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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.
The story joins another one of Dr. John Watson’s adventures. Here, he recounts his journey to Egypt with his wife, Juliet, who’s battling tuberculosis with the warm, dry air. As Juliet is treated for her illness, Watson explores the surrounding area, where he runs into his old friend, Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is working on the case of an English Duke who’s gone missing. He’s already learned of the Duke’s search for a previously unopened tomb—but as Watson hesitantly becomes involved, he realizes that the case could be much bigger than just one missing man.
As he did in 1974’s The Seven Per Cent Solution, the author sets up the story as a formerly unpublished case that was recently discovered in Dr. Watson’s personal journals. Far from the familiar setting of Baker Street in London, it travels abroad, bringing Holmes out of his retirement to dig for clues in another confounding case.
The setting definitely adds to the air of mystery, as Holmes and Watson tour the pyramids, explore the streets and clubs of Cairo, and travel by train through a deadly wind storm. Anyone who’s fascinated by the pharaohs and by ancient Egyptian archaeology will be captivated by their experiences—and by the mystery of the pharaohs and the men who unearthed their tombs. And the story adds plenty of historical touches to make it all feel real.
Still, this isn’t an authentic Sherlock Holmes mystery—and though the author certainly knows a lot about the detective, his trusted friend, and their journeys together, it’s still missing a little bit of the personality of the original adventures. For fans of Holmes and Watson, it’s certainly fun to join them as they tackle a new case—but it doesn’t have the same style as Conan Doyle’s mysteries.
The historical touches and mysterious setting of The Return of the Pharaoh certainly make it an intriguing read. But if you’re looking for a mystery that perfectly recreates the style and character of the duo’s original adventures, you might be disappointed.
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