The Siam Question (1999)
Story Type: Pastiche narrated by Watson & Francois le Villard
Canonical Characters: Sherlock Holmes; Dr. Watson; Mycroft Holmes; Wiggins; Mrs. Hudson; Mrs. Hudson's Maid; Billy; Inspector Lestrade; Tobias Gregson; Mr. Sherman; Toby; Colonel Moran; Athelney Jones; Parker; The Moriarty Gang; Alec MacDonald; Francois Le Villard; Irene Adler; Godfrey Norton; Colonel Hayter; Inspector Patterson; Colonel James Moriarty; (Baker Street Irregulars; Professor Moriarty; Sir Augustus Moran; King of Bohemia)
Historical Figures: Sarat Chandra Das; Kintup; Panchen Lama's Regent; Panchen Lama; Dalai Lama; King Chulalongkorn; Auguste Pavie; Admiral Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu; Captain Bush; George Murray Campbell; Karl Bethge; Prince Svasti; Prince Damrong; Lord Rosebery; Queen Victoria; (Dorjieff; Yakub Beg; Jean-Marie de Lanessan; Captain Thoreaux; Jules Develle; Charles Le Myre de Vilers; The Viceroy)
Other Characters: Commissionaire; Pietro Rubino; Cabby; Two River Police Constables; Mortuary Attendant; Dead European; Dead Asian; Dr. Stevenage; Diogenes Concierge; Lamplighters; Jem; Cabby; Covent Garden Crowds; Street Fiddler; Royal Opera Doorman; Theatre Manager; Jarvey; Mischa Roborovsky; Mischa's Housekeeper; Gilbert; Islington Constable; Jones's Men; Police Surgeon; Whitehall Clerks; Typists; Nasir; Sir Charles Mortimer; Aide; Captain Faunce; Hindu Servant; Darjeeling High Commissioner; Playhouse Crowds; Nicolae Chevron; Brigadier-General Sir Edmund Wrothesly; Lady Wrothesly; High Commissioner's Dinner Guests; Servant; High Commissioner's Wife; Darjeeling Notables; Victoria Station Waiter; Crystal Palace Concert-Goers; Waiter; Kitchen Staff; Waiters; Diners; Policemen; Reporters; Dr. Smithers; Alfred Stein; Workmen; Tibetan Traders; Chinese Soldiers; Border Sentries; Monks; Raja of Sikkim's Retainers & Sentries; Hillmen; Chinese Patrol; Chinese Commander; Tibetan Cavalry;The De-pon of Gyantse; Prison Warder; Warder's Superior; Prison Servant; De-pon's Aide; Panchen Regent's Secretary; Tashilunhpo Monks; Deaf Mute Monk; Tashi; Pilgrims; Dried Fruit Seller; Mohamed Abdul Beg; Abdul Beg's Tribesmen; Nepalese Consul; Consular Staff; Amban's Aide; Arsenal Guards; Tserenpil / Bogdanovich; Three Indians; Messenger; Bandits; Abdul Beg's Brother; The Atalik of Kashgar; Atalik's Advisors; Slavers; Slaves; Sogdiana Princess; Maid-in-Waiting; Captain Alexei Dolghurakov; Tashkent Russian Officer; Reporter; Mayor of Tashkent; Town Council; Russian Troops; Colonel Gerinovsky; Dolghurakov's Cossacks; Grand Hotel Waiter; Doctor Smith; Si Chang Crowds; Siamese Ministers; Prince Ranawongse; Chevalier de Keun; Captain Jones; British Consul French; Vice-Consul Boyd; German Consul; Italian Resident Minister; Auguste Rolin; Lord Coledale; Thorne; Siam Free Press Editor; Pallas Commander; Pallas Officers; Oriental Hotel Servant Boys; Carriage Driver; Rolin's Doorman; Rolin's Maids; Oriental Hotel Ball Guests; Master of Ceremonies; Baker Street Constable; Le Villard's Cabbie; Mr. Barnes; Miss Darnley; Mrs. Fitzgerald; Mr. Quiney; Lillie; English Lieutenant; Maha Chakkri Servant; Ranawongse's Servant; Chief