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cultneophyte7's review against another edition
4.0
Sherlock Holmes has always been my favorite criminal investigator, right up there with Tintin. Before I got into this book, I hadn't read any of the Holmes works not written by the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This was my first, and I actually ended up enjoying it.
When I first got into this, I had a few reservations. The first couple of chapters didn't help at all either. The fear that it wouldn't live up to the expectations was always there. But the book recovered pretty quickly. The portrayal of Holmes might have been a tiny bit different from the one we've come to known, but that is to be expected from a different author. That being said, the writing style was strikingly similar and I loved it for that.
While the book might have been a bit predictable at certain points, the rest of the book made up for it.
But I was actually wrong. I had missed one tiny detail, and someone cleared it up later that the case had actually taken place before, not after the Reichenbach incident, only penned later. Still doesn't explain why Moriarty provided the help though. Maybe he just wanted someone to do his dirty work for him?
The book as a whole was an immensely satisfying read, not just in terms of the story and writing, but also in terms of the way it ended. Couldn't have asked for a better ending. The only thing that bothers me is one I can't mention, so as to avoid spoiling it. My first Holmes book in years certainly didn't disappoint. Just the thing to grab if you want more Holmes action. Recommended for the Sherlock fans out there.
When I first got into this, I had a few reservations. The first couple of chapters didn't help at all either. The fear that it wouldn't live up to the expectations was always there. But the book recovered pretty quickly. The portrayal of Holmes might have been a tiny bit different from the one we've come to known, but that is to be expected from a different author. That being said, the writing style was strikingly similar and I loved it for that.
While the book might have been a bit predictable at certain points, the rest of the book made up for it.
Spoiler
Like, it was fairly obvious that Rivers was actually Holmes in disguise. And then, of course the man with the key was Moriarty. Firstly, I had a hard time believing this because the Reichenbach falls incident had already been mentioned. SO he survived, eh? How? And Why did he wait so long? And why help Holmes at all?But I was actually wrong. I had missed one tiny detail, and someone cleared it up later that the case had actually taken place before, not after the Reichenbach incident, only penned later. Still doesn't explain why Moriarty provided the help though. Maybe he just wanted someone to do his dirty work for him?
The book as a whole was an immensely satisfying read, not just in terms of the story and writing, but also in terms of the way it ended. Couldn't have asked for a better ending. The only thing that bothers me is one I can't mention, so as to avoid spoiling it. My first Holmes book in years certainly didn't disappoint. Just the thing to grab if you want more Holmes action. Recommended for the Sherlock fans out there.
bsolarz's review against another edition
4.0
I found it very interesting that Anthony Horowitz was the first author allowed to write about Sherlock Holmes (except, of course, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle).
I have personally never liked the stories of the original Sherlock Holmes but I was impressed with the story that Horowitz presented. The skill, thought and planning that he would've had to take on really fascinates me as this book had so many twists and turns and just when you thought that you had something figured out and felt you were ahead of the story, it was completely turned around.
I am in awe that he was able to write such a great story - and keep it relatively easy to read in the modern age while sticking closely to the politeness and geniality of people in that era.
I have personally never liked the stories of the original Sherlock Holmes but I was impressed with the story that Horowitz presented. The skill, thought and planning that he would've had to take on really fascinates me as this book had so many twists and turns and just when you thought that you had something figured out and felt you were ahead of the story, it was completely turned around.
I am in awe that he was able to write such a great story - and keep it relatively easy to read in the modern age while sticking closely to the politeness and geniality of people in that era.
mnhsb's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
ridanwise's review against another edition
4.0
Surprisingly entertaining read! Eager to dive into the sequel as well as the writer’s own body of work.
daisyro24's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Anthony Horowitz is so good to read! A real Sherlock adventure
arendjenabbe's review against another edition
5.0
That was a very good book. It was written in true Sherlock fashion, and the plot was not as straightforward as might be expected at first glance.
starthelostgirl's review against another edition
4.0
Horowitz has Dr. Watson’s voice down perfectly. This feels like an authentic Holmes adventure, except it goes to a much darker place than the originals ever did. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had recently read through the short stories of Holmes, so I recognized a lot of the little references made to them.
mjporterauthor's review against another edition
5.0
It wasn't all that long ago that I read all the original Sherlock Holmes stories and so I was a little wary of this one. I know many people have tried to emulate Doyle in the past with varying degrees of success. What I can say is that this story is great. The spirit of Holmes and Watson, and indeed, Victorian London, is brilliantly captured, and if the conclusion of the story eventually shows merely how little has changed in the last over a 100 years, it's a sobering appreciation that corruption simply never goes away. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.