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amelieboucher 's review for:
The Valley of Fear
by Arthur Conan Doyle
Wow! Reading this book reminded me why I love Sherlock Holmes stories so much. This one brought me back to the beginning, quite literally. The Valley of Fear shares a very similar structure to [b:A Study in Scarlet|102868|A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes, #1)|Arthur Conan Doyle|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348362236s/102868.jpg|1997473], both in how the book is built and the story.
The first part is set in Sherlock's England. You follow Holmes and Watson around as they try to solve the murder they have been called for. The second part, however, is set twenty years before in America. We follow McMurdo as he tries to make his way into the Freeman, an american organization. But the Brohers of the Vermissa Valley are quite different from what the organization really stands for. The gang is known for countless murders, but have never been caught because of the power they hold.
At first, I was a bit bored with the story, I have to admit. Somehow, this book seriously lacked Sherlock, who is the reason I enjoy these books so much. He was there in the first part, but without really being there. He was sort of a ghost, until the very end, where he swipes in and solves the case. I wish we had seen more of him and Watson during the solving process, instead of being stuck with the local authorities.
However, I was amazed at both plot twists (the one in the first part and the second part's). I never in a million years would have guessed it! Arthur Conan Doyle strikes again. I was left gaping. All of the story suddenly made sense.
The first part is set in Sherlock's England. You follow Holmes and Watson around as they try to solve the murder they have been called for. The second part, however, is set twenty years before in America. We follow McMurdo as he tries to make his way into the Freeman, an american organization. But the Brohers of the Vermissa Valley are quite different from what the organization really stands for. The gang is known for countless murders, but have never been caught because of the power they hold.
At first, I was a bit bored with the story, I have to admit. Somehow, this book seriously lacked Sherlock, who is the reason I enjoy these books so much. He was there in the first part, but without really being there. He was sort of a ghost, until the very end, where he swipes in and solves the case. I wish we had seen more of him and Watson during the solving process, instead of being stuck with the local authorities.
However, I was amazed at both plot twists (the one in the first part and the second part's). I never in a million years would have guessed it! Arthur Conan Doyle strikes again. I was left gaping. All of the story suddenly made sense.