The Stone of Destiny by Richard A. Ryan – Review

The Stone of Destiny by Richard Ryan is a Sherlock Holmes adventure. This mystery is everything you could want in a mystery. There is suspense, drama, danger, and, of course, that Sherlockian wit.

• Title: The Stone of Destiny: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure
• Author: Richard T. Ryan
• Publisher: MX Publishing on June 5, 2017
• Pages: 179
• Genre: Mystery
• Format: Kindle Book
• Rating: 5/5 Stars

Synopsis from Goodreads:

“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.’”

My Review of The Stone of Destiny:

I feel I must start out with this disclaimer:

I am not a Sherlock Holmes fan and I have never read a Sherlock Holmes novel. There has been some exposure to the Holmes universe, because only living under a rock could you not know anything about him. So, with that said, I based my rating on pure love of this book as a stand-alone novel.

Stolen in a most ingenious way, it is imperative to find the Coronation Stone. Perpetually puzzled, the powers that be bring in Holmes and Watson to solve the mystery, and solve it they do.

The research by the author into the history of the Coronation  Stone, as well as the Irish resistors during that time period is phenomenal. History is a passion and I learned a lot of it from this book.

The mystery, with all of the twists and turns are amazing and funny at the same time.

The way Holmes’ brain works is the most interesting thing I have ever read. Dr. Watson always seems to be a bit bumbling, but yet, he is just as intelligent as Holmes himself, just in a different way.

My only critique of this book is that you know Holmes and Watson are going to solve the mystery. You know any danger that they face will amount to nothing serious because they are the heroes. Now, I know that this is the way these mysteries work, and it is a large reason why I don’t read them, so take this criticism with a grain of salt.

All in all, I loved the book. It was funny, smart, and entertaining. That is all I ask for from a book, so this one succeeded brilliantly. Consequently, I award this book a full 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good, solid, quick reading mystery. There is no disappointment in this pastiche. 

If you have not read it yet and would like to pick up a copy for yourself, you can purchase it on Amazon and if you use my special link in the image below, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.