In the London of 1890, 221B Baker Street is visited by a fine art dealer named Edmund Carstairs. Carstairs is being followed by a man wearing a flat cap, and he desperately wants the help of Sherlock Holmes. Flat Cap Man is a wanted criminal who seems to have followed Carstairs all the way from America, and as the days pass Carstairs' home is robbed, his family is threatened... and the first murder occurs.
After watching Foyle's War, I was already aware that Anthony Horowitz knew his way around historical detail and could tell an engrossing tale. All that I needed to discover was how Horowitz's Holmes and Watson compare to all the other versions I've read.
Very, very good, that's how. Holmes and Watson are true to Doyle's originals without limiting the author in any way. The investigation held my interest from first page to last, and I have to admit that I really enjoyed the voice of Watson.
One scene in particular stays in my memory: a laugh-out-loud moment following a hair-raising action scene in which Holmes asks Watson if he has a future as a cab driver. I'll let you find out Watson's reply!
Clues to the solution of the case were planted along the way, but all I did was mentally point them out as I sat back and enjoyed the read. I'm not about to compare my deductive skills with the great consulting detective-- although I am certainly going to be indulging in more Holmes' tales written by Anthony Horowitz!
The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
ISBN: 9780316197014
Mulholland Books © 2012
Paperback, 296 pages
Historical Mystery, #1 Sherlock Holmes mystery
Rating: A
Source: Purchased from Book Outlet.
Anthony Horowitz has also written a YA series featuring a teenage boy - Alex Rider - who has an uncle that is a spy. And then Alex becomes a sort of spy too. I've read the first couple of them and thought they were quite good - both for boys and girls. I remember noticing this book as well, but I never picked it up. Nice to know that his talent works in many directions.
ReplyDeleteThey certainly do: more than one genre of fiction, and television like the splendid Foyle's War!
DeleteSounds good. I'll have to look for this one.
ReplyDeleteBecause you're just about to run out of things to read...right? ;-)
Delete