Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Italian Secretary

3.14 of 5 stars 3.14 · rating details · 2,671 ratings · 314 reviews

Mycroft Holmes's encoded message to his brother, Sherlock, is unsubtle enough even for Dr. Watson to decipher: a matter concerning the safety of Queen Victoria herself calls them to Edinburgh's Holyrood House to investigate the confounding and gruesome deaths of two young men--horrific incidents that took place with her highness in residence. The victims were crushed in a

...more

Paperback, 338 pages

Published May 2nd 2006 by St. Martin's Paperbacks (first published 2005)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

The Seven-Percent Solution by Nicholas Meyer

Sherlock Holmes And The Case of the Crystal Blue Bottle by Luke Benjamen Kuhns

Beyond Conan Doyle - Best of the Continuing Cases of Sherlock Holmes

10th out of 128 books — 142 voters

The Untold Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Luke Benjamen Kuhns

Best Sherlock Holmes Fiction (Pastiches)

25th out of 188 books — 209 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Aug 11, 2009 Brad rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

The Italian Secretary is a pretty sweet piece of Sherlock Holmes apocrypha. There have been a number of attempts to write Holmes by authors other than Doyle, and those attempts have achieved varying degrees of success -- some dreadful and some impressive. Caleb Carr's attempt falls between these extremes, although it is tilted more toward the impressive end of the teeter-totter.

Carr does a fine job of capturing Holmes' rhythms and personality, and one never feels like one's reading a false Sherl...more

5 likes · like · see review

Sep 22, 2008 Tyas rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective-mystery

Number one, the translation caused me a headache.

The translation aside, this book is disappointing: the case might be 'sensational' and 'sadistic', but the way the case is solved did not satisfy me. I think that there are still questions left unanswered. And seriously, those ghosts are unnecessary, something like disturbing Holmes' world of logic. The ghosts would fit a Professor Challenger story, but in Italian Secretary it only boiled down to raised eyebrows (of the reader, which was me, that...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 13, 2009 Snowfire rated it 3 of 5 stars

Conflicted thoughts here. Short version: Style is good, Watson's authorial voice is good, general overview of the plot is good. However, using Mycroft as a character still has problems, the spiritual / ghost angle ends up being lame IMHO, and - worst of all- the last quarter of the book has too many silly things and dumb yet irrelevant plot turns. Silly in a bad way. The final confrontation is also... bah.

So... rewrite the last quarter of the book to get the same point across but with less idioc...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 22, 2013 May rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sherlock-holmes-pastiche, mystery, bit-of-supernatural, own

I actually enjoyed the story of the book. It was quite entertaining.
Now, what first called my attention was the cover. I was going to buy the book even if it wasn't about Sherlock Holmes because I liked the contrast of color on the cover and I like mysteries.
I liked how, as in other new Holmes novels there is a small introduction, something as to why we're reading this now. I liked the constant references to the original stories, comparisons to the characters found there and things like that.
I...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 16, 2013 Joe Satrianto rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dari ketiga buku Sherlock Holmes setelah karangannya Sir Arthur Conan Doyle yang kupunya, buku ini adalah yang paling mendekati sempurna. Konon buku ini ditulis atas permintaan dari estate-nya Sir Arthur sendiri kepada Caleb Carr. Ceritanya tentang pembunuhan brutal di Istana Holyrood, dan Holmes dipanggil khusus untuk membantu Ratu Victoria di Skotlandia oleh kakaknya sendiri, Mycroft Holmes, orang penting di balik layar pemerintahan Inggris.

Deduksi cepat ada, kepercayaan diri khas seorang Sher...more

like · see review

Nov 07, 2012 Doris rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: history addicts, history students

Shelves: historical-fiction

This story is based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories about Sherlock Holmes, and includes both Holmes' famous sidekick, Dr Watson, and a new-to-me character, Mycroft Holmes, brother to Sherlock. The three are attempting to discover the truth behind a centuries-old "haunting" in infamous Holyroodhouse, the castle where Queen Mary lived and was abused by her husband. This palace is the official residence of the British Monarch while said personage is in Scotland, so unsolved and mysterious mur...more

This story is based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories about Sherlock Holmes, and includes both Holmes' famous sidekick, Dr Watson, and a new-to-me character, Mycroft Holmes, brother to Sherlock. The three are attempting to discover the truth behind a centuries-old "haunting" in infamous Holyroodhouse, the castle where Queen Mary lived and was abused by her husband. This palace is the official residence of the British Monarch while said personage is in Scotland, so unsolved and mysterious murders need immediate, superior investigation. Thus, Sherlock is called to assist.

