Reviews

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

jelena_k's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

ccollard58's review

4.0

I enjoyed this a lot as an arthur conan doyle fan. a more approachable tone/voice in Horowitz's writing than in the originals. not sure if a general mystery or historical fiction reader would find it as rewarding.

grotto's review

5.0

So many twists and turns I couldn't put it down. Brilliantly written mystery that perfectly enraptures you in a suspenseful puzzle. A classic Sherlock Holmes adventure.

lalaoblivion's review

4.0

Anthony Horowitz wrote my favorite books of my childhood, so I expected great things when he tackled Sherlock Holmes. It took me a long while to get to this book, but it was worth it. His writing style is perfectly suited for bringing to life Holmes and Watson, and the story’s execution was a fun ride.

emmyrosem's review

3.0

Overall, I enjoyed this one. As an Arthur Conan Doyle imitation, tone and characterization were spot on.

It's a tight story, but not a flawless one. A few of the plot twists felt hokey (

Spoiler

Inspector Harriman really doesn't notice he's bringing Holmes along with him out of prison? That must of been a pretty great wig.

) and sensational rather than calculated (

Spoiler

Why would good-turned-vengeful detective Bill McParland come all the way across the Atlantic if all he wanted was some blackmail money? Wouldn't he have spent as much as he would gain to afford the ship ticket and absorb the lost wages? And why was he even wearing a flat top cap?

). The final reveal didn't really leave me with the shell shocked "oh, it all makes sense now" feeling that I expect from Sherlock Holmes.

I did liked that this novel takes a more critical look at London, urbanization, and class conflicts than I remember of the canonical series (though admittedly it's been a long time since I've read them):

Spoiler

And then there was the greatest curse of our age, the carelessness that had out tens of thousands of children out on the street; begging, pickpocketing, pilfering or, if they were not up to the mark, quietly dying unknown and unloved, their parents indifferent if indeed those parents were themselves alive. [...] There were, as I shall soon describe, charities that set out to help them, to clothe and educate them. But the charities were too few, the children too many and even as the century drew to a close, London has every reason to be ashamed.

Finally, I will forever be in denial about

Spoiler

Mary dying of typhoid fever

. Let's please never speak of this again.

emirpprime's review

5.0

Fantastic. Well written with enough Doyle to fit with the canon but without feeling dated.

Classic Holmes and a great read in it's own right.

holly_keimig's review

4.0

50 Book Reading Challenge 2015: A mystery or thriller

I was pretty skeptical going into this book because I love Sherlock so much, but somehow Horowitz did it justice! No wonder it was endorsed by his estate. This is a classic Sherlock tale told by Watson with lots of nice twists. Recommended! :)

ays2974's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

hippybrarian's review

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Very dark book 

codygard's review

4.0

In my opinion, the author of this new Sherlock Holmes book does an incredible job writing in the same style as Sir Author Conan Doyle. This book truly does have the same feel as any of Doyle's writings. It is somewhat more dark and violent than any of the original Holmes' adventures and the conclusion of what the House of Silk truly is is nothing short of horrendous. That being said, Horowitz does a great job of setting up the story. He writes it as Doyle almost always did - from the perspective of Watson. However, here in Horowitz's book, Watson is writing as an old man after Holmes has already died and he has this last story to tell that is so sordid he has not written it yet. Not only that, he insists that it not be released to the public for a hundred years. It is true, as I said earlier that what is discovered is truly "monstrous" (as Watson says), but Horowitz does not write it in an explicit or gratuitous manner. In doing so I believe Horowitz was trying to say something about the decline of morals in our day. After Watson says that this story must not be shared for a hundred years he writes, "It is impossible to imagine what the world will be like then, but perhaps future readers will be more inured to scandal and corruption than my own would have been."

All that being said, I found this book to be enjoyable and to hold true to the original Holmes' stories. If you are a fan of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes you will not be disappointed by Horowitz's Sherlock Holmes.