It's 1901 and London is in mourning. Queen Victoria has just died, and the new king, Edward VII, is ready to ascend to the throne. However, as Holmes and Watson find out, the coronation may have to be postponed a bit. It seems that someone has stolen the Crown Jewels from the Tower, and Lestrade is desperate for Holmes' help to find them. The theft of the Crown Jewels brings Holmes into contact with the "eminent thespian," one William Gillette, who is currently in town to play Holmes on the screen.

The plot was good, but I was a bit mystified at the solution -- it seemed somewhat contrived and it sort of came out of left field. Somewhat better than many of the works of Val Andrews, this was an okay pastiche and didn't take more than an hour or so to read. If you're considering a pastiche by Andrews, this one at least won't shy you away from others. ( )