There appears to be a haunting, along with 2 murders, a long-time scam, and as a side item, abuse of the young women who live in and serve at the castle. Sherlock is determined to resolve these issues, and clear the history of Holyroodhouse of both thieves and murderers.

It was a well written story, with historical accuracy. It referred to the shocking murder of Queen Mary's friend and musician, David Rizzio, who was said to haunt the palace, and somehow caused the death of 2 latter-day workers. Since the current monarch, Queen Victoria, is planning to visit, the immediate resolution of these deaths is required.

Enter Sherlock! Of course, much of the book defers to Sherlock as the one who ultimately resolves the cases, but as in the original stories, without the efforts of Watson and others, there would be no resolution. Gunfire, antique weaponry, and misdeeds galore, as the intrepid pair (plus one, including Mycroft) rush to resolve the mystery before Queen Victoria arrives in all her majesty.

As it has been a long time since I read any of the Doyle stories, I can only think this is in the same vein, but it seems that it has less of a misogynst attitude than the originals. Sherlock is still a misanthrope, irritating people around him, from his landlady to his brother, with his lack of manners and poor people skills.

Overall a good read, although it rated lower than perhaps the story warranted since it was tediously written, but so were the originals. Too many pages to tell the story in, with not enough detail on the people and the buildings, and too much time laboring over how brilliant Sherlock is, and how peculiarly his mind works.
(less)

like · see review

Sep 28, 2012 Philip K. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Any author who dares to assume that his readers have an attention span that exceeds fifteen or twenty seconds has succeeded in capturing my attention no matter what the subject pursued. Caleb Carr treats English as if it is tool for the conveyance of precise information and not as if it were a bludgeon to be used to beat the reader into submission. His prose is elegant and precise, with slang terms used to emphasize characterization and to provide particular flavors and tones to conversation.

Th...more Any author who dares to assume that his readers have an attention span that exceeds fifteen or twenty seconds has succeeded in capturing my attention no matter what the subject pursued. Caleb Carr treats English as if it is tool for the conveyance of precise information and not as if it were a bludgeon to be used to beat the reader into submission. His prose is elegant and precise, with slang terms used to emphasize characterization and to provide particular flavors and tones to conversation.

The narrator is Dr. Watson, not the familiar narrator of most of the Canonical tales, but rather this Dr. Watson is clearly the man who wrote those tales. This is not the hopeless naïf he depicted himself to be, this Watson is bright and thoughtful and a good foil for the genius of Holmes. Yet, under all, he remains the true Victorian gentleman in the best sense of that overworked phrase. He does not comprehend the hubris that constitutes true evil, the sense of self that will not recognize any will but its own. In this, he remains unable to understand Holmes who is well aware of that form of darkness of the soul.

This tale is one that Watson never meant to be published, rather it is a record of events that deserve preservation but are prejudicial to The Crown. It is also a tale of ghosts and murder, with a particularly Holmesian explanation for apparent supernatural events. Even Mycroft is unable to cope and has called Holmes and Watson to investigate murders at Holyrood House, the official residence of Her majesty in Edinburgh. High politics, historical mystery, human greed, departmental machinations and the character of Her Majesty are all combined to present a complex and satisfying new Sherlock Holmes mystery. This story revives the feeling of reading the Canon more than any pastiche I have read (3,000+ and counting), a truly remarkable feat.

Reviewed by: Philip K. Jones; May, 2005.

Published in “The Pleasant Places of Florida Communication,” [07-08/2005].
(less)

like · see review

Mar 05, 2012 Nesa Sivagnanam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Architect Sir Alistair Sinclair and his foreman, Dennis McKay, have been slain in the midst of rehabilitating the medieval west tower of the Royal Palace of Holyrood--the very wing where Mary, Queen of Scots, had lived, and where David Rizzio had met his brutal, politically motivated end.

The Italian secretary of the title is David Rizzio, an actual historical figure, murdered more than 300 years before the book starts. An intimate, and perhaps more, of Mary Queen of Scots, he was stabbed at lea...more

1 like · like · see review

May 06, 2011 Jennifer Petkus rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had such high hopes for The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr. My husband surprised me with it just after I had started to renew my addiction to Holmes and had read several mentions of it at the Sherlock Holmes Social Network.

