Audiobook: The Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer

Again, this title is available on Audible.

I said this blog would feature more Sherlock Holmes, and so here it is: The Return of the Pharoah by possibly the best known Holmes pasticher, Nicholas Meyer.

I have previously given my thoughts of Holmes pastiches in general (here) so lets get straight on to this one in particular. 

Nicholas Meyer is something of an OG when it comes to Holmes. His book The Seven-Per-Cent Solution was published in 1974, to much critical and commercial acclaim. It was even made into a film two years later starring Nicol Williamson as Holmes and Laurence Olivier as Moriarty. I must admit that, to my shame, I have neither read the book nor seen the film, though I intend to remedy that on both counts soon.

No doubt buoyed by Seven-Per-Cent's success Meyer wrote a number of other Holmes novels. The West End Horror came in in 1976, and The Canary Trainer in 1993. Then in recent years he returned to the format with The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols (2019), The Return of the Pharaoh (2021) and Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell (2024) none of which have seen the success of the first novel.

Meyer has probably seen more success with
writing for film

The Return of the Pharaoh features Holmes and Watson towards the end of their career as chronicled by Conan Doyle, in 1910. As you may have guessed it takes place in Egypt, where Watson has gone with his third wife for the good of her lungs. They bump into the historical figure of Howard Carter (it seems Meyer likes adding real people into the narrative). As one would expect there are plenty of high jinks amidst the pyramids, as well as in a Cairo awash with political tension and international intrigue.

The audiobook of Return of the Pharaoh is narrated by David Robb, who I wasn't familiar with, but seems to be a relatively well known TV actor here in the UK. Robb made some odd choices in the reading, and often descends into a ridiculous flamboyance that put me in mind of the comedic stylings of Matt Berry, which was off putting to say the least.

Howard Carter discovered the tomb of
Tutankhamun in 1922.

Generally speaking Return of the Pharoah is a competent adventure story, the action scenes contain an adequate amount of peril and the settings is suitably exotic. 

As on old hand, one would expect Meyer to know the format for a Holmes story, and to be fair he does a better job than Ted Riccardi, but it is far from perfect. Again we are not treated to any of Holmes' readings of unsuspecting but incredulous individuals. Indeed mystery takes a backseat altogether.

[Spoilers Ahead]

There is a seemingly baffling conundrum relatively early on, just why did the hotel hide Suite 718? The thing is we never find out. There is a partial explanation given that the hotel were ordered to pretend the Duke had never been there, but why hide the room? Even Holmes says he is not sure why they did, then the action moves on and we never find out anything else.

At the climax we have another unsatisfactory detail, the doors to the Pharoah's tomb were resealed to entice Holmes and the others to look inside, yet they were there on the trail of the Duke, and surely making it look like the Duke hadn't been in the tomb but be more, not less, likely to make them turn round and go home. These may only be details, but in a Holmes story especially, the details matter. As a reader it is satisfying to spot an incongruous detail, as we assume it points to the solution. When we later find out that it had no relevance we feel cheated.

Cairo 1910 is, I have to admit,
a setting that just shouts high
adventure

One of the most annoying aspects of the novel though is the ending. Holmes, Watson and hangers on blunder into a trap and it looks like they are to die. And they are saved by... blind luck. The skill of the protagonist should always win the day, especially when that protagonist is Holmes.

[No More Spoilers]

Meyer's treatment of the characters is fairly accurate, though he has given Watson a whimsical sense of humour which grates at points, and Holmes fails to give any indications that his has any kind of personality beneath the calculating machine exterior. His knowledge of the canon is accurate and there are some nice references to Conan Doyle's stories.

In good conscience I can give The Return of the Pharaoh more than ★★★☆☆