It’s 1960, and Ormond Basil, semi-retired actor, encounters two friends who persuade him to join them on a yacht for a brief Mediterranean jaunt, ostensibly to discuss a possible acting opportunity. Basil made his fame by playing Sherlock Holmes in 15 films, and many still think of him in that role. An unexpected storm traps the three on a small island where there’s only a hotel and restaurant, and overnight, there is a classic locked-room murder. With no authorities on the island, and only seven guests and four hotel staff, somehow Basil is charged with the investigation. A Spanish author of pot-boiler mysteries becomes his Watson, and together they mull over the clues of this and the murders that follow. Basil’s internal dialog is full of old movie gossip, and his full memorization of the Doyle oeuvre gives color to their probing. There is of course a postmortem, which offers a solution to the question of whether Holmes was faced with Moriarty or Irene Adler. A wonderful three-pipe problem with all loose ends neatly tied up.
© 2025 firstCLUE Reviews
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