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adamsw216 's review for:
The Valley of Fear
by Arthur Conan Doyle
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
The Valley of Fear is the final full-length novel written by Arthur Conan Doyle featuring Sherlock Holmes, but canonically it takes place prior to The Sign of Four in the timeline.
It begins with Holmes tracking the activities of his arch nemesis, Professor Moriarty, through his connections. However, his workings are interrupted by the visit from the police who request Holmes' assistance on a case in the countryside. A man has been brutally murdered.
From here, the story follows Holmes and Watson as they explore the scene of the crime accompanied by London inspector MacDonald and local detective White Mason. Their investigation leads the two parties down separate paths of inquiry, but Holmes, of course, makes the case shattering discovery which turns everything up on its head.
The second half of the story takes us back in time and across the ocean to America to provide the backstory for the parties involved in the case similar to A Study in Scarlet. It may seem jarring to first time readers of Doyle's Holmes stories, but I am well acquainted with it by now and paid it of no mind. The story itself was fascinating and moved along at a good pace. Much like Holmes himself, Doyle adds a dramatic flourish to the events and, though somewhat predictable, they still have plenty of intrigue and tension to make a good yarn. Though not quite as complex as The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Valley of Fear is a fun and interesting entry in Holmes' repertoire.
It begins with Holmes tracking the activities of his arch nemesis, Professor Moriarty, through his connections. However, his workings are interrupted by the visit from the police who request Holmes' assistance on a case in the countryside. A man has been brutally murdered.
From here, the story follows Holmes and Watson as they explore the scene of the crime accompanied by London inspector MacDonald and local detective White Mason. Their investigation leads the two parties down separate paths of inquiry, but Holmes, of course, makes the case shattering discovery which turns everything up on its head.
The second half of the story takes us back in time and across the ocean to America to provide the backstory for the parties involved in the case similar to A Study in Scarlet. It may seem jarring to first time readers of Doyle's Holmes stories, but I am well acquainted with it by now and paid it of no mind. The story itself was fascinating and moved along at a good pace. Much like Holmes himself, Doyle adds a dramatic flourish to the events and, though somewhat predictable, they still have plenty of intrigue and tension to make a good yarn. Though not quite as complex as The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Valley of Fear is a fun and interesting entry in Holmes' repertoire.