A Study in Treason

 

A STUDY IN TREASON

A Study in Treason by Leonard Goldberg is another of the long list of attempted Sherlock Holmes knockoffs. In this effort, Joanna, the daughter of Holmes, is married to John Watson Jr and they along with the senior Watson, who is recovering from a stroke, are set to the task of discovering who took an important treaty while it was being copied at an English Country House.

The theft is complicated by two murders and the presence of a mysterious guest at a local inn.  The eager authorities, headed by Inspector Lestrade (the son of the original Lestrade), run away with wild accusations while the Sherlockians use deductive observations to zero in on the perpetrator.

I found the constant referral back to earlier Holmes investigations to be tiresome and awkward even though there was a claim that the author was trying to imitate the style of the original. I must also admit I found the novel pretty slow going. I think Nicolas Meyer’s of The 7% Solution series or the Laurie King novels featuring Mary Russell as the deductive heir to Holmes are more successful in capturing and continuing the Arthur Conan Doyle legacy.  I give Goldberg’s effort two stars at best. **   

 

Jim De Young 10/19/2022