Inspector Sheriff; Soldiers; Police Officers; Chinese Gangs; Tram Drivers; Rinzing; Sia Ah Foo; Sirdar Crew; Coledale's Guests; Malee; Rinzing's Wife; Rolin's Houseboy; Jinrickshaw-man; Jones's Guests; Residency Servants; Captain Blair; Samuel Cutter; Joao Enrique Azcevedo Marques; Gondolier; Marques' Servants; Jose Felipe Azcevado Marques; Marques' Oarsmen; Oriental Hotel Valet; Nightclub Crowd; Barkeep; Dice Players; Hans von Hollstein; Opium Den Guide; Maitre d'; Waiter; Opium Smokers; Dom Alonso Azcevado Marques; Prince Phichai; Beggar; Ah Foo's Men; Hotel Oriental Doorman; Warehouse Coolies; Felix Garraud; Mama-san Kung; Maids; Kung's Girls; Kung's Customers; Xavier; Phi Daeng; Kick-boxers; Shaman; Japanese Girl; Colonel Rene Sartorius; Gondolier; Matelots; Fishermen; Baron Zendtgraf; Cutter & Fluddle Managers; Boatman; Siamese Marines; Captain de Muller; Carriage Driver; Barristers; Sir Oliver Newsome, QC; Newsome's Clerk; Dom Alonzo Azcevado Marques; Sturgess; Irene's Carriage Driver; Bridge Lookout; Telephone Operator; Serving Girls; Hermes Guests; Timonelli; Sheriff's Men; Lascars; Duck Girls; Chinese Opera Performers; Audience; Child; Saranya; Two Old Chinese Men; Chinese Ladyboy; Wat Saket Attendants; Abbot; Tower Hill Constable; Gardeners; Tassaneeya; Siamese Navy Officer; Bang Pa-In Guests; Royal Page; Indian Bomber; Boat-Boy; Steamer Captain; Reverend Eakin; Moti Mahal Waiters; Moti Mahal Customers; Patterson's Constables; Commissionaire; Malee's Mother; White Bird Crew; Westminster Page; Ettienne De Benoist; Cabinet Secretary; Foreign Office Permanent Secretary; Usher; River Police; King's Cross Stationmaster; Railway Guard; Chef; Cooks; Anton; Simpson's Waiters; Simpson's Diners; Welsh Member of Parliament; Norton's Parents; Beefeaters; Officer of the Privy Court; Queen Victoria's Indian Servants; (Kemper; Moran's Two 'Toffs'; Woolwich Flower Sellers; Woolwich Beat Constable; Man with Pigeons; Ellie; False Policeman; Girl at Roborovsky's; Isobel Aster; Lt.-Col. William James Moriarty; Mrs. Moriarty; Adjutant; Aghiaris; Dacoits; Moriarty's Stepfather; Col. Moran's Doctor; Col. Moran's Lawyer; Col. Moran's Manservant; Stinson; Swiss Ambassador; Norwegian Ambassador; Malee; Crystal Palace Concert Hall Manager; Indian Jewellers; Golden Peacock Desk Clerk; Indians; Golden Peacock Manager; Hotel Staff; Kintup's Rinchengang Friend; Kintup's Phari Friend; The Amban; Russian Agent; Persian; Agent's Houseboy; Guard; Tibetan Messenger; Indian Assassin; Captain & Crew of the Lutin; Eaton; Captain Kirby; Thompson; Ward; Phra Suththam Arundyadhom; Nai Amornsap Thanarawongse; Alain; Opium Den Slavey; Coachman; Belgrave House Desk Clerk; Growler Driver; Belgrave House Porter; Printshop Owner; Printshop Owner's Wife; Old Chinaman; Leturier; Leturier's Assassin; Assassin's Girlfriend; Fanshawe; The Men of Straw; Reginald Aubrey Haversham; Falconer; Jinrickashaw Driver; Chinamen; Chinese Watchmen; Scruffs; Lal Ghose; Colonel Stuttaford; Sir Ranulph Jackwood; Jackwood's Aide)
