The Oriental Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (Nine adventures from the lost years)

Writing pastiches of Conan Doyle's famous detective has become something of a cottage industry for many years. Some good stories are written, and some bad ones. This book belongs to the former category: a well written series of nine stories purporting to give some insight into what Holmes was doing after his "death" fighting Professor Moriarity. In these stories he travels throughout Asia, encountering various historically correct characters and many fictional ones, and solving several intriguing mysteries. There are beautiful women, dastardly villans, and helpful assistants, not to mention a unique travelogue of intriguing places in the Orient. The writing reminds one of Doyle, which is good, and Holmes appears to stay very close to his creator's character. I assume that there will be more stories "found" about Holmes by this author, and I look forward to reading them very much.

this was one of the ver best pastiches i've read. each separate chapter was a mini story in itself, but each is a thread in an overall tapestry. while this is the first holmes pastiche that riccardi has written, we can only hope it's not the last.

Like a trip to Nepal and India, with the Scotland Yard sleuth as good as ever, very mysterious and always knowledgable. I really enoyed the "otherness" of these places and people. Some of the tales reminded me of Kipling's India, especially the backdrop of the great game. I kept waiting for Kim to show up! Sherlock was inscrutable as ever, but also there was something caring about him that made him more interesting. One thing though: I think the villian IS Moriarty, not the brother!Anyone who doesn't like this book has read too many knock-offs and not the real thing!

Not only is he alive, but Professor Riccardi has captured the idiosyncrasies, brilliance and enthusiasm of the beloved literary figure without missing a beat.The nine exotic tales of Holmes's unusual escapades in late nineteen century Asia are described in exquisite detail. It soon becomes apparent to the reader that Riccardi has spent much serious time in this part of the world. Once drawn into the first episode, the reader can't wait to savor the next. Before I knew it, I reached the end and was aching for more. Characters and places are real and what is truly remarkable is the way the author has combined his knowledge of religion, philosophy, geography, history and language to spin the "Oriental Casebook" stories into a delightful read.Whether or not you're a fan of the "world's greatest detective," this collection of clever stories is wonderful. "An Envoy to Lhasa," my favorite, should become a classic short story.I can't wait until my granddaughter, a Harry Potter fan, is older so she can read the book, an old atlas in hand, following Holmes's travelogue. She'll have a great time.

These nine stories are delightful. Ted Riccardi fills the void left after Holmes disappeared at Reichenbach Falls with vivid accounts of Holmes' exploits in Tibet, British India, and Dutch Indonesia. Characters like Captain Fantome and the Regent of Tibet are compelling; the scenes of decaying colonial empires are memorable. Riccardi matches Arthur Conan Doyle's style so well that I honestly flirted with the idea that his explanation of the stories' provenance might be true. If there's any shortcoming of the stories, it is that Watson couldn't be there along the way and retells them only upon Holmes' return.