Sherlock Holmes and the Hapsburg Tiara

By: Alan Vanneman

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

In a crafty new novel featuring the world's greatest literary detective, Alan Vanneman extends the boundaries of the Sherlock Holmes canon with this novel.

A late-night summons takes Holmes and Dr. Watson from the cozy Victorian comforts of Baker Street to the Orient Express, where they travel the breadth of Europe to exotic Constantinople. But danger's afoot, for death, too, is traveling first class.

As Holmes strives to unmask his most cunning, ruthless, and elusive foe, he is transported into a world of high finance rife with intrigue and crime. With a cast of characters that includes historical greats like Winston Churchill as well as a beggar girl whom Watson adopts, Holmes follows a trail that leads ultimately and unpredictably to the fabled and fabulous lost Hapsburg Tiara.

©2003 Alan Vanneman (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Narrator Simon Vance adopts the dry, literary tones of a classic Holmes radio drama, imparting wry humor detectable only to listeners paying close attention to the plot....Winston Churchill sounds just like a recording of the man himself." (AudioFile)

Sherlock at his best

What made the experience of listening to Sherlock Holmes and the Hapsburg Tiara the most enjoyable?

This was an incredible story with many historical characters. The plot and sub plots make this a very enjoyable Sherlock Homes story. Dr. Watson finding romance was a real plus.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sherlock Homes

Have you listened to any of Simon Vance’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

A five star performance from Mr. "Shaken not Stirred". If you have ever listend to a James Bond novel, you already know that Simon Vance always gives that British sense of authencity.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Mr. Churchill, my name is Sherlock Homes.

Good story and great narration.

Good story. Very entertaining.

Some surprises for the Holmes aficionado. Some great story developments beyond the Conan Doyle style but still within the plausible canon.

The analytical insights into Holmes' methods are less developed. The period language and details are well done. Moves quickly.

Enjoyed the novel thoroughly.

Good Story

Very much enjoyed the story. Covers a large duration of time but manages to keep the string intact. And Dr Watson finally gets his due seducement. And he acted like a sailor in a house of ill repute. The writing followed the same type as used by Conan Doyle in his original stories and I liked that depiction. Definitely a good book and I will read again.

This is Dr. Watson's story.

Interesting take on the Sherlock Holmes saga. Most of this Story focuses on Dr. Watson ,his adopted daughter , and his infatuation with a mysterious woman. The story takes place over several years and across most Europe. The mystery is very convoluted and hard to follow. Holmes is his usual self, only in smaller doses.
The plot is too long for the meager plot, but the narrator, Simon Vance makes it a fun listen.

Nice addition to the Holmes corpus.

Interesting story with a grand sweep and a number of story lines that parallel and converge toward each other over a number of years. Watson's liaison with the Countess is a bit over played, as is the multiple returns to the Orient Express. These however are minor annoyances. The liaison could easily be abridged, even though it makes an appearance in the last scene.

Recommended for Holmes fans, and the performance recommends the narrator's other works.

Below Average Among Sherlock Stories

First 50-60% of the book was pretty good...interesting, suspenseful, typical of most Holmes stories. The rest is abysmal. Primary mystery is solved, then the audiobook goes on for several more hours with a different storyline more akin to a badly written romance novel.

If you're interested in reading/listening to this, I recommend stopping once they get back to London.

A couple of interesting twists...the case covers several years, over a decade. One of the Baker Street Irregulars has a life-altering event and becomes a prominent part of the Holmes/Watson team. And, there are some steamy passages about sexual encounters that are the first I've seen in over 50 Sherlock stories.

Simon Vance does a great job reading/performing the book.

Great listening experience

Everything in this story is wonderful story, narration. Just wraps around me for a great listening experience

The Adventure of the Blue Diamond

A compendium of instruction of history, aristocracy empire, vocabulary, and intrigue, all sorted by a faithful adherence to the Sherlock Holmes Canon, and an emboldened Dr. Watson.

Solid story to the Holmes reading list

Great! Watson's foot fetish though... meh. It was my only real issue with the story, though it made sense why it was shoved in our faces at a few points by the end. Would recommend.

I thought it was good!

Watson loves feet! Could have done with a little less love scenes, kind of out of place, but overall entertaining.