Sherlock Holmes and the Sword of Osman

This constitutes a decent outing but not an overwhelming one. One of the many burdens writers of Holmes/Watson pastiches has to be when attempting to merge the duo into already-existing history including settings and events. In short, merging several books, including some on history, geography etc, into what the Holmes/Watson duo ars engaged in. An easy error to fall into is forgetting that the story's the thing not the ancillary information and details. Let me explain.Imagine you have come into a great deal of money and decide to build your dream home. You knock the top off a hill, have the required grading done and foundations laid. Next step is purchasing absolute top of the line building materials while sparing no expenses. Now imagine those in charge of doing the plumbing proved to be totally inept. Yes, you have a gorgeous house. However...Where this book falls down is information and descriptions overwhelm the reader. Yes, there are plenty of majestic works of art and such but the plot should be what drives the tale. Detouring into descriptions of art works on 'by the way' bases puts the plot on hold. That makes for very difficult reading especially when plot elements suddenly come crashing together in the end.Definitely buy the book. It certainly does not constitute a waste of time although there are offerings out there that easily put it into the shade. The four stars given are definitely on the generous side. Certainly not even a fraction more is merited.

I got fascinated with Sherlock Holmes after having been introduced to his adventures in the recent BBC series. The TV series came off as funny, witty and engaging for me, and I was eager to read what a book on Sherlock has in store. It has made me a greater fan of Sherlock more than ever!I enjoyed the story and the plot very much. It definitely has a lot of depth, and gives an insightful glimpse into the teamwork and camaraderie of Sherlock and Watson in solving mysteries. Sherlock and Watson are off to a case to uncover a plot to steal the Sword of Osman and prevent the destabilization of the Ottoman Empire. It is set in 1906, at a time where tensions in Europe are mounting, and any destabilization can cause far wider implications.The element of mystery is intriguing, worthy of any Sherlock Holmes mystery. Mr. Symonds has done a fine job fitting and weaving the plot inside a historical setting, slowly revealing bits and pieces of the puzzle, with plot twists and turns nicely injected as the story moves along. Furthermore, the narration is done from Watson's point of view. This has given me an in-depth appreciation of Watson's character and his thought process. But in my opinion, the beauty of this is that told from his point of view, it has magnified the mysterious vibe surrounding Sherlock's character, in that even from a close comrades' point of view, how Sherlock's mind works is still surprising, astounding and downright admirable. The effect is that it leaves you in awe of his brilliance, oftentimes wondering how he managed to deduce a piece of the puzzle.The research that Mr. Symonds has done is very extensive and detailed. The historical timeline, background, the characters, the people's way of life, nothing has been left out of context. It has led to a very realistic feel and a feeling of being transported to that period in time. Frankly, it is not one of the easier books for me to read as oftentimes I would come across terminologies used that are unfamiliar, and upon further research were because they existed only during those times. This has simply added to the authenticity of the story. Overall, it has added to the immense quality of story writing Mr. Symonds has devoted on this book.There is a reason why Sherlock Homes is a character that stands the test of time in the literary world. I would highly recommend this to all Sherlock fans, old and new. For those who have been introduced to Sherlock from the TV series, as I have been, this is certainly a very interesting read and gives you a different yet perhaps more authentic look into a Sherlock Holmes classic. I am interested to read how old time fans of Sherlock would receive this story. In any case, I look forward to other Sherlock books by Mr. Symonds.Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.

I was offered a sample of this product for review purposes on my blog, here is an excerpt of that article: …This novel has Sherlock and John traveling abroad to represent the crown’s interest by wooing, protecting and detecting for someone they don’t particularly like. While the theme of the missing royal sword and betrayal where you least expect it, the author interwove an early 19th century Ottoman Empire royalty romance that will leave some readers (like this one) shaking their heads. Yet despite all this, I found myself wanting more… the story-line seemed disjointed somehow, combined with the author’s overly descriptive writing style – it certainly left a taste of yearning that one feels with unfinished work. I’m sure other readers will salivate over the scene descriptions; this is truly only my personal opinion. That aside, I did truly enjoy the relationship Tim created between the lead characters – watching them interact, finding humor in surprising places and “hearing” John Watson’s voice in my head as he narrated the story.The book made me very curious about the Ottoman Empire so I looked it up online to find that there are many similarities between the historical facts and buildings, and Tim’s story. He obviously did immense research for this book and he pays tribute to some of the real people that once existed in the Notes From The Author section near the end of the book. You’ll also find a glossary of some of the lingo used in this book via the Lexicon section at the end of the book.The author, Tim Symonds, was born in London although he spent some of his life in Canada, the US and Africa as well. He holds a degree in Political Science and is a Fellow with the Royal Geographical Society (people considered to be achievers are awarded this honor).

I wrote this novel in my home in England's High Weald and on Gavdos, a tiny island off Crete. The idea for the plot began when I spent time in the old part of Istanbul wandering around the former palaces with their astonishing history. Eventually I decided to send Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson there, at the request of Britain's famed Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey in 1906, to foil a plot against Sultan Abdul Hamid 11. Grey needed the Ottoman Empire to continue for a few years longer because its collapse could let Imperial Germany's ultra-aggressive Kaiser great access to the Middle East and the routes to India.

A brilliant read, gripping and stuffed with fascinating historical knowledge. Every Sherlock Holmes devotee should have this book in their library.