Of course, those mentions were not generally favorable, but the setting of a murder at the Royal Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh, Scotland sounded so inviting. Here’s the basic plot: After several assassination attempts on Queen Victoria, Holmes and Watson are brought to Ho...more I had such high hopes for The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr. My husband surprised me with it just after I had started to renew my addiction to Holmes and had read several mentions of it at the Sherlock Holmes Social Network.

Of course, those mentions were not generally favorable, but the setting of a murder at the Royal Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh, Scotland sounded so inviting. Here’s the basic plot: After several assassination attempts on Queen Victoria, Holmes and Watson are brought to Holyrood Palace at the instigation of Holmes’ brother Mycroft (who as we know sometimes is the government). A recent assassination attempt, first dismissed as a simple desire for notoriety, now appears as though it might be related to the jockeying of power between England and Germany. At the same time, two men are killed very brutally during renovations at Holryood Palace, the official residence of the monarch in Scotland.

And during the train ride there, Holmes and Watson are attacked by a very inefficient bomber who looks and sounds too much like MacAdder, Edmund Blackadder’s mad Scottish cousin — “the maddest man to wear a skirt in Europe.” The bomber shouts, “We’ll nae let ye muhrder more Scots patriots.”

Add to this mix the story of David Rizzio, an Italian courtier who became the private secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots, who was murdered when Mary’s husband Lord Darnley joined a conspiracy of nobles jealous of Rizzio’s relationship with Mary. The murder occurred in Holyrood Palace and supposedly there is a blood stain in a room of a ruined tower — the same tower being renovated — that never dries where Rizzio’s body lay. OK, good stuff, I have goosebumps just thinking about it.

Unfortunately, all these elements are just thrown against the wall to see what sticks, especially a very uncharacteristic Holmes who throughout the entire book seems preoccupied with the supernatural. Now, I enjoy reading books and watching TV and movies about the supernatural, even though I am very skeptical of the paranormal in the real world. But I really don’t like the idea of Holmes courting the supernatural. He is the embodiment of reason; ghosts need not apply. Of course, I have to give allowances because the author originally wrote this story as part of a collection of new supernatural-themed Holmes stories, The Ghosts of Baker Street. But the story grew too large to be included in the collection.

And it shows. There are too many red herrings and long expositions that really don’t advance the plot, especially the cryptic message that Holmes and Watson receive that start the case. It’s true that Conan Doyle often included legends and history that sometimes overwhelmed the main story, but his usual pattern was to deal with it succinctly or at length. In The Italian Secretary, the back stories are just long enough to feel like padding or the author getting carried away.

Despite these critiques, the relationship between Holmes and Watson seems solid. In fact, Watson fairly shines and shows he’s absorbed quite of lot of the master detective’s methods.

And I’m of two minds about the climactic ending, which seems a little too much like Assault on Precinct 13, where Holmes and Watson must defend the palace from an all out assault. At times the action seems gripping and at other times absurd when you realize a royal palace has been left largely unguarded. There is, however, a very logical reason it is unguarded, but it still seems absurd.

Do I recommend The Italian Secretary? Of course I do. Despite the bad taste in my mouth of a Holmes who seems far too gullible and the unnecessary intrusion of a “real” supernatural character in the story (I prefer the MacGyver episode where we hear a bone-chilling howl after our mulleted hero has defeated the large man pretending to be Bigfoot), it’s still a fun read with a great premise. Caleb Carr is a very good writer, this is just a minor but still entertaining effort.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 30, 2011 Lisa rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reading-list, mystery-suspense

It's always difficult when you read a book that an author has written in a style faithful to an original work. There's often a sense of forced effort in bringing that different voice out; it's too easy to go over the top in attempting to recreate a style that is not the author's own.

In this case, Carr does tap into the expected Sherlock Holmes plot points, with the usual conclusions drawn from observation and mentions of previous cases, and the Watson created is generally well done.

Honestly, I d...more

like · see review

Dec 28, 2010 Catherine rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was a huge fan of the "The Alienist" and its prequel "Angel of Darkness," so I had very high expectations for this book. While Carr does a good job of capturing the voice and style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and masterfully describes the haunting bleakness of nineteenth century Scotland, I find Carr's own style, set forth with such skill in "The Alienist" and "Angel of Darkness," much more engaging. Somehow, "the Italian Secretary," never really drew me in. The characters felt one-dimensional a...more

like · see review

Sep 17, 2010 Dana Kujan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

I loved "The Alienist," passed it around my family, so I had really high expectations for Carr's take on Holmes. I have never been so disappointed! I hated this book so much by page 50 that I started writing post-it notes to myself and slapping them on the most offensive pages.

