Sherlock Holmes and The Twelve Thefts of Christmas by Tim Major Narrator: Tom Woosnam
Series: The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Series #3
Published by Blackstone Publishing on November 8, 2022
Source: Purchased
Genres: Mystery
Length: 10 hrs 49 mins
Pages: 288
Format: Audiobook
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A thrilling chase as Sherlock Holmes is set a fiendish puzzle by Irene Adler over a snowy London Christmas, in this stunningly packaged mystery.
Sherlock Holmes’s discovery of a mysterious musical score initiates a devious Christmas challenge set by Irene Adler, with clues that are all variations on the theme of ‘theft without theft', such as a statue missing from a museum found hidden in the room it was taken from.
In the snowy London lead-up to Christmas, Holmes’s preoccupation with the "Adler Variations" risks him neglecting the case of his new client, Norwegian arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen, who has received a series of threats in the form of animal carcasses left on his doorstep. Could they really be gifts from a strange spirit that has pursued Nansen since the completion of his expedition to cross Greenland? And might this case somehow be related to Irene Adler’s great game?
Morose and uninspired as Christmas approaches, Holmes receives an unexpected invitation to a theatrical performance, thus beginning a challenge set by Irene Adler involving a series of “thefts.” The idea of Holmes and Adler contriving puzzles and challenges for each other is fun. Meanwhile, a new client, an explorer, requests Holmes investigate a series of “gifts” left at his door, gifts of raw meat and animal carcasses.
The mystery was well done, with a hint of the paranormal, which of course Holmes disproves. I listened to the audio which was maybe a bad choice. Holmes always sounded angry rather than slightly disdainful, mean rather than aloof. I did enjoy seeing Mrs. Hudson, even if she wasn’t her usual self this holiday season.
About Tim Major
Tim Major is a writer and freelance editor from York, UK. His love of speculative fiction is the product of a childhood diet of classic Doctor Who episodes and an early encounter with Triffids.
Tim’s most recent books include Hope Island and Snakeskins (both published by Titan Books), short story collection And the House Lights Dim and a monograph about the 1915 silent crime film, Les Vampires, which was shortlisted for a British Fantasy Award.
Tim’s short fiction has appeared in Interzone, Not One of Us, Shoreline of Infinity and numerous anthologies, including Best of British Science Fiction, Best of British Fantasy and The Best Horror of the Year.