Caleb Carr retoma la senda de Conan Doyle para ofrecer un nuevo caso de Sherlock Holmes, al que aporta el rigor histórico y el profundo conocimiento de la psicología humana que caracteriza toda su obra. Una de las novelas más populares de Conan Doyle es El perro de Baskerville (1902), cuya resolución tiene tintes paranormales. Poco más de un siglo después, Caleb Carr, que conoció el éxito internacional con su thriller histórico El alienista, retoma a Sherlock Holmes como protagonista de una nueva investigación con connotaciones sobrenaturales. En esta ocasión, Sherlock Holmes, ayudado por el incondicional Watson, investigará el apuñalamiento, en el siglo XVI, de David Rizzio, un confidente de la reina María de Escocia.

A decent addition to the Sherlock Holmes stories. Carr keeps pretty close to Watson's original voice while giving it a bit of an upgrade as to appeal to the modern reader. Holmes is a bit more witty and mirthful rather than just rudely cocky as seen in some of Doyle's original stories. I enjoyed Carr's take on the characters.
However, the story does at points fall a little flat and adds in unnecessary characters/plot devices to get the mystery solved. It took me longer than I would have liked to read this because there were just some parts that bored me to sleep though, overall, I did enjoy the story told. ( )

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are called on to solve a murder. Holmes’ brother, Mycroft, has requested their services on behalf of Queen Victoria. An architect and his foreman have been killed during a renovation of the Royal Palace of Holyrood. Queen Victoria spends time there and it has been the site of political murders during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots.

The German Kaiser and Scots nationalists are becoming active and Mycroft fears there could be a political threat to Queen Victoria in the offing.

Paranormal activity is also found at Holyrood, the sound of a weeping woman, a pool of blood that is always seen and other activities add to the mystery.

The book is in Doyle’s style, but at time the explanations by Holmes go a bit too long. I’ve read Carr’s “Alienist” and do enjoy his writing. Maybe I was expecting a more Doyle type of pace. It was enjoyable but with some rough spots. ( )

A Sherlock Holmes story. I liked the greater involvement of Watson. The pacing was significantly slower and less complex than the usual Carr. ( )

Carr does an admirable job in both fleshing out his short story and keeping the tone of an actual Holmes novel. Well done. ( )