The Case of the Russian Chessboard

A Sherlock Holmes Mystery

By: Charlie Roxburgh

Narrated by: Steve White

Late on a foggy November afternoon, a desperate young woman arrives at Baker Street, imploring Sherlock Holmes to help her. She is terrified about what may be going on inside a secretive London refuge for Russian exiles, where her sister works. Thus begins a frightening case which deeply strains both Holmes and Watson because of the dreadful consequences of failure and the mystifying nature of the forces against them.

The case leads into strange territory. Into the circles of Victorian radicals and idealists, where early feminists and socialists rub shoulders with exiled foreign revolutionaries. To a utopian anarchist commune in the Essex wilderness, which imitates the Tolstoy farm communes in Russia. Deep into the very dark political world from which so many Russian exiles have fled. The trail leads on - to one shocking discovery after another, as Holmes unravels a conspiracy as evil and twisted as a labyrinth in hell.

Narrated by Dr. Watson, The Case of the Russian Chessboard respects Sherlock Holmes traditions and 1890s historical facts. Mingling mystery with gaslight, it offers a gripping, atmospheric and thought-provoking listen.

©2011 Charlie Roxburgh (P)2016 MX Publishing

Sherlock is at it again!

It was a good storyline, I’m sure all fans would enjoy it, as well as a great narrator. It was fast moving and quite enjoyable case.

Hidden

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson find themselves within international affairs. They discover while helping a young lady whose sister dramatically committed suicide; uncovers that a group of Russian anarchists are run by the Russian secret police.

Complex political intrigue

Sherlock Holmes uncover dangerous political gamesmanship when a client contacts Holmes to disentangle her sister from an anarchist commune. Russian exiles are recruiting people into their group of revolutionaries, but all is not as it appears. Murder, suicide and double-dealing seem to be the norm, and everything leads back to sinister forces. The narration by Steve White is wonderful.

A short chess game

A short but fascinating chess game where the players are revolutionaries and governments. White is a wonderful narrator as always.

political intrigue enters the fray

The storyline is engaging, but also makes you wonder how much of the intrigue plays out in real life.