The House of Silk: The New Sherlock Holmes Novel - Anthony Horowitz
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The House of Silk: The New Sherlock Holmes Novel - Anthony Horowitz
Member Name: QueenElf
Product:
The House of Silk: The New Sherlock Holmes Novel - Anthony Horowitz
Date: 02/03/12
Rating:
Advantages: True to the original, great plot, a page-turner.
Disadvantages: none.
Having spotted this book on Dooyoo I asked the library to get me a copy and have just finished reading it. I had heard of the author and knew him more for his TV mini-series, especially Midsomer Murders, so I hoped I was in for a real treat. I didn't read Mauri's superb review before I read the book; I wanted to go to it without any pre-conceived ideas. I admit I had doubts about anyone following in the footsteps of the master himself, but after watching the latest Sherlock on TV I thought it worth a try. Like the author I've always been a fan of Arthur Conan Doyle and wondered how this new author would do, I need not have worried.
First Impressions.
The book starts with a preface written by Dr John Watson, now aged and in a retirement home, with several children and grandchildren to turn to, but it's obvious from the start he misses his mentor very much indeed. He writes that the great detective Holmes has been dead for a year and carries on to say that the story he is about to write is one that cannot be revealed until a hundred years hence since the scandal would rock the foundations of genteel society. It's a lovely touch that gets the reader straight into the mood laid down by the writer and from there on it's as if Watson was a real person and I was reading his last book.
Devilish Deeds await the Duo.
November 1890 and London is wrapped in fog and gripped by winter's icy clutches. Sherlock Holmes and Watson are having tea by a warm fire, Watson's wife Mary is away tending a sick child and the men are reunited for a while. Their tea is soon disturbed by one Edmund Carstairs, an art dealer with a strange tale to tell. He's being followed by a disturbing stranger whose attempts at stalking are unnerving both the dealer and his family. Furthermore he believes the reason behind it to be a sinister tale of theft and murder, with his own life possibly threatened he hopes that Holmes can help him.
Naturally both Holmes and Watson are keen to help and before long those famous words are uttered ' the game's afoot, Watson.' Soon the pair is drawn into a series of puzzling encounters with events taking them from the heart of London to the outskirts of the country. From mysterious strangers to sudden death, both Holmes and Watson soon come to hear words that will have serious repercussions and send them on the trail of 'The House of Silk' whatever that may be. It could become an end game for Holmes if he doesn't solve the mystery soon as even his own brother, the well-connected Mycroft, blanches at the mere mention of the words. Can Holmes and Watson solve one of the darkest puzzles to come their way?
Setting the scene and laying the trail.
I haven't read anything by the author before now except for his scene writing and must admit I wasn't sure whether anyone could lay a plot like Doyle. But I shouldn't have worried since the author has taken great care with his research but also appears to have a natural talent at getting things as accurate as possible. The descriptions of London and the countryside are how I imagined they would be at that time. His characters are highly believable and the dialogue is faultless. It's hard to attempt period writing and keep it pure, since modern writers are used to letting the computer or laptop do half the hard work. Writing in the style of bygone times means turning off the spell-check and using all the technique at your disposal to refrain from shortening words that alone can ruin a sentence. But to write a complete narrative without losing the style is a huge achievement and worthy of praise.
Keeping the characters of both Holmes and Watson true to the age is also a laudable task and I really felt comfortable with the way the author handles both, Watson in particular seems to breath from the pages. Since the fictitious book is being written by Watson then it's natural his character is more prominent than Holmes in some ways, but the great detective still comes across as beautifully flawed as the 'real' Holmes with his tempers, his addictions, the sulks and the madcap frenzies that always make me think 'that is how Holmes should be.'
The London of the time has to be correct as well and it's easy for a writer to forget that London even in the late 1800 's was still largely a main city with plenty of suburbs that had stretches of countryside in-between. From my own observations of where my daughter lives in Isleworth, there are places that once were open country; almshouses pepper the remains of parkland and to an inhabitant in the 1880's it would be a long journey by coach from one side of modern London to the other. Horowitz stays true to a London of gas-lamps, cobbled stones, streets running with sewage at times, urchins running errands for pennies, country girls turning to prostitution to live and all kinds of opium dens, secret societies, and perverse habits dabbled in by gentlemen. The House of Silk could well be any kind of place and the author uses twists and turns to great effect in puzzling the reader.
My Thoughts.
I thought this a great read and one that would appeal to all kinds of people. It doesn't have to be a long read to be good and at 294 pages I felt it worked out just right. The story takes the reader on a journey of discovery as well as being just purely entertaining. There are some parts that might upset a few people but I felt it was justified. I expected some parts would be challenging for an amateur detective to piece together and I did manage a few stabs at the truth with limited success, but it's all part of the joy of reading a book about Holmes and Watson.
