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John F Rice
Robert Hale
31 October 2010 / 0709091117
Historical Mystery / 1891 Tibet
Amazon US
|| UK
Reviewed
by Rachel A Hyde
Sherlock Holmes
did not die at the hands of Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls as
we all know. But what did he get up to in the interim before moving
back into 112B Baker Street? Among other things he visited the mysterious
land of Tibet, where he is called upon to recover stolen property
belonging to the Dalai Lama and foil an attempt on his life…
Actually, not a lot of the book is taken up with the actual detective
work but maybe you, just like this reviewer, are too busy enjoying
the scenery to notice. You don’t read this book for a teasing
plot of great complexity, but for the almost unheard of chance to
discover what Tibet was like in the late 19th century. Books set
in this country are a rarity, and to see the place through the eyes
of Sherlock Holmes is an opportunity to grasp with both hands. Mr
Rice’s Holmes is at times a less cold and analytical person
than we are used to, and I can see why Conan Doyle preferred having
Watson narrate as he brings the stories to vibrant life. Holmes
does his best here and his perceptive and disinterested voice maybe
suits the story better. China is trying to get hold of Tibet and
needs to be foiled; as we know doing so is only holding off the
inevitable brings a somewhat topical feel to an otherwise historical
tale. Discovering what Tibet was like in those days is truly fascinating,
and I don’t know enough to remark on how accurate Mr Rice
is but it certainly made for absorbing – and hopefully informative
– reading. I hope that this is the first in a series of Holmes’
adventures during his “lost years”.
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