Sherlock Holmes mysteries.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by David Robb and Nick Meyer, who do a fine job.

There are hints that this is Nicholas Meyer's last Sherlock Holmes pastiche, but I hope that isn't true. Meyer has captured Arthur Conan Doyle's style, and his books are a good fit with the Sherlock Holmes canon.



Thanks to Netgalley, Nicholas Meyer, and Highbridge Audio for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars