The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes: The Adventures of the Great Detective in Tibet - Softcover

No doubt, Conan Doyle himself would enjoy this singular adventure through 1889 Bombay, and into Tibet. When the evil Moriarty falls from the cliff, and Sherlock disappears, our detective hero gets involved in some nasty business, and learns much about Tibet, Buddhism, and mountain journeys. A mix of Doyle, Kipling, and even Indiana Jones, this is an adventure that never stops, and with a really eccentric group of characters, including the future Dalai Lama. With enough wit and humor thrown in ,this is one "Can't Miss" Holmesian takeoff. Possibly, some of the mysticism may be overdone, but still a fine way to spend a few wee small hours! --By Hans Castorp

This is by far the most well-conceived and written of all the Holmes stories I have read--outside of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, of course. He would have loved this adventure of Holmes that took place in the two years he was unaccounted for in England. The settings and descriptions of India and "Thibet" in which Holmes found himself could only have been presented by a person who knows the roof of the world and the way of life there thoroughly. I have done independent studies of India and Tibet and it was such a pleasure to renew my acquaintance with the way things are done and said in that wonderful part of the world. Holmes' presence was interwoven beautifully into events based on actual actions taken by the Chinese where the Tibetan Lamas was concerned. The author did a splendid job of acquainting the Lamas and Holmes with each other and then circuitously bringing the awful Moriarty back into action with a vengeance. The plot is as intricate, as subtle, and as many-faceted as it would be if it occurred in real life. Every element in this book is based on real characteristics of both Indian and Tibetan societies. So much credibility! And, Sherlock Holmes was kept true to his nature with an additional facet that would have occurred had he actually been in Tibet, at least to some degree. Read this book for yourself--it comes to a fabulous conclusion! --By Cassandra,

This book is a great mix of history and adventure and who better to be the tour guide then, Sherlock Holmes. The only problem I had with it, and it wasn't so much the story as it was with the book. The little historical tidbits could have been put to the back. This would have made the reading more fluid and smoother. --By Jeffery Koepp

The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes shares with readers the adventures of Britain s most famous detective. Set in India and Tibet, this novel is exciting, fast-paced, intriguing, and a joy to read.he Mandala of Sherlock Holmes: The Adventures of the Great Detective in India and Tibet, first published in 1999, is the story of Sherlock Holmes, the famous fictional British detective. In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle s The Final Problem Holmes was said to have died after being locked in mortal combat at Reichenbach Falls with the criminal Professor Moriarty. The detective's death caused an uproar in Britain, and Conan was forced to revive him. Holmes was said to have disappeared for a period of two years, which he spent in Lhasa before returning to London. Thus Jamyang Norbu s The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes describes the detective s adventures in India and Tibet within that time frame. Sherlock Holmes reaches the Bombay's Sassoon docks, and disguises himself as a Norwegian explorer named Sigerson. He is received by Huree Chunder Mookerjee, a Bengali scholar who has been given the duty of investigating Holmes by the British Raj. The detective stays at the Taj Hotel, however, a dreadful murder takes place in his room. Holmes realizes that the attack was aimed at him. Convinced that Professor Moriarty is after his life, the detective travels for the hot plains of India to the cool mountain town of Shimla. From there, he journeys on to the vast empty plateaus of Tibet, while encountering deadly red leeches and dacoits on the way. Holmes reaches Lhasa, and is asked to protect the 14 year old to-be-Thirteenth Dalai Lama from the Chinese. Though the protagonist s wish is to find answers to some spiritual questions, he agrees to help the Tibetans. Packed with action, mystery, mysticism, murder, and political intrigue, this book is an excellent read. With a touch of humour, Norbu takes readers on this unusual journey of Holmes. Winner of the Crossword Book Award for Fiction 2000, The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes: The Adventures of the Great Detective in India and Tibet is a wonderful read.