Sherlock Holmes and the Hapsburg Tiara

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.