The Stone of Destiny

A Sherlock Holmes Adventure

By: Richard T Ryan

Narrated by: Nigel Peever

Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

During the elaborate funeral for Queen Victoria, a group of Irish separatists breaks into Westminster Abbey and steals the Coronation Stone, on which every monarch of England has been crowned since the 14th century. After learning of the theft from Mycroft, Sherlock Holmes is tasked with recovering the stone and returning it to England. In pursuit of the many-named stone, which has a rich and colorful history, Holmes and Watson travel to Ireland in disguise as they try to infiltrate the Irish Republican Brotherhood, the group they believe responsible for the theft. The story features a number of historical characters, including a very young Michael Collins, who would go on to play a prominent role in Irish history; John Theodore Tussaud, the grandson of Madame Tussaud; and George Bradley, the dean of Westminster at the time of the theft. There are also references to a number of other Victorian luminaries, including Joseph Lister and Frederick Treves. For fans of Conan Doyle's immortal detective, the game is always afoot. However, for the great detective the stakes have never been higher as he must mollify a king who refuses to ascend the throne until "order has been restored".

©2017 Rich Ryan (P)2017 MX Publishing

Muhahaha

Wow, Did I listen to that, or did I live it?

This is a spot-on damn near-perfect representation of what a Holmes novel should be. The ending was one of the most satisfactory of many a Holmes stories that I've read. Ryan not only demonstrates his deftness with a pen but his deep knowledge and obvious love for the crime-solving companions as well.

Peever powers through this book like an ox on Steroids. The man is a vocal magician, crawling into your ears and whispering dark secrets. I absolutely love his style, and he gives Holmes an unexpected and unique laugh that just struck me the right way.

This is an auditory treat to your ears.

Why does Holmes suddenly have an evil laugh?

This narrator must picture Holmes to be more like a Viking or an evil Warlord than a 19th Century Consulting Detective. Why all the baritone all of a sudden? Not just his laugh but his voice too. He’s supposed to come off as somewhat dandified and effete!

“MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA”.

That’s apparently the extent of his range to express anything from amusement to mirth, satisfaction, smugness. To hear that called a “chuckle” - now THAT is funny. Except it’s not. It’s just annoying.

And why do all the Irish characters have broken noses? Or at least that’s what their voices would have us believing. Or did the narrator confuse “Brogue” with “Brokenose” when he was given his instructions?

Poor narration can RUIN even the best of books - it’s really a shame. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that this is “the best of books”, nor would I say it was “RUINED”… but it would be much better if such obvious discrepancies were rectified. Makes you wonder if anyone actually does instruct or direct the narrator, much like an actor in a visual performance. I don’t see why not. It’s obviously needed. Some mistakes I have heard are truly inexcusable; we’re talking basic pronunciation errors, blatant excursions in character tone than the book itself has literally spelled out, etc.

Such a tough life 🤦🏼‍♂️

Another great RR story

The performance distracts when Holmes laughs… always a sinister, unnerving, nefarious laugh that takes away from the chuckle and laughter of Holmes’ self amusement. Other than that, a great story with a tinge of historical flair.

To Ireland Watson!

This is yet another great Sherlock Holmes adventure by Richard Ryan. I really enjoyed listening to this tale. Mr Ryan really knows how to write a Holmes story worthy of following Doyle! I love listening to Holmes and Watson figure out another mystery. There's action, adventure, mystery and suspense. I also enjoyed how this book touched on The Vatican Cameos. If you enjoy Sherlock mysteries then you should check this storyteller out! The narration was superb as usual. I love Nigel Peever and always look forward to his narrations. His voice talent is absolutely amazing and then add the enhancements and you can't help but get swept away.

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

The Stone of Destiny

Excellent story by Mr Ryan and performances by Peever, but we need longer stories. Please.

To Crown a Monarch!

Richard T. Ryan returns with Holmes and Watson chasing an elusive prey seeking their freedom. A true continuation of the great detective and his work. This telling not only has Holmes using his expert skills of disguise, but he teaches Watson how it's done. A fantastic story and adventure in the green fields of Ireland.

Nigel Peever returns and brings back to life the writings of Mr. Ryan with a skill that was so effective it almost goes unnoticed. He wraps you in the sounds of the mystery so effectively that you almost forget you aren't listening to Watson himself. A truly effective combination of writing by Mr. Ryan and performance by Mr. Peever.

i like a good sherlock story

good twist and turns. enjoyed listening to it. i like the way Nigel tells a story. the author had an interesting concept on the book. great job

Another engaging Sherlock Holmes story

The Stone of Destiny by Richard T Ryan is a solidly good Holmes story. The Coronation Stone is stolen and a papier-mache replica is left in its place. Queen Victoria has died and the new King cannot be coronated until the Stone of Destiny is returned to the throne in Westminster Abbey. Holmes and Watson head to Ireland to track the Irish Brotherhood and recover the sacred stone. The narration by Nigel Peever is great. His performance and the sound effects bring the story to life.

A strong entry in the post Doyle collecti

In my review of Ryan''s first entry in his Sherlock Holmes collection (The Vatican Cameos) I make a point of mentioning how distracting the narrator's take on Holmes is. I likened him to Count Dracula, a voice which is thankfully somewhat softened in this book. This makes the account easier to listen to, at least in my opinion.

The story itself is intriguing in that it explores the end of Britain's Victorian Era and the start of its Edwardian. It centers around the theft of a relic that is key to what would soon become known as the Irish "Troubles." Any student of history should appreciate the early days of the Irish Brotherhood and the inclusion of a young Michael Collins in the narrative.

Overall the story keeps one's interest. Like his prior work, the author brings a lot of travel into the story, although it is limited to the British Isles. It is a good, solid piece that is worth listening to.

Another classic

I'm a touch biased on this one, being Irish-American myself and feeling the urge to be a touch annoyed at the Empire that Victoria ruled on principal. But the story is perfectly written for its period, and beautifully atmospheric. Another treat, even if I kept correcting the story of Le Fail in my head ;)