The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
A mystery book review
As The House of Silk begins, the Great War is raging across Europe and Sherlock Holmes has been dead a year. Dr. Watson thinks of him often. "Sometimes I fancy I hear them still, those familiar words: 'The game's afoot, Watson!'" In nostalgic, reflective mood, Holmes' faithful side-kick and chronicler bequeaths us "one last portrait of Mr. Sherlock Holmes" as he sets down for posterity events originally considered "simply too monstrous, too shocking to appear in print."
Backtrack to 1890. At 221B Baker Street, Holmes and Watson are enjoying tea and Mrs. Hudson's scones when a distressed art dealer calls. He wants help to track down a mysterious stalker who is putting him in fear of his life. Holmes takes the case and sets in motion a labyrinthine investigation which leads the indomitable duo on a perilous hunt, following the trail marked by a strip of white silk through the foggy, gas-lit streets of London and its gothic rural environs. At stake are the reputations of some of the highest men in the land, men who will stop at nothing to protect themselves from discovery.
Horowitz offers a perspective in sympathy with modern sensibilities while staying true to the spirit and style of Conan Doyle. Familiar characters mingle comfortably with new, and fans of Holmes will enjoy the many allusions to old cases woven seamlessly into the narrative. Holmes remains infuriatingly brilliant, cool and analytical. His foil Watson is a humanizing, steadfast presence struggling to catch up as his friend makes quantum leaps of deduction. Ruefully, he concedes that he "sees, but does not observe".
The House of Silk is a cracker of a period mystery, full of dastardly murders, suspense, break-neck action and enough red herrings to distract everyone but Holmes, who to our delight not only outwits his villainous enemies but with effortless sleight of hand solves not just one, but three mysteries in the process. Elementary! (2011; 294 pages)