Sherlock Holmes The Affair At Mayerling Lodge, Lawrence - B

             In early 1889, Britain's PM calls on Holmes at 221B Baker Street and asks him to go to Vienna to assist the Emperor Franz Joseph. The emperor in turn asks Holmes to ascertain the loyalty of his son, the Crown Prince Rudolph. The next day, Holmes is on his way to Mayerling Lodge to investigate the deaths of Rudolph and the young baroness found in bed with him. Both had died from a gunshot wound from Rudolph's pistol and left suicide notes. After his examination of the Prince's room, Holmes declares it was not suicide. As he interviews people in close proximity to the royal family, he creates a lengthy list of suspects. He further concludes that Rudolph, who has sympathies for the Hungarians and who was beyond bored, was intriguing to assume the Crown of St. Stephen. Upon completion of his investigation, Holmes speaks to the assembled royals to advise them of his conclusions. He asserts that the young Baroness indeed killed herself, but that Rudolph was assassinated by a cabal led by the Archdukes, the emperor's brothers. As they begin to defend their actions, Mycroft Holmes steps up, tells his younger brother to cease and return to London, and admonishes Watson to not write about this investigation. Watson puts pen to paper thirty years later and his story is found a century later.

           I believe I've read everything Conan Doyle wrote, and I'm certain I have read many of the wonderful modern era speculations and additions to the canon. I'd have to grade this a weak addition that is more history than mystery. Speaking of,  history is certain that it was a suicide pact and not the archdukes.