Page 83: Why are we still on the damn train!? We've spent 50 pages sitting. On a train. I know Mycroft's a big ol' potato, but Sherlock should have to stretch his legs. And what of Watson's leg wound?

Page 94: Lord Francis?...more

7 likes · like · see review

May 30, 2010 Bruce rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Picking up his pen and writing a Sherlock Holmes story, as have so many authors since ACD published his collection so many years ago, Carr’s editorial comments in his early chapters seem to suggest that he is using this device in part to create a narrative about terrorism and the domestic response to it, no surprise given his concern about this issue that resulted in his non-fiction work of 2002, The Lessons of Terror, a work that I found troubling in its implications, espousing as it did preemp...more Picking up his pen and writing a Sherlock Holmes story, as have so many authors since ACD published his collection so many years ago, Carr’s editorial comments in his early chapters seem to suggest that he is using this device in part to create a narrative about terrorism and the domestic response to it, no surprise given his concern about this issue that resulted in his non-fiction work of 2002, The Lessons of Terror, a work that I found troubling in its implications, espousing as it did preemptive military offensives as the primary and indeed preferred response to perceived threats, a response that seemed to me at the time I read it to be insufficiently nuanced and excessively limited in its perspective. The non-fiction book also contained, in my opinion, odd and unsubstantiated ideas about the role of civilians as objects of terrorism. But as I picked up this present novel I decided to suspend my skepticism and let him work out his plot and argument before judging either its credibility or his skill in setting it forth.

Although each of Arthur Conan Doyle’s seemingly countless imitators must inevitably bear the judgment of their readers regarding their fidelity to the work of the original, it is also true that readers sometimes focus so exclusively on assessing whether or not a later novel is perfectly consistent with Doyle’s writings themselves that the excellence of the copy may be obscured and any enjoyment of the latter work for its own sake and on its own merits may be lost. Thus, I try first of all when approaching such an apparently derivative work to assess it as if it were not attempting to work in a particular tradition, even as I take advantage of my knowledge of the Holmes stories to supplement my knowledge and increase my appreciation where deserved.

Having first read the entire Doyle/Holmes corpus over half a century ago, and having returned to it periodically since, I must confess that in general I have come to enjoy more recent works in the detective-mystery genre more and Doyle less, more recent works seeming to focus more on intra-psychic exploration and less on pure deductive brilliance. And so I find myself opening a contemporary Holmes story with a bit of a sigh, prepared to experience a more “primitive” work than I would ordinarily prefer. But I try to keep an open mind.

In the present book, Carr constructs a world and plot that are entertaining at times, enough to keep me reading, but ultimately the sum was less than its parts and was too fanciful to be convincing. Within the narrative, Carr inserted speculations about why young men (sic) are prone to acts of terrorism, but the relevance to the story was not entirely clear. Although this novel was approved by the Conan Doyle Estate for official affirmation as a Holmes sequel, I am not convinced that it is impressive enough to deserve any renown that such a seal of approval might provide.
(less)

like · see review

Oct 21, 2009 Lori rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed Caleb Carr's The Italian Secretary. Any Holmes fan big or small can appreciate the effort put forth by Mr. Carr in this enjoyable novel penned as a "further adventure of Sherlock Holmes" The story takes place in the ghost infested Holyroodhouse which was the castle of the ill fated Mary Queen of Scots. A cryptic message from Mycroft Holmes protrayed here in a rather unpleasant light as the bigger less able brother of Sherlock sends Dr. Watson and Mr Holmes hurtling towards Edninburgh....more

like · see review

May 13, 2010 Kayt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sherlock-holmes

This book seemed to go by quite quickly. It was good--having read Carr's two other history mysteries (The Alienist and Angel of Darkness) I was confident in this book; there was not the uncertainty I sometimes feel when reading a continuing-Holmes book by an unknown author.

