I’ve really enjoyed Meyer’s Sherlock Holmes books. They always tend to have the ring of authenticity, and this book is no exception. That being said, I just didn’t love it. I completely understand the subject matter, but there just wasn’t enough action. There also wasn’t really much deduction going on until the very end. The title and blurb held a lot of promise, but for me, this one just didn’t stand out. A solid 3 stars for the writing, atmosphere, & well-done H & W.

Nicholas Meyer is one of the best modern writers of Sherlock Holmes mysteries, and I particularly enjoyed this one. Holmes and Watson join forces to foil a German plot to keep America out of World War I and bring England to its knees. As they travel to America and then to Mexico, they enlist the help (and avoid the scheming) of many contemporaneous non-fictional charcters. Even though readers of history will anticipate the ending of the story, it has plenty of twists and turns to surprise.

Holmes and Watson are showing their age in "Telegram," and I only hope they have a few more adventures left in them!

I enjoyed David Robb's narration, with footnotes read by the author. He is a very convincing Holmes, and Watson.

This is another book I could swear I'd already reviewed. I wonder what happened. Lost in cyberspace, perhaps. Anyway, I enjoyed reading this "Sherlock." I would recommend it to others who like Sherlock Holmes. I'm not sure if it would be my first choice for someone who'd never read any Sherlock Holmes material, but that's another thing entirely.
Thanks to Mr.. Meyer, his publisher and Netgalley for making this available to me.

In June 1916, Sherlock Holmes reappears at Dr. Watson's door battered but with urgent news that leads them on a mission across the Atlantic amid World War I. Tasked by British intelligence to uncover Germany's secret plan to win the war, they pursue a coded telegram sent from Berlin to Mexico, dodging U-boats, assassination attempts, and the intrigue of a young J. Edgar Hoover. With the help of an eccentric Washington socialite, Holmes and Watson face off against the elusive German spymaster Von Bork in what may be their most consequential case yet.

Although this is connected to the other pastiches written by this author, this stands alone fairly well. Previous cases are mentioned, and I’m sure the reader who has read all of them will appreciate this book even more. It was interesting how the author wove in real historical facts to create his story.

Overall, it was an interesting Holmes case. Not necessarily an immediate favorite but interesting to read. It was rather bleak, but since it is set during a war that should have been expected. Readers who enjoy pastiches will no doubt enjoy this one as well.

So enjoyable! Holmes and Watson are put into a historical,fiction tale of the Zimmerman telegram sent from Germany to Mexico to influence WW1. There is a lot of 'globe trotting' and not as much mystery and deduction as in ‘real’ Sherlock Holmes stories, but it is a great historical fiction novel.
Thank you net galley and the publisher for my advance copy!!

In this historical mystery, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson cross the Atlantic Ocean in pursuit of a mysterious coded telegram.

The novel is presented as entries from Watson's diary, with the famous duo encountering real historical figures as well as the notorious Zimmermann Telegram. Historically, it nearly incited a war between Mexico and the United States. Holmes and Watson are older now but still roped into one more case to help England in World War I against the German army.

Holmes will still do whatever it takes to flesh out his personae, even cracking a rib for verisimilitude. This continues as he and Watson meet various people in America as they try to spy for England and defend themselves against assassination attempts. I enjoyed the cameos from history, and the photos included in the book show us who they meet as the story progresses. The spy game is a long and slow one, taking months for clues to emerge. I'm not used to seeing Holmes play the role of a spy, but he still has ample opportunity to show off his observations and deduction skills. He figures out the telegram without cracking the code, simply due to his skills. The sad thing is that both he and Watson are older men, with the health issues and infirmities that come with age. This volume mentions it and plays off that, so they aren't able to fight off villains hand-to-hand anymore. This mystery is more intrigue and history.

In wartime morality becomes a dispensable luxury.

