Not a bad pastiche, but heavy on the Canon references and characters from there. Shows a bit of a lack of own imagination. Still, it was a rollicking fun read. ( )

At the story's opening, Holmes and Watson receive a visit from a gentleman who has come to pass on a case. The man is dying, and has not finished solving the case for which he was hired. It seems that a man in Berlin hired this man to find a statue called The Golden Bird. Several parties (all of them somewhat shady) are vying for the statue, and Holmes is interested enough to take the case. This leads our two heroes into an adventure which began two generations earlier -- and one which has left a path of murder in its wake.

The Golden Bird was just okay; it wasn't great, it wasn't terrible -- just okay. It is a rather lengthy pastiche and purists may balk at the liberties the author has taken with the characters of Holmes & Watson, but reading it was a good way to spend a couple of relaxing afternoons. I'd recommend it to people who read or collect Sherlock Holmes pastiches (as I do), but do strongly advise that they have a bit of background in Conan-Doyle's work. Although details pertaining to some of the original stories are mentioned (and noted with asterisks with explanatory text at the bottom of the page), it's a bit easier to read if you already have an idea of the actual Holmes cases. Otherwise, it's just an easy read (but with way too much info -- you know, like what everyone had for dinner or breakfast). ( )