However, I'm not sure Carr's writing style translated completely well to a Holmes story. The case was confusing--halfway through, I had to struggle to remember what the actual problem was. The characters themselves were maybe...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 10, 2010 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

I have only read one Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes story before, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Spotting The Italian Secretary in a secondhand bookshop, I picked it up because it was written by Caleb Carr, and I didn't really notice it was a Sherlock Holmes story until I got home.
Caleb Carr was a great choice to write a further adventure of Sherlock Holmes. His own novels The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness are about a Victorian detective too although this time in New York, and he certainly had...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 30, 2012 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery, new-york-city, psychology

This is an artful emulation a Conan Doyle escapade with Holmes and Watson, but it felt a bit tedious to me. The murders of two people on the grounds of the Holyrood castle of Mary Queen of Scotts raises suspicions that they relate to domestic or international plots against Queen Victoria, but the multiple wounds of the bodies bears a spooky resemblance to murder of Mary�s Italian secretary believed to haunt the castle. Carr does an admirable job with the diction and sensibilities of our beloved...more

like · see review

Oct 03, 2011 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, audiobooks

I have always liked Caleb Carr’s books (both fiction and nonfiction), and I love Sherlock Holmes stuff, and Richard is of the same mind as me on Carr and Holmes. So when Richard found this unabridged audiobook, we both decided that it would be good to listen to on our vacation, and so it was; we both enjoyed it immensely.
All good Sherlockania is in the voice of Doctor Watson, and so this book is; the book starts in Baker Street, with a crytic telegram from Holmes’ older brother Mycroft, demandin...more

like · see review

May 17, 2011 Liz Nutting rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller

As someone who used to dabble in the world of fan fiction, I've always been baffled by the resistance of some authors to fan-originated treatments of their characters. I understand the standard response: Works of literature are the author's bread and butter and to allow someone else to encroach on the same territory cheapens the original product, the way a faux Gucci bag sold on a New York City street cheapens the original Gucci brand. But I think there is a fundamental flaw in that logic, at le...more As someone who used to dabble in the world of fan fiction, I've always been baffled by the resistance of some authors to fan-originated treatments of their characters. I understand the standard response: Works of literature are the author's bread and butter and to allow someone else to encroach on the same territory cheapens the original product, the way a faux Gucci bag sold on a New York City street cheapens the original Gucci brand. But I think there is a fundamental flaw in that logic, at least when it comes to books and stories. The product of an author is not a zero-sum commodity in the same way a purse is. Engaging in fan fiction, whether as a reader or a writer, does not preclude the 'consumption' of the original product. In fact, one is unlikely to seek out fan fiction or spend any amount of time with it, if one is not already deeply engaged with the original work. And members of the fan fiction community are usually the first to pre-order a new book by a favorite author or wait in line at midnight for the premier showing of a movie or collect every DVD in a favorite television series.

But the other reason that I think the protests against fan fiction are disingenuous is that the pros do it too. Hollywood's bread and butter is the film adaptation of literary classics (and the not so literary or classic). And no other fictional character has been adapted more times in more formats than Sherlock Holmes. In film alone, 75 different actors have portrayed the detective in over 200 films. But film is not the only medium that breeds new Holmes stories. Cruise the mystery shelves of any bookstore and one finds lots of "further adventures of" novels featuring the clever detective. Although the books are of varying quality, no one is claiming that these dozens of new Holmes' adventures are cheapening the original "brand" or causing readers to fly to the faux Holmes and away from Conan Doyle's. In fact, I suspect quite the opposite is happening. Director Guy Ritchie introduced a whole new generation to his version of Sherlock Holmes, Action Hero. Inevitably some of those movie goers are going to pick up Conan Doyle's stories. I had never read a single original Sherlock Holmes story before reading Laurie R. King's wonderful The Beekeeper's Apprentice.

Caleb Carr's The Italian Secretary is a fine example of "professional" fan fiction staring Sherlock Holmes. As the author of several critically acclaimed mysteries set in the same late Victorian era, Carr is well-suited as an interpreter of Holmes. And The Italian Secretary even has the imprimatur of the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle. In Carr's tale, Holmes and Watson are summoned by Sherlock's brother Mycroft to the Scottish palace of Holyrood, residence of Scottish monarchs since 1505, where two brutal murders have threatened Queen Victoria's safety and evoked claims of spectral activity by the ghost of The Italian Secretary, private secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots, who was viciously murdered in front of the Queen by her consort, Lord Darnley, in 1566.

How much one enjoys any given "further adventure" of Sherlock Holmes will depend on how well one thinks the author has captured the main characters of Holmes and Watson. I enjoyed Carr's version of both, although at times I thought them a touch anachronistic, which surprised me from an author who is also a published historian (so perhaps I'm wrong). Watson is disturbed by Holmes' apparent willingness to entertain the possibility of ghostly activity over other, more rational, explanations. When this inconsistently is addressed and we are made aware of Holmes' reasoning, it didn't ring true to me and sounded more like late 20th Century psychological analysis than what I would expect the "real" Holmes' to believe. In another spot, Watson describes Balmoral Castle as a "Victorian Gothic masterpiece"; I wonder if someone living in the middle of Victoria's reign would really have invoked her name to describe an architectural style. Wouldn't that description more likely be applied retrospectively from the vantage point of a post-Victorian consciousness?

