Madelon Wilson

To say I am a fan of the Sherlock Holmes trope would be an understatement. When I find new stories that are every bit as good as Conan Doyle's I don't just read them… I devour them. THE LAST MORIARTY is one of those books. The writing is excellent and has the feel of the original tales I have long enjoyed. There are any number of other writers who have taken pen to the task of keeping Sherlock Holmes fresh and new, but few have succeeded as seamlessly. As the formula dictates, the story is related by Dr. John Watson who explains that this tale took place after the "death" of Holmes at Reichenbach Falls at a time few knew of his resurrection. Holmes implored Watson to never tell this tale, but the good doctor wrote it and stipulated that it not be published until the twenty-first century. Charles Veley has used historical figures to add a certain realism to the first story of Sherlock and Lucy. Who is Lucy James, you ask? Finding out is part of the overall charm of the narrative. You will be led down dark alleys and garden paths on the road to your discovery. The question provides a tantalizing undercurrent to death and destruction in and around London. Join Holmes, Watson, and, of course, Lestrade as they team up to save the city and, perhaps, even the stability of nations. Now that I have discovered this series, there is no doubt I will be reading all of them.

Although this is listed as the fourth book in the Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James mystery series, it is actually a prequel. I am of two minds on the subject of prequels. Sometimes you don't know that a series has a prequel and either don't read it at all, or you find it less fulfilling than the series itself. I think the latter happens when the prequel is actually an afterthought. In this case, I think that "The Crown Jewel Mystery" is appropriately placed in the reading order. It doesn't feel like an afterthought, but it certainly does add to what we already know about Sherlock and Lucy. As usual, I read About the Authors and found out that Charles Veley is the 'voice' of Doctor John Watson, while Anna Elliot is the 'voice' of Lucy James. I find that the two voices mesh seamlessly into a tale with two points of view that don't step on each other's toes. I think it is still too soon to discuss the relationship of Holmes and James because you really need to read the first two novels (THE LAST MORIARTY and THE WILHELM CONSPIRACY) without my spoiling them for you. I am a binger. I binge TV shows with streaming channels, and I binge book series with equal enthusiasm. To me, there is nothing better than reading a series as if it was one very long novel, so my next read is THE JUBILEE PROBLEM.