Customer Reviews

Sherlock Holmes and the Hapsburg Tiara (Otto Penzler Books)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Alan Vanneman's first Sherlock Holmes novel was a weak try at suspence and mystery. I was disappointed by his unrealistic view of what a Holmes mystery should be. But, that book could win awards compare to the trash that this one turned out to be. A seven year chase from here to there in Paris, Austria, Turkey and England with Watson and his adopted daughter in tow, never solving anything and bad mouthing Winston Churchill throughout the story. Watson spends more time in an intimate affair with a countess (a suspected murderess) than being the wise old companion that Holmes needs. Holmes puts Watson's daughter into danger every chance he get and those are too many. Keep your money or buy an Nero Wolf Novel instead.

Yo, Vanneman!

I don't know how you got permission from the Conan Doyle Estate to use his characters in this one! And the said part is, the mystery is not bad at all, nor is the interaction between Holmes and the upper class, who frankly never have got along. With Holmes it has always been justice not law that is important. But Watson as a sexual deviant and comfirmed agnostic, if not actual atheist? Certainly he has always had an "eye for the ladies", and admits to "youthful indescresions." But he was MARRIED TWICE for crying out loud! (Three times if you count Philip Jose Farmer's Adventure of the Peerless Peer). And Holmes having trouble with the Foreign Office? What happened to Mycroft Holmes who WAS the Foreign Office? I thought your last book was off-the-wall, but this one is pathetic. The Blade says clean up your act! This is Holmes, not steamy romance novels! You deserve a zero, but one star is as low as they go. To everyone else, skip this one. I know I wish I had. Quoth the Raven...

If you are a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mysteries, do not waste your time with this book. The timeless characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are completely unrecognizeable and have been twisted to fit the modern idea of a mystery novel. The book also makes a vain attempt to fit these fictional characters into the real-world events of pre-WWI in a manner that leaves much to be desired. Do not waste your time with this book. I only gave this book one star because it won't allow you to assign zero.

I have enjoyed many of the Sherlock Holmes spinoff novels, but I did not like this one. Quite frankly, I did not recognize the Dr. Watson whom I enjoyed in the Doyle stories. Here he is a rake who indulges in sexual romps with a countess. If that were in character for him, that would be fine, but he isn't really that way in Doyle. Sherlock Holmes is clever, but doesn't quite seem the cool reasoner whom we know in other incarnations, even by other authors.

This was one of the poorest pastiches it has been my misfortune to read. The story is disjointed and spread chronologically over too great a time span. Sadly, the author felt compelled to have Dr. Watson involved in a steamy love affair that really had no place in the story. Please don't waste money or time on this book.

Well, what can I say that hasn't already been written here. This is truly the bottom of the pastiche barrel.

However, to say that Vanneman's effort ranks second only to Mitch Cullin's Slight Trick of the Mind as the WORST pastiche is an utterly laughable suggestion. Most Sherlockians, myself included, place Cullin's book rather high up on the list of excellent non-Doyle Sherlock novels (on par with A Study in Terror and Nick Meyer's Seven Percent Solution), especially in terms of the fine writing and Cullin's obvious knowledge and appreciation of the Canon.

Vanneman, on the other hand, has displayed neither the writing skill nor scholarly detail required to make his second Holmes effort viable. Less informed readers, however, might find something to enjoy here, although I couldn't say what that would be.

A really bad attempt at a Sherlock Holmes story, as others have noted here. But it's not the worst. If you want the absolute WORST Sherlock Holmes book yet written, check out Mitch Cullin's A Slight Trick of the Mind.

I thought "The Giant Rat of Sumatra" was bad, but this one actually surpasses it in sheer ineptitude. Holmes makes no brilliant deductions, he mostly complains and breaks just as many laws as those he complains about. Watson is written as a combination atheist, sex maniac, socialist and overall boor. Mrs. Asquith can't seem to decide whether to call her husband Henry or Herbert. The book manages to insult Winston Churchill, Cecil Rhodes, Protestants, Catholics, and anyone else that the "author" dislikes. But the biggest insult of all is to the reader's intelligence.

Those were the thoughts going though my head as I listened to the audiobook of this novel. Thank god I checked it out of the library, and didn't actually spend any money on this. For a while, I could deal with excessively long descriptions of Watson's philandering, excruciatingly detailed accounts of the food, long and hard-to-follow descriptions of all the politics surrounding the mystery, and the Mary Sue-esque exploits of Watson's adopted actress daughter Jenny. For a while, I assumed there would have to be a big payoff for all this build-up. But when I got about halfway through, I realized that the story was just too boring for me to care. So I'm sorry, Vanemann! I tried my best, but your book tried my patience too much. Next time, please write a story with a little less sex and society and a little more actual mystery.

I am a lifelong fan of Sherlock Holmes. I've read all of Doyles' Holmes stories many times. I have also read numerous Holmes stories by other authors. There's no end to them. The literary exploits of Sherlock Holmes continue year after year. There's always a new Holmes book, but I wish that most of them were as lively as this one. I discovered Hapsburg Tiara after reading several other less entertaining Holmes pastiches and it knocked my deerstlaker off! This is a ripping yarn indeed!

Many Doyle devotees on this site aren't pleased by the results, but I enjoyed the surprises. Alan Vanneman doesn't copy the style of Doyle. Vanneman isn't another clone. Instead he brings new blood to the old game and tells a spirited and highly entertaining tale in his own way. After reading so many tedious knock-offs it was refreshing to discover a recent Holmes story that has so much energy and passion. This is not the same old same old once again. Sherlock Holmes and the Hapsburg Tiara entertains from start to finish. There is never a dull moment and quite a few surprises.

Watson is full of surprises this time out. The good doctor is quite the ladies man! Those scenes certainly caught me by surprise! LOL! Vanneman's Holmes is more faithful to the original, but his interaction with Watson's adopted daughter reveals him to be a much warmer character. I liked that. Jennie Watson makes for a delightful new addition and brings out the fatherly sides of Holmes and Watson. Vanneman should definitely feature more of Jennie in future adventures. She'd make a wonderful protegee for Holmes. I also enjoyed the author's use of humor and action. There's a fairly complicated plot too.

Sherlock Holmes and the Hapsburg Tiara is one of the most entertaining, and surprising, Holmes stories I've read recently. This a delightful ride if you don't expect it to be dry, typical, and deathly serious. It is not the same thing done the same way all over again. Vanneman has a unique and entertaining perspective on Sherlock Holmes. I hope this isn't the last Holmes adventure by this author. I'm looking forward to reading future adventures in this series.