I've vacillated between 2 and 3 stars for The Italian Secretary. I'm giving it three because I enjoyed it as a story in its own right, even if I sometimes felt the tone of Holmes and Watson didn't quite fit my take on Conan Doyle's characters. This book has been sitting on my shelf for years before I finally read it; it is one of those books that is perfect to slip in between more serious novels, like the crackers at a wine tasting. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 13, 2013 Travis rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

Carr has a good handle on Holmes, Watson and Mycroft, unfortunately the story is really uneven and doesn't so much get resolved as kind of wander to a conclusion.
The epilogue back in LOndon felt pretty weak as well.

Nice use of history and a good start, but the payoff is a letdown.
Hearing that this was originally begun as a short story for a new Holmes anthology makes sense and I think it would have worked better as a short story or novella.

1 like · like · see review

Nov 28, 2012 Amy Sturgis rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 21st-century, gothic, sherlockiana

The Italian Secretary is a solid Holmesian pastiche.

Certain aspects of the story didn't work for me. Part of this is a question of personal taste; I prefer to see all of the secondary characters who orbit Sherlock's star in play, and to observe the unique chemistry that results from this mix. Although Mycroft Holmes receives delightful attention here, Mrs. Hudson receives little, and the Scotland Yarders none at all.

Part of this, however, is due to what appears to me to be a serious shortcomin...more The Italian Secretary is a solid Holmesian pastiche.

Certain aspects of the story didn't work for me. Part of this is a question of personal taste; I prefer to see all of the secondary characters who orbit Sherlock's star in play, and to observe the unique chemistry that results from this mix. Although Mycroft Holmes receives delightful attention here, Mrs. Hudson receives little, and the Scotland Yarders none at all.

Part of this, however, is due to what appears to me to be a serious shortcoming in the novel. The author apparently intended a great deal of dramatic tension throughout the book to be based on an early concern on John Watson's part, a confusion and fear about Sherlock's seeming change of opinion about the believability of ghosts and supernatural hauntings, and what this might mean about Sherlock's state of mind. (A nod, perhaps, to Arthur Conan Doyle's own perceived gullibility later in life?) A climactic revelation at the end is meant to show where and how Watson -- and, I'm guessing, Carr's imagined reader -- misread Holmes from the beginning. Yet anyone who noted what Holmes said -- well, at least this reader, anyway -- understood from the very start that Sherlock was not professing a new-found faith in ghosts. His diction is quite clear and precise, as always. Thus Watson's constant worry and the final "reveal" become significant obstacles to the story and fall absolutely flat.

There are several aspects of the story I quite enjoyed, however. The sense of atmosphere in the descriptions of Edinburgh's Holyroodhouse (and its bloody history during the time of Mary, Queen of Scots) is quite well realized. The ways in which Holmes and Watson balance each other's talents and gifts comes through nicely. I especially enjoyed Watson's descriptions of the delicate dance between Sherlock and Mycroft, part rivalry, part respect, and part intellectual wrestling match. Mycroft certainly gets his due here. A favorite passage describes how Mycroft "enjoyed complete informality in the Queen's presence": "While he never took advantage of such when he was aware of the presence of others, I did once catch the sight of Mycroft sitting with Her Majesty in one of the castle gardens -- and had the pair been an elderly married couple in Hyde Park, they could scarcely have appeared more completely at their ease."

While this doesn't rank among my favorite pastiches, I'm glad I read it.(less)

like · see review

Nov 03, 2009 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, historical-fiction, mystery

Caleb Carr was commissioned by the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write a book that could be considered the official "further adventures of Sherlock Holmes" and so he set out to recreate Conan Doyle's original style in all its Victorian glory. And I think that for the most part Carr has succeeded: the language, the sentence structure, and the general "feel" of the original stories are faithfully recreated in Carr's book, and although he can't resist adding a few more gory details than Victo...more

like · see review

Dec 07, 2010 Joseph rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I got about three quarters of the way through the book before realizing that I'd read it before some years ago. Normally, I'd blame this on my own shoddy memory, but I think this is a case of the book just not being very memorable. While the book isn't bad, per se, Carr adds nothing to the Holmes canon.

