Three May Keep a Secret

A Sherlock Holmes Adventure

By: Richard Ryan

Narrated by: Luke Barton

When a meeting with a client goes disastrously wrong, Sherlock Holmes soon finds himself involved in a case of murder with two dead bodies and too few clues.

From some clear pieces of glass and a raven's feather, the great detective must divine exactly who the client was and what prompted him to seek assistance at 221B. Fortunately, Holmes has a number of experts upon whom he can rely as well as his own vast store of esoteric knowledge.

Treading a twisted path, Holmes soon finds himself matching wits with an unseen criminal, who appears to be the equal of the late Professor Moriarty. At the same time, he is tasked with sparing the monarchy any possible embarrassment that may stem from the investigation.

It's a deadly game of cat-and-mouse that finds Holmes and Watson attending underground auctions, using rare and priceless artifacts as bait and holding a late-night vigil in anticipation of deterring a theft, all the while trying to understand how a priceless antiquity fits into their investigation.

Like his previous books, Richard T. Ryan's Three May Keep a Secret is a deft blend of history and mystery, interweaving real-life personalities and ancient artefacts with the gas-lit streets of Victorian England and the characters of the canon. The end result is a pastiche that should appeal to anyone who appreciates a tangled skein spiced with a healthy dollop of suspense and intrigue.

©2021 Richard Ryan (P)2022 MX Publishing

Excellent

Excellent addition to Sherlockian collections written especially for those that appreciate links to real world artifacts.

Strong story, excellently read

Richard Ryan is one of the best Holmes pastiche writers today. This entry is strong, but not at the level of some of his previous entries. The central crime revolves around forgeries of antiques, not as exciting as more traditional Holmes fare. The reader, Luke Barton, in his second outing for this series, is far better than the narrator of earlier Ryan books. Overall, I recommend this book.

Another strong Holmes pastiche from Richard T Ryan

This author really gets the whole vibe of Sherlock Holmes. His stories feel very authentic, and they are always a joy to read. I did ding him a point, as forged ancient artifacts are just not as exciting as MURDER! But his writing is superb. The language always feels authentic, and the descriptions of Victorian London seem believable to this Yank, who has never been across the pond. I also like how the story opens with Holmes in a fit of pique, that is so unusual for him. But I believed it.

I also appreciate his deft use of Lestrade and Mycroft. While they both play a role in the resolution of the mystery, they never steal the spotlight from Holmes and Watson. I did not see who the villain was until the denoument, which I always appreciate. It is more fun to see Holmes unravel the tangled skein. Yet I never felt like the author cheated. He didn't pull the villain completely out of thin air, although some clues that would have made it too easy for us as readers were deliberately withheld. But I still had enough clues to have had a suspicion, although I didn't. So kudos for that!

As for the narrator, he is simply superb. He gets all the pronunciation dead right, handles the accents with consummate ease, and just plain has a fantastic voice. I ding him very slightly for his pronunciation of Latin words and phrases, but only because he follows the Church Latin version, rather than the Classical Latin that I learned as a young man. But really, when that is the only thing I can complain about, it just shows me, at least, what an awesome reader he is. If the publisher can get him to read many future Holmesian pastiches, I will be a very happy listener.

Still and all, an audiobook that is eminently worth getting!