The Death of Cardinal Tosca: An Untold Adventure of Sherlock Holmes

"Ashton seems to have a knack for hitting a very convincingly canonical mark, making his stories some of the most consistently plausible I've found. The Death of Cardinal Tosca may well be my favorite of those stories so far. The atmosphere feels warmly familiar, the mystery plausible, yet delightfully recherché,the historical aspects carefully researched and the canonical details thoughtfully upheld. If you're a Sherlock Holmes fan who's read through the Canon and are aching for more, this is the book for you!" (Carrie Carlson - Stormy Petrels blog)

In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Dr. John Watson writes about Sherlock Holmes' "famous investigation of the sudden death of Cardinal Tosca-an inquiry which was carried out by him at the express desire of His Holiness the Pope." The express wishes of Sherlock Holmes, as expressed in a written note on the outside of an envelope, have been ignored, in order to bring this case before the public. "...sealed with a wax seal and the impression of a signet ring with the initial 'S'. On the back flap were written, in that splendidly sprawling but legible hand with which I am now familiar, the words 'Not to be opened before September 25, 2014'."

Hugh Ashton has written five highly acclaimed collections of Sherlock Holmes' adventures (the "Deed Box" and "Dispatch Box" series), as well as a Sherlock Holmes novel, The Darlington Substitution, all in the style of the originals by Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle, to whom he has been favourably compared by critics.
"Mr Ashton's echoes of Conan Doyle's work build in volume and add resonance and depth to the characters, while not contradicting them. The reader gains insight into Holmes' and Watson's relationship and the relationship between Sherlock and his brother Mycroft. As is consistent with the originals, these insights are just tantalising hints, but careful readers will enjoy them." (Kelly Quinn)

Grateful acknowledgment to Conan Doyle Estate Ltd. for permission to use the Sherlock Holmes characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

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