His characterization is merely adequate. Holmes seemed strangely passive, while Carr was clearly more interested in Watson. It's nice that he found more for him to do than stand around dumbfounded...more

like · see review

Mar 28, 2013 Belinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I picked this up in paperback at the thrift store recently (our thrift has a huge book selection and is dirt cheap). I enjoyed The Alienist a lot and I have become very interested in Caleb Carr's father recently due to his beat connections. This book is actually approved by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's estate and it's easy to see why. The style is impeccable and a real tribute to the original Sherlock Holmes stories. Carr is a historian and it shows--lots and lots of great detail and all of the char...more

like · see review

Apr 15, 2012 Muhammad rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-library

Sherlock Holmes mendapatkan telegram bersandi dari kakaknya, Mycroft. Dalam telegram itu Sherlock Holmes dan sahabatnya, Dr. John Watson, diminta untuk menangani kasus yang aneh dan misterius di Holyroodhouse, salah satu kastil kediaman Ratu Victoria di Skotlandia. Dari luar kasus itu tampak seperti kasus biasa, yaitu kematian Sir Alistair Sinclair dan Dennis McKay, dua orang yang bertugas merenovasi salah satu sayap kastil tersebut. Namun, Holmes bersaudara berpendapat hal itu bukanlah kematian...more Sherlock Holmes mendapatkan telegram bersandi dari kakaknya, Mycroft. Dalam telegram itu Sherlock Holmes dan sahabatnya, Dr. John Watson, diminta untuk menangani kasus yang aneh dan misterius di Holyroodhouse, salah satu kastil kediaman Ratu Victoria di Skotlandia. Dari luar kasus itu tampak seperti kasus biasa, yaitu kematian Sir Alistair Sinclair dan Dennis McKay, dua orang yang bertugas merenovasi salah satu sayap kastil tersebut. Namun, Holmes bersaudara berpendapat hal itu bukanlah kematian biasa dan gejala-gejala kematian yang tidak wajar pada kedua orang tersebut membuat kasus tersebut menjadi aneh dan misterius. Ditambah dengan usaha-usaha pembunuhan terhadap Ratu ketika berkunjung ke Skotlandia membuat kasus tersebut menjadi lebih rumit. Ada kemungkinan kasus tersebut merupakan salah satu usaha sabotase politik dari musuh Inggris.

Kasus tersebut menjadi semakin rumit karena legenda kastil tersebut dikait-kaitkan dengan kasus tersebut. Ada desas-desus bahwa Sinclair dan McKay dibunuh oleh hantu David Rizzio—sekretaris pribadi Ratu Mary pada pertengahan abad ke-16 yang berkebangsaan Italia—yang gentayangan di kastil tersebut. Sang sekretaris dulu dibunuh secara brutal di sayap kastil yang akan direnovasi oleh kedua orang tersebut. Legenda setempat mengatakan bahwa hantu sang sekretaris masih bergentayangan di sayap kastil tersebut untuk menuntut balas. Dan Sherlock Holmes sendiri pun mengakui, bahwa ada kekuatan di luar nalar manusia dalam kasus tersebut.

Membaca buku ini membuat saya mengernyitkan dahi di awal. Mengapa? Pertama, buku ini tidak ditulis oleh Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Kita pasti sepakat bahwa Sherlock Holmes selalu diidentikkan dengan Sir Arthur. Kedua, narasi John Watson dalam buku ini—yang kembali menjadi sudut pandang cerita—menjadi terlalu bertele-tele. Ketika, tokoh Sherlock Holmes yang selama ini selalu logis dan anti terhadap hal-hal gaib menjadi "lebih percaya" pada hal-hal yang sifatnya gaib dalam buku ini.

Yah, hal-hal di atas membuat saya kesulitan mengikuti alur cerita buku ini di awal hingga pertengahan buku. Hal itu membuat saya ingin "menyerah" saja dalam menyelesaikan buku ini. Tetapi, di pertengahan buku saya "menemukan" kembali karakter Holmes dan Watson yang selama ini saya kenal sehingga membuat saya bersemangat kembali untuk menyelesaikan buku ini. Metode-metode deduksi Holmes yang selama ini kita kenal kembali muncul. Dan kepercayaan Holmes terhadap hal-hal gaib yang muncul dalam buku ini—hal yang saya sayangkan—mampu dijelaskan dengan logis di akhir-akhir buku ini. Setidaknya hal tersebut membuat saya tidak terlalu kecewa.

