Book Review: The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel by Anthony Horowitz

This is a review of the Kindle version.

I have read the complete Sherlock Holmes Canon (56 short stories and 4 novels) and have watched different adaptations.

Coming to the book in question, this is an excellent effort by Anthony Horowitz. Not having read any of the author's previous works, I was not sure if the author would do justice to Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved creation. Having read the book, I whole-heartedly recommend the book to any Holmes fan/fan of the thriller genre.

Anthony Horowitz, the author of 'The House of Silk'

Horowitz captures the essence of Doyle's books, which are the foggy streets of London and the classic relationship between Holmes and Watson. Horowitz nails both of these to near perfection and delivers (what to this reviewer is) one of the best Sherlock Holmes pastiches.

The story starts with an arts store owner paying a visit to 221 B Baker Street. As Holmes investigates the case, he finds himself (and Watson) involved in a dangerous game with a bunch of antagonists, hell-bent on keeping their criminal enterprise alive and kicking. The novel has 2 plots that come together for a stunner of a climax that is truly Vintage Sherlock Holmes.

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Besides Mycroft, couple more characters make their cameos. I will leave it to the reader to discover these, but rest assured, one of these cameos will knock any Holmesian's socks off.

What I liked best about the book: The settings, the atmosphere, the Holmes-Watson dynamics and the climax!

What could have been done better: The book lags little bit in the middle, despite a good start. But the killer climax offsets the lagging middle though.

I am eagerly looking to the (hopefully inevitable) sequel/next Holmes pastiche from Horowitz. 

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Image Source: The Telegraph 

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Vasily Livanov as Sherlock Holmes

This episode is based on A Study in Scarlet and The Adventure of the Speckled Band.

The opening shot is that of 2 men walking in the distance, approaching the camera. A man is explaining to Dr.Watson about the eccentricities of a prospective roommate. The man talking to Dr Watson is assumed to be Stamford (though we never get to know his name). They eventually meet up with the Bohemian resident of 221 B Baker Street and the rest is history! 

Coming back to the episode, Holmes and Watson discuss each other’s character traits. Dr.Watson proves to be the quiet and retiring one, with Holmes being the exact opposite. As Holmes opens up about his thoughts on astronomy, poetry and philosophy, Watson slowly comes to realize that his roommate is not your regular Joe.

The famous lodgings at 221 B Baker Street

A series of events, including a stranger entering Holmes’s room to never reappear, Watson’s breakfast interrupted by the Baker Street Irregulars, Holmes playing violin at unearthly hours that makes Watson highly suspicious of Holmes’ intentions and character.

He even shares his apprehensions with Stamford, who does not take him seriously. Returning to his apartment, he finds Holmes tinkering with the apartment locks and this proves to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Watson challenges Holmes to a boxing duel. Holmes proceeds to knock him out cold.

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After quickly establishing himself as the world’s only consulting detective to Watson, we immediately meet Helen Stoner from the The Adventure of the Speckled Band. The sequence in which Holmes questions Ms.Stoner and coolly lights his pipe is to me the one money shot that convinced me that I had found my Definitive Sherlock Holmes.

The rest of the episode very closely follows the The Adventure of the Speckled Band.

Sherlock Holmes gets a visit from the Baker Street Irregulars

What worked best: As always, the casting, music and direction. It was a very inspired choice to combine the initial parts of A Study in Scarlet and The Adventure of the Speckled Band.  The transition from one story to another is flawless and will work fine irrespective of the viewer’s familiarity with the Canon.

The addition of Baker Street Irregulars and the boxing duel were nice touches as well. The background score for Helen Stoner is extremely well done and is probably the best in the series. 

Click here to read all my posts about the Russian adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. 

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Image Source: Lenfilm Film Studio 

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