The Return of the Pharaoh by Nicolas Meyer

Dr. John Watson travels with his wife Juliet to a sanitarium in Egypt to treat her tuberculosis. While there, he bumps into a disguised Sherlock Holmes and thus is set on the path of a new mystery in The Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer.

Holmes has been engaged by the wife of the Duke of Uxbridge to find her husband. The Duke is an avid Egyptologist and makes regular trips to Egypt in search of treasure. This trip, however, he’d come with a map that he believed would lead him to an undiscovered tomb and great wealth. Not only has the Duke gone missing, but it appears as if the very hotel room in which he had been staying has also disappeared! It is up to Holmes and Watson to follow the scant breadcrumbs and discover the whereabouts of the missing Duke.

Meyer packs the book with authentic details that make Egypt in 1910 come alive. From the political climate to behaviors, dress, and social mores. Watson is particularly torn between being there for his wife and following his own desire to trail and assist Holmes in a case that becomes more fascinating and perplexing by the day. As they learn of the deaths of other Egyptologists and are themselves attacked, Watson is further conflicted about how much to share with his wife.

The action really takes off in the latter part of the book, which includes a race against a sandstorm and an adventure in an underground tomb. Sherlock Holmes is such a distinctive character in his mannerisms, his habits, and most of all his observations and deductive reasoning. If the characters were not named in this story, I’m not sure it would be obvious that it was Holmes at work. The mystery is a little low-key and there are no great “ah-ha” moments that let you marvel at the intellect of the great detective.

The Return of the Pharoah is a fun adventure with a setting that feels authentic and some rousing action sequences.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.