Karena format buku ini adalah novel, bukan kumpulan cerita seperti buku-buku Sherlock Holmes yang kita kenal, buku ini menjadi penuh detail-detail yang bagi saya malah membingungkan. Karena itulah narasi Watson dalam buku ini menjadi bertele-tele dan membosankan. Secara keseluruhan buku ini cukup menarik untuk dinikmati. Apalagi buku ini dilatarbelakangi oleh banyak fakta sejarah. Menurut saya Caleb Carr cukup berhasil membangkitkan kembali Sherlock Holmes kepada kita sepeninggal Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
(less)

like · see review

Oct 18, 2012 Babette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-suspense

I have read and very much enjoyed Caleb Carr's two Laszlo Kreizler novels, so looked forward to this book, his treatment of Sherlock Holmes. Apparently, Carr was approached by a representative of the Conan Doyle estate to write this novel. It is very respectable, as far as non-Conan Doyle stories go. But I just read Lyndsay Faye's Dust and Shadow and found it much more satisfying.
Carr's portrayal of the Holmes/Watson relationship is just a bit different than Doyle's. I felf that Carr gave Watson...more

like · see review

Jul 15, 2010 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a quick read but I thought it wasn't very well thought out.

There were minor details mentioned that were brought in later on - but because they were in one line of dialogue, I missed the first time. Maybe I wasn't a thorough-enough reader, but there were a lot of times I found myself flipping back through the pages trying to figure out what was going on. (I.e. trying to keep track of where the Queen was - Edinburgh or Balmoral) Also why was Miss McKenzie hiding? Gah.

The mystery was solve...more

like · see review

Jun 27, 2010 Mike rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book takes the bronze of the three Caleb Carr's that I have read so far. I would not be terribly surprised if the next book I read by him knocks The Italian Secretary out of medal contention completely. I really enjoyed The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness and I liked the second half of this one, but the first part of this book seemed as if Carr was trying too hard to be Arthur Conan Doyle. His writing was convoluted and confusing at first and caused me to lose my focus, however as the bo...more

like · see review

Nov 13, 2012 N.R. Tomasheski rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Italian Secretary is a story intended for Holmes fans, I think, and less for the Carr fan only casually acquainted with the World's Greatest Detective.

The darkness which permeates Carr's well-respected (and deservedly so) Kreizler novels is not as evident here. The story and characters resemble those of a typical work in the Holmes canon. Clearly, this is a book by one who loves Holmes and his milieu, who has found himself compelled to contribute to the vast wealth of apocrypha.

The writing s...more

like · see review

May 17, 2012 Bob rated it 1 of 5 stars

'The Italian Secretary' is the latest big-name pastiche in the world of Sherlock Holmes. Unfortunately, it is not very good.

Carr's writing style is ponderous and his sentences and paragraphs are wordy. This tale originally started out as a short story for inclusion in 'Ghosts in Baker Street' and the author turned into a seperate novel.

It was a poor decision. There is barely enough substance to make a novella, and it certainly is thin for a novel. The plot is rather simple, with Holmes' belief i...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Baker Street Irre...: The Italian Secretary: A Further Adventure of Sherlock Holmes	2	9	Feb 21, 2012 12:42pm
Goodreads Feedback: incorrect page count	3	29	Jan 04, 2012 07:40am

combine
Other Editions (24)

More editions...

Genres

Mystery

192 users

Historical Fiction

51 users

Mystery > Crime

20 users

Mystery > Historical Mystery

17 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

11 users

Thriller

10 users

Mystery > Detective

8 users

Suspense

5 users

Adventure

4 users

European Literature > British Literature

4 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Caleb Carr

Caleb Carr is an American novelist and military historian. The son of Lucien Carr, a former UPI editor and a key Beat generation figure, he was born in Manhattan and lived for much of his life on the Lower East Side. He attended Kenyon College and New York University, earning a B.A. in military and diplomatic history. He is a contributing editor of MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History an...more

More about Caleb Carr...

Books by Caleb Carr

The Angel of Darkness (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, #2)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Italian Secre...

2 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

title link	preview: The Italian Secretary
avg rating	preview: The Italian Secretary Goodreads rating: 3.14 (2671 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/149170.The_Italian_Secretary?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312025961l/149170.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/149170.The_Italian_Secretary?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr[/url]

The Italian Secretary

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website