In June of 1916 England is at war with Germany in a conflict which will eventually become known as The Great War, there is rebellion in Ireland and unrest in Russia, and the United States is determined to remain neutral. Dr. John Watson, erstwhile companion of the famed consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, had volunteered his services to the Army on the battlefront but, given his age and physical limitations, has instead been pressed into service at a hospital in London. He is overworked, exhausted, and seeing far too many grievous injuries on the young men who are sent his way. Then there comes a knock on his door late one night….an injured and disreputable-looking Sherlock Holmes has come to ask for his help on another case, this time on behalf of the British government. Holmes has recently spent time undercover in a London prison becoming close to a disgraced national hero now accused of treason for his efforts on behalf of Ireland who, the powers that be suspect, may know what the Germans are plotting to break the current stalemate in the war.. He uncovers what the German’s goal is…..they want to use their fleet of U boats to erect a blockade around the British Isles, firing upon ships of any nationality that try to bring supplies to them, and bring them to the point of starvation. The problem of course is that if German ships were to fire upon US vessels the US would have no choice but to join in the war effort, and knowing that such an occurrence would likely doom Germany’s ability to win the war they know such an eventuality must be avoided. Holmes is told that there is a plan, a foolproof one, that would allow the blockade to commence without US ships entering into the war, but his source doesn’t know what the details of the plan are. Holmes and Watson ship out to the United States, landing in Boston and traveling first to New York and then Washington DC in search of those details. They will cross paths with J. Edgar Hoover and Alice Roosevelt Longfellow while foiling attempts on their own lives by an old nemesis, and will ultimately find themselves in Mexico to intercept the delivery via telegram of a coded message, the so-called Telegram from Hell, that will authorize the initiation of the German’s plan to prevent the US from joining the war. As people in their orbit are killed, will Holmes and Watson be able to obtain the telegram, transmit its contents safely back to England, and foil the Germans attempt to secure victory? Or will they die trying? The world is at war, and the concept of fair play is no longer in practice…in the end, winning is all that will matter
For fans of Sherlock Holmes, author Nicholas Meyer is perhaps best known as the author of The Seven Percent Solution (and screenwriter of the film upon which it was based). The concept of this novel, as it was in previous works, is that long lost pages handwritten by Dr. John Watson were obtained at a Sotheby’s auction and entrusted to Nicholas Meyer to edit and release. Meyer opens by saying that he has chosen to edit this tranche of pages as little as possible, that some entries in the pages he received have been revised (perhaps but not necessarily by Watson), and they span the course of about a year (and a very eventful year it was). Weaving real life people and events into a Holmesian story featuring the two beloved characters who have aged and may not be as on top of their game physically and mentally as they once were, the reader is treated to a mystery steeped in politics and statesmanship, both happy to be back in “the game” and only too well aware of the consequential stakes involved. For those who have read the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as well as those who enjoy Sherlockiana of all sorts (including the novels of authors like Laurie R. King, Anthony Horowitz as well as author NIcholas Meyer’s earlier works) should absolutely pick up a copy of this latest adventure. I felt that the voice of Watson narrating the story was quite true to the original, although it is a Watson who while he relishes a return to “the game” questions his ability to perform as needed. I enjoyed the tale a great deal, and was perhaps as happy as Holmes and Watson were themselves to see the two old friends called back into action. Many thanks to NetGalley and The Mysterious Press/Penzler Publishers for allowing me early access to a copy of Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell.

Nicholas Meyer is one of the best modern writers of Sherlock Holmes mysteries, and I particularly enjoyed this one. Holmes and Watson join forces to foil a German plot to keep America out of World War I and bring England to its knees. As they travel to America and then to Mexico, they enlist the help (and avoid the scheming) of many contemporaneous non-fictional charcters. Even though readers of history will anticipate the ending of the story, it has plenty of twists and turns to surprise.

Holmes and Watson are showing their age in "Telegram," and I only hope they have a few more adventures left in them!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell by Nicholas Meyer is a well written and entertaining story.
I very much enjoyed diving in this book.

Thank You NetGalley and Penzler Publishers | Mysterious Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

When I saw the movie Thor - Love and Thunder, I thought, hey, decent movie, but it's not really a Thor story. I feel the same way about Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell. It's a nice historical espionage mystery, but it didn't feel like Holmes to me.

One area in which Meyer stayed true to Conan Doyle was in Watson's Victorian attitude towards women. This disregard for any woman who didn't fit his narrow view of what Woman should be made his passionate defense of a genderfluid character somewhat baffling to me. Watson is not known for his progressive thinking, and he really hadn't demonstrated any elsewhere in the book.

The pacing is slower than I expected from a race to intercept the infamous WWI Zimmerman telegram and, despite Watson's urgency at points, the story drags. I felt that Sherlock only tangentially interacted with Watson, giving him little to write about.

Why you should read this: If you're a fan of Holmesian pastiches, this might scratch that itch.

Why you might not want to: I felt like there were too many degrees of separation between Conan Doyle's characters and Meyer's, but to be fair, I feel that way about many pastiches. If you're expecting a tale like The Seven-Percent Solution or The West End Horror, you might be disappointed.

I received an advance copy from Mysterious Press via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

3 out of 5 stars.

Know that this is historical fiction featuring Holmes and Watson not a Holmes/Watson mystery. Know also that at times it tries too hard but fans of Meyer might enjoy what might be his last contribution to the canon. This sees Holmes and Watson forced to undertake a mission to get the US involved in WWI. Almost all the action (or, rather, events) take place outside the UK and you. like me, might find yourself checking to see who's real and who's fictional. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. All things equal, it's an interesting read.