If I felt Watson to be a bit more 'alive' than Holmes, that's purely my own point of view and I'm sure another reader would disagree. There was a slight tendency in my own reading to think that Holmes didn't show enough of that brilliant deductive mind, I could be expecting too much. So overall I would recommend this as a highly readable romp with some serious issues dealt with in a sensitive way. I hope this isn't the last of 'The New Sherlock Holmes Novel'. I'm sure the author could write plenty more and still keep fans of Conan Doyle happy.
The book is available in hardback at about £9.49, a bargain for something that could well become a collectable book.
Thanks for reading.
This review may appear on other sites.
İLfuller2012.
First Impressions.
The book starts with a preface written by Dr John Watson, now aged and in a retirement home, with several children and grandchildren to turn to, but it's obvious from the start he misses his mentor very much indeed. He writes that the great detective Holmes has been dead for a year and carries on to say that the story he is about to write is one that cannot be revealed until a hundred years hence since the scandal would rock the foundations of genteel society. It's a lovely touch that gets the reader straight into the mood laid down by the writer and from there on it's as if Watson was a real person and I was reading his last book.
Devilish Deeds await the Duo.
November 1890 and London is wrapped in fog and gripped by winter's icy clutches. Sherlock Holmes and Watson are having tea by a warm fire, Watson's wife Mary is away tending a sick child and the men are reunited for a while. Their tea is soon disturbed by one Edmund Carstairs, an art dealer with a strange tale to tell. He's being followed by a disturbing stranger whose attempts at stalking are unnerving both the dealer and his family. Furthermore he believes the reason behind it to be a sinister tale of theft and murder, with his own life possibly threatened he hopes that Holmes can help him.
Naturally both Holmes and Watson are keen to help and before long those famous words are uttered ' the game's afoot, Watson.' Soon the pair is drawn into a series of puzzling encounters with events taking them from the heart of London to the outskirts of the country. From mysterious strangers to sudden death, both Holmes and Watson soon come to hear words that will have serious repercussions and send them on the trail of 'The House of Silk' whatever that may be. It could become an end game for Holmes if he doesn't solve the mystery soon as even his own brother, the well-connected Mycroft, blanches at the mere mention of the words. Can Holmes and Watson solve one of the darkest puzzles to come their way?
Setting the scene and laying the trail.
I haven't read anything by the author before now except for his scene writing and must admit I wasn't sure whether anyone could lay a plot like Doyle. But I shouldn't have worried since the author has taken great care with his research but also appears to have a natural talent at getting things as accurate as possible. The descriptions of London and the countryside are how I imagined they would be at that time. His characters are highly believable and the dialogue is faultless. It's hard to attempt period writing and keep it pure, since modern writers are used to letting the computer or laptop do half the hard work. Writing in the style of bygone times means turning off the spell-check and using all the technique at your disposal to refrain from shortening words that alone can ruin a sentence. But to write a complete narrative without losing the style is a huge achievement and worthy of praise.
Keeping the characters of both Holmes and Watson true to the age is also a laudable task and I really felt comfortable with the way the author handles both, Watson in particular seems to breath from the pages. Since the fictitious book is being written by Watson then it's natural his character is more prominent than Holmes in some ways, but the great detective still comes across as beautifully flawed as the 'real' Holmes with his tempers, his addictions, the sulks and the madcap frenzies that always make me think 'that is how Holmes should be.'
The London of the time has to be correct as well and it's easy for a writer to forget that London even in the late 1800 's was still largely a main city with plenty of suburbs that had stretches of countryside in-between. From my own observations of where my daughter lives in Isleworth, there are places that once were open country; almshouses pepper the remains of parkland and to an inhabitant in the 1880's it would be a long journey by coach from one side of modern London to the other. Horowitz stays true to a London of gas-lamps, cobbled stones, streets running with sewage at times, urchins running errands for pennies, country girls turning to prostitution to live and all kinds of opium dens, secret societies, and perverse habits dabbled in by gentlemen. The House of Silk could well be any kind of place and the author uses twists and turns to great effect in puzzling the reader.
My Thoughts.
I thought this a great read and one that would appeal to all kinds of people. It doesn't have to be a long read to be good and at 294 pages I felt it worked out just right. The story takes the reader on a journey of discovery as well as being just purely entertaining. There are some parts that might upset a few people but I felt it was justified. I expected some parts would be challenging for an amateur detective to piece together and I did manage a few stabs at the truth with limited success, but it's all part of the joy of reading a book about Holmes and Watson.
If I felt Watson to be a bit more 'alive' than Holmes, that's purely my own point of view and I'm sure another reader would disagree. There was a slight tendency in my own reading to think that Holmes didn't show enough of that brilliant deductive mind, I could be expecting too much. So overall I would recommend this as a highly readable romp with some serious issues dealt with in a sensitive way. I hope this isn't the last of 'The New Sherlock Holmes Novel'. I'm sure the author could write plenty more and still keep fans of Conan Doyle happy.
The book is available in hardback at about £9.49, a bargain for something that could well become a collectable book.
Thanks for reading.
This review may appear on other sites.
İLfuller2012.
Summary: I hope it's not one of a kind!