Locations: Baker Street; 221B, Baker Street; Whitechapel Mortuary; A Cab; Diogenes Club; Pall Mall; A Cab; Watson's Kensington Practice; A Cab; Lambeth; Pinchin Lane; Greenwich; A Park; The Sailor's Retreat; A Cab; Covent Garden; Royal Opera House; 48, Islington High Road; Whitehall; Mycroft's Office; Westminster Bridge; Victoria Station; Crystal Palace; Kensington Gardens; A Hansom; St. Pancras Hotel; Langham Place; Queen's Hall; Langham Hotel; Lincoln's Inn; Tower Hill Road; Trinity Square Gardens; The Moti Mahal Restaurant; Brick Lane; Gravesend; Westminster; Houses of Parliament; Police Launch on the Thames; Rotherhithe; Greenwich; Saunders Ness Road; King's Cross Station; Coledale's Private Train; Nothumberland Avenue Turkish Baths; Simpson's; Highgate Cemetery; Tower of London; Traitor's Gate; Green Park; Buckingham Palace
France; Paris; Italy; Florence; Naples; Aboard Ship; India; Calcutta; Hotel; Government House; Darjeeling; Playhouse; Hotel; Tea Shop; British High Commission; Silliguri; Guest House; Sivok; The Cleft of the Winds; The Tista Bridge; Native Sikkim; Rangpo; Lingtu; Gnatong; The Jelep Pass; Tibet; Rinchengang; Phari; The Tang Pass; Guru; Gyantse Fort; Shigatse; Tashilhunpo Monastery; Chak-sam; Lhasa; Caravansery; Dried Fruit Store; Nepalese Consulate; Parade Ground; Arsenal; Lake Manasarowar; Ladakh; Leh; Chinese Turkistan; Yarkand; Kashgar; Yangishahr Fort; Atalik's Palace; Pamir Mountains; Tashkurgan; Yangi Hissar; Bokhara; Tashkent; Governor's Mansion; Tashkent Grand Hotel; A Train; Turkmenia; Uzum Ada; Siam; Si Chang Island; Bangkok; The Oriental Hotel; Rolin's House; Railway Station; Paknam; Aboard the Maha Chakkri; Ranawongse's Residence; Chinatown; New Road; Aboard the Sirdar; Police Headquarters; Jones's House; The British Residency; Marques' House; Si Phraya Road; Nightclub; Heavenly Pavilion; Ah Foo's Warehouse; House of Ill Repute; Sukhumvit Road; Baan Seua (Tiger Village); A Train; Paknam; A Steam-cutter; Lampuri; Bangkok Dock Pier; Aboard the White Bird; Bridge over the Canal of Flowers; Windmill Road; Restaurant; Hotel Hermes; Heavenly Pavilion; Wat Saket; Bang Pa-In; Protestant Cemetery; The Sunda Straits; Mauritius; Cape of Good Hope; (Tower Bridge; Woolwich; India; Florence Hotel; Golden Peacock Hotel; Singapore; Raffles Hotel; Pimlico; Manchester; Burma; Mandalay; Belgrave House Hotel; Standish Club; Opium Den; Pimlico; Wapping; Printing House; Criterion Bar; France; Montpellier; Nîmes; China; Shanghai; Hyde Park; Cambridge; Anglo-Indian Club; Venice; St Mark's Piazza; Biarritz; Lake Como; Vienna; India House; Oudh Province)
Date: Prologue: January 10th, 1899 / April 6th-16th, 1894 / 24th May, 1891-July, 1892 / 30th May, 1893-8th April, 1894
Story: Moran has escaped from police custody. Holmes receives a letter from Colonel Moriarty on behalf of the Moriarty Gang threatening his life unless he retires from active practice. He tells Watson that Moran's escape was engineered as part of a plan to take the rest of the gang. The newspapers carry a story of two mutilated bodies found in the Thames. Holmes goes to the morgue to view them. Gregson tells him that there were two similar bodies the previous week. Mycroft commissions Watson to write up an account of Holmes's travels during the hiatus from Le Villard's journals.

Holmes tells Watson how, after the escape from Reichenbach, Mycroft persuaded him to travel to Tibet to investigate rumours of dealings between Lhasa and St Petersburg. Holmes suggested Le Villard should accompany him.

Holmes intercepts a message to Moran, with the aid of one of Sherman's creatures, from which they deduce that he will be meeting his superiors at Crystal Palace that night. Holmes is shot at on his way to visit Irene Adler's old dresser in Covent Garden, and they find the man dead at his home in Islington. A last message sets them on the trail of 'Isobel', who, when Holmes tracks down her identity and address, has disappeared. Watson begins reading Le Villard's journals.

Holmes and Le Villard sail from Naples to Calcutta, learning the languages they will need from tutors on the voyage. In India wiith the aid of intelligence officer Faunce, and pundits Chandra Das and Kintup, who will accompany them, they make plans for entering Tibet. Holmes solves the 'Pink Ticket Murders', the poisonings of several high-ranking military officers throughout India, while they are in Darjeeling.

At the Crystal Palace Holmes and Watson discover a meeting of the Moriarty Gang in progress. They are unable to see the leaders' faces, but are pursued by Moran and his men. The resulting gunfight results in considerable destruction.

Holmes, Le Villard and Kintup enter Tibet. They are captured by the Chinese and held prisoner at Gyantse Fort. After escaping with a prisoner they make for the Tashilunhpo Monastery where they meet with the Panchen Lama's Regent. They befriend a mastiff dog and the Panchen Lama. From there they join a pilgrim caravan to Lhasa, where they meet Mycroft's agent and receive instructions to investigate a suspected Russian agent. They also learn of an arsenal being made by the Russian, Dorjieff.

Having sabotaged the arsenal, they leave Lhasa with Abdul Beg's caravan, facing bandits on the journey, and performing amputative surgery. At Kashgar, in Turkistan, they learn that their host, the Atalik's prospective daughter-in-law has been taken by slave traders. They learn from Mycroft that an assassination attempt is planned on the Atalik on his pilgrimage to Mecca. Mycroft also sends them into Turkistan in search of a missing Russian agent. Arriving finally in Tashkent, they find themselves under arrest for spying.

The second volume of Le Villard's journal skips ahead a year to Siam:

Holmes arrives after Le Villard, having been laid up in Singapore after being poisoned. A number of threats have been made to the life of Rolin, the Belgian advisor to King Chulalongkorn, who is also one of Mycroft's contacts. They are attending a ball in their hotel when railway tycoon, Lord Coledale arrives, accompanied by Irene Adler and Godfrey Norton. They find themselves in the midst of a gang war in Bangkok's Chinatown. They learn of Norton's vices, and Irene asks Holmes to investigate a threat that her husband seems to be under. With the help of Marques, Holmes starts to narrow down his list of suspects from among those with strong stances on French-Siamese relationships and those involved in railway-building. He finds that his investigations into Rolin's enemies overlaps with his investigations for Irene.

When Le Villard arrives in London, Holmes learns that Norton has also been back there for two weeks. The newspapers contain stories of bombings in the city.

Holmes and Le Villard receive a warning from the Chinese gang leader. Rolin is shot at. They find themselves embroiled in a plot with the mercenary Sartorius to steal the Great Mogul diamond, and their boat capsizes during an artillery attack on the French warships Inconstant and Comete.

The Irregulars learn that Norton and Aster are both being tailed by two well-dressed men, but both disappear, and an Irregular is injured, before Holmes can make contact with them. Holmes encounters Lord Coledale in London, and it appears that he and his companion, Zendtgraf, may be behind the disappearances.

The Nortons arrive back in Bangkok, with Godfrey increasingly disturbed by threats from the Men of Straw. The situation between the French and the Siamese becomes increasingly tense. Le Villard tours a clipper ship. Norton disappears. Holmes and Le Villard race to prevent an explosive assassination.

Holmes learns the origins of the Men of Straw and their connection with Professor Moriarty.

Sartorius is killed and the Great Mogul stolen. Irene takes to going out at nights dressed as a sailor. Holmes and Le Villard are pursued through Chinatown, start a conflagration and engage in a boat chase. They discover Sia Ah Foo has been killed. Coledale takes Norton out of Siam.

Moran kills his associate before Holmes can reach him. One of the kidnap victims is also murdered. Colonel Hayter brings Holmes fresh evidence.

With a treaty signed between France and Siam, Rolin's life is no longer under threat and Holmes and Le Villard prepare to leave Siam. A tragedy occurs on a boat trip after a royal picnic before they can do so. Holmes leaves.

With Hayter's aid Holmes brings the Thuggee band responsible for the London murders to justice, but the man behind them eludes capture.

Le Villard becomes betrothed to Malee before leaving Siam aboard the White Bird with a witness who has information on the Siam murders.

Holmes's London plot to discover the principals in the Siam murders results in a shooting, and a surprise arrest. Holmes and his associates find themselves in an armed stand-off with Moran and Moriarty aboard a speeding train; Holmes loses a friend and faces another bomb. Holmes explains events at a dinner at Simpson's in the Strand.

NOTE: The American Vice-Consul General in Siam is called Boyd (P.226) on 30th May, 1893. Sempronius Hamilton Boyd served as Consul-General to the country, but between October 1890 and October 1892. The character of the Belgian advisor to King Chulalongkorn, Auguste Rolin (P.231 onwards) derives from the Belgian diplomat Gustave Rolin-Jacquemyns.