Holmes and Watson are put into a historical,fiction tale of the Zimmerman telegram sent from Germany to Mexico to influence WW1. There is much globe trotting and not as much mystery and deduction as in ‘real’ Sherlock Holmes stories, but it is a good historical fiction novel.
I got an advance reader copy via NetGalley from the publisher for an honest review.

Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell masterfully blends history and adventure to the point that one could almost believe the tale to be true. Far in the midst of World War I, Holmes and Watson are tasked with retrieving a vital telegram with monumental consequences to the outcome of the War. The inclusion of real world photographs adds to the 'authenticity' of the adventure, and the characterizations of the two aging protagonists are true to form, with both Holmes and Watson questioning their usefulness in an ever changing and not-so-honorable world.

Another Enjoyable Holmes Pastiche from Meyer, one of the masters of same. This time centering around the events surrounding the start of World War One and the Zimmerman Telegram. Holmes prevents the Germans from preventing America from entering World War One. It’s all great fun and highly literate and historically accurate. Read it.

Thanks to Nicholas Meyer, Penzler Publishers, and NetGalley for access to the Advanced Reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nicholas Meyer delivers another in his long series of Sherlock Holmes stories. In this one, which takes place during World War I, Sherlock and Holmes are enlisted to help solve a problem to aid the British war effort. The story follows and includes real events and real people, which enhances the account.

This is quick, entertaining read with familiar and historic characters that highlights a portion of history unknown to many of us and a worthy addition to the series.

There are many "modern" Holmes and Watson books out there--and I read many of them--I admit, I love seeing how folks bring Holmes into a more modern time. I find this book to be among the best of them, in fact , I think it is my favorite so far.
Why? It is the point of view of Watson--and it depicts growth in the Holmes,-Watson relationship as well as giving us a deep dive into both Holmes and Watson in the course of the book. Holmes' epiphany at the end about the value of knowing things other than science, history and politics to be exact, is so well done, I thought I was standing at the door on Baker Street listening to them. Best of all is the way WATSON brings Holmes out of his funk and how he leads him to a way to cope with the new, depressing reality, Holmes discovered.
Oh, and in addition to all of this wonderful insight into two of my fave detectives, Meyer has constructed an excellent mystery based on some historical facts (which he outlines for readers at the end of the book).
Meyer also , seamlessly and very believably, weaves real people from history and real WWI-era events into the tale--all in all , this is a very satisfying mystery, and a fabulous addition to the Holmesian canon..
One of the best books I've read this summer.

A wonderful novel that includes many real historical events. Any fan of Holmes and Watson will love this book. Fans of historical mysteries will find much to enjoy. I think it’s his best book yet.

This author is an amazing storyteller and is so closely relatable to Conan Doyle. This story sounded like it came straight from his pen. The mystery hits you like all the old Sherlock Holmes stories did. The grand adventures of Holmes and Watson ride again.

There may not be a more enthusiastic fan of Nicholas Meyer’s work, be it his Sherlock Holmes novels or his authorship of some great Star Trek movies. I read his early Holmes books “The Seven Percent Solution” and “The West End Horror” and loved them both. “Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell” amazed me for all the non-fiction World War I-era historical facts that produce the skeletal bones that drive this story; however, I just could not get captivated by the plot like I have Meyer’s previous efforts. Perhaps it’s my own fault for viewing stories differently in my elder years. However, I found the plotting slow at times and struggled not to jump ahead at several points. I also struggled with the personalities of Holmes and Watson as they did not connect with Conan Doyle’s characters.
Is this book good enough to recommend? My answer is “yes.” A solid but not spectacular effort by Nicholas Meyer stands taller than most others that attempt to follow the grand master’s Holmes and Watson’s portrayals. So a big thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of “Sherlock Holmes and the Telegraph from Hell.”

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this early copy in exchange for my honest review.

Before diving into this book, I had no idea who the author was or what his previous works were like. I'm thrilled to say that after finishing "The Telegram from Hell," I'm eager to explore more of his Sherlock Holmes novels. Nicholas Meyer's skill in mimicking Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's signature style is impeccable, employing accurate language and phrases that often got me Googling with a grin. The use of historical photos of individuals, locations, and objects from that era significantly enhanced the sense of being transported into a personal diary, where news articles and footnotes were inserted into the margins.

Despite being the latest in a series, the narrative was easy to follow, with nods to the original Sherlock Holmes stories and other works by Nicholas Meyer. The story's concept, about an older Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Watson heading to America to prevent England from falling into the abyss of war by involving America in World War I, was captivating and executed superbly. I had to do a lot of research on my own because I will admit that I am about as well versed in American and British history and politics as Holmes himself (which is to say, not very well), but comparing the events of the book to actual events was both enlightening and charming. It was a fun twist on history and the Sherlock genre. Fans of this era will find this book particularly engaging! I'm a big admirer of Nicholas Meyer and am currently adding his other Sherlock Holmes novels to my wishlist.