A Review By Keith Smith

Having read the ‘new’ James Bond novel by Jeffrey Deaver recently, and thinking it poor indeed, my expectations for the ‘new’ Sherlock Holmes were low. I need not have worried. Anthony Horowitz has done a truly excellent job. He gets the tone exactly right, and doesn’t carry the pastiche too far. You could certainly feel Conan Doyle standing at his shoulder.

Not only is the style spot on, the details for London of the time ring true, the relationship between Holmes and Watson is brilliantly conveyed, and the plot is exciting and one you want to follow.

I suppose the most difficult thing for Horowitz would have been to conceive and work up Sherlock’s approach to problems. It would have been so easy to go ‘over the top’. He resists the temptation admirably, and yet we are still in awe at the workings of his mind.

In some ways The House of Silk is an improvement on the originals, if that were possible, as the characters are given chance to develop and become more rounded. We learn a lot more about Lestrade for instance and see his strengths as well as his weaknesses. And the minor characters are all given due attention and register well.

So, all in all, a very enjoyable read indeed and highly recommended.