An original Sherlock Holmes short story written by Anthony Horowitz, the New York Times bestselling author of The House of Silk and the forthcoming Holmes novel, Moriarty—and the only author to have the official authorization and support of the Conan Doyle estate.

In this e-original short story, a lead-up to Anthony Horowitz’s highly anticipated novel Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes and James Watson come together once again to uncover the motive behind a robbery gone awry.

When an elderly man shoots an intruder he finds in his home, it seems a clear case of self-defense. What’s not so clear is why the robber was there in the first place: Inside his bag there is no silver, no jewelry, only three crude ceramic figurines of Queen Victoria, mass-produced for her Golden Jubilee. When two of the figurines are traced to other houses on the same street, it’s Sherlock Holmes who sees the key to unlock the mystery.

Included with “The Three Monarchs” is chapter one of Horowitz’s forthcoming novel Moriarty.