Experiencing a period of boredom at 221b Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson accept an invitation to spend a few days on the country. The last Lord Thorpe has died, and with his estate due to be auctioned off, the pair are on a mission to locate a missing jewel: the De Trop Diamond, a gemstone brought back from the Crusades by a Thorpe ancestor and the apparent source of a curse.
There are always two things to consider when approaching a new entry into the Holmes canon: firstly, does the author do justice to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary sleuth and is it a good story. Here, Stuart Douglas almost gets it right on both counts. Almost.
The tale itself is reasonably well told. There is some devious plotting, a murder – actually, quite a bit of murdering – some extravagant characters that manage to remain just the right side of pantomime, and a mystery for Holmes to solve. But as you journey through it all begins to feel a little forced, and the final explanation becomes strangely unimportant.
As for remaining true to Conan Doyle’s writings, how much this affects your enjoyment of Douglas’ pastiche will be dependent upon your knowledge of the originals. Suffice to say, The Crusaders Curse is enjoyable enough, but it will more than likely make you revisit the original texts, and that can never be a bad thing.
