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Anarchists have attacked some paintings in the new National Portrait Gallery, among them a portrait of a former Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury. Inspector Lestrade thinks more attacks may be coming, some of them on major political figures. During the investigation, the prerequisite lovely young woman (the art curator) declares that one of the paintings damaged is a forgery. She is, of course, correct. And the game is afoot.
Stuart Douglas writes a really good pastiche. This reads like a Sherlock Holmes story, with all the memes and tropes one has come to expect from Doyle and his followers. Holmes is almost always ready to explain to Watson the implications of things perceived but not recognized as important by the good doctor. There is even a pseudo-Moriarty, known as The Albino. He is following the same trails that Holmes is on, although his reason doesn't become apparent until the denouement. Holmes knows there is a treasure involved, but the nature of the treasure is unclear.
The characters of Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade are presented in the Canon in such detail that a writer adds or subtracts from them at great risk. Douglas risks nothing here. Creating a Moriarty-esque character is stepping outside the norm, yet Douglas dares to do this. It rang false only when The Albino deals directly with his minions and when he confronts Holmes. One also questions historical accuracy when a single woman is in a position of relative authority with regards to the artwork at a major public museum. This is particularly unlikely given her background, and probably lack of references. Still, there must be a woman for Watson to moon over, mustn't there? All in all, for fans of Sherlock Holmes, this should be an enjoyable novel, with the few exceptions noted. New readers really should start with the real thing, as handled by Watson's literary executor, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Good reading awaits, either way.
§ P.J. Coldren lives in northern lower Michigan where she reads and reviews widely across the mystery genre when she isn't working in her local hospital pharmacy.
Reviewed by P.J. Coldren, July 2015
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