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dorhastings's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I read many a Sherlock Holmes story years ago, and I've read three of Anthony Horowitz's "Hawthorne and Horowitz Mysteries", so that was my setup for this particular novel. Given that I have, in general, appreciated both collections, I was in a good mood and fair preparation for this book.
It's sort of stunning to me that I didn't think of Holmes and Watson as I was reading the Hawthorne and Horowitz Mysteries. I know it's not an uncommon pattern (to have a detective or private investigator and a layperson), but I felt the connection quite a lot in Horowitz's own pair (and interesting to think that Horowitz got the family of Arthur Conan Doyle's blessing prior to publishing his first Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery). Hawthorne and Horowitz, as a dynamic, is actually my least favorite aspect of those books, and I was grateful to not see too much of the "aww that's cute that you can't see these things that are super obvious to me" dynamic (though of course there was some).
The idea behind this book is pretty unique, I think. Watson is near the end of his life, and he's already published a good lot of Sherlock Holmes episodes. He is revisiting an old case (it doesn't appear to be one of Holmes's last cases, but in it, he is already well-established as a famous private detective) that is darker and more gruesome than the others, such that Watson intends to have it published well after his own death (and Sherlock Holmes is already dead). This is indeed a pretty dark book when you get to the ending, with some hints of it earlier on that I don't remember from the original set (but then, that's how it was). So if you're expecting another run-of-the-mill Sherlock Holmes books, just be aware that there will be some dark and sensitive content.
I like that one mystery starts, but another takes up most of the entirety of the book. Horowitz is always particularly good at making sure every plotline gets wrapped up in the end, and the case is no different from this book. If you're paying attention (and I've given up on doing this most of the time), the first mystery doesn't really feel "solved" when we move on to the next case, and it's addressed super concisely in the last chapter.
I did enjoy the read; in fact, I read most of it in a day of travel, and normally I'm not really in the mood to read much when I'm going from plane to layover to next plane. I was jamming through the short epilogue as my last plane was descending (I had to finish!). I'm glad I read the book, and I will likely read at least the other book, Moriarty. There is probably more Watson in Horowitz's books than in the original mysteries by Conan Doyle, likely because the focus was always meant to be on Sherlock Holmes, so I'm glad that Horowitz is including Watson a little more. He's slightly less bumbling than Horowitz is in the Hawthorne and Horowitz Mysteries (I cannot stand Horowitz in the series).
Now, it's been a minute since I've read Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, but I don't know if the original Sherlock would, for example, be so upset that he inadvertently put a child in danger that he would then burn down the old school of the House of Silk (SILC?), but perhaps that's not the point. This isn't exactly Conan Doyle's Sherlock, and maybe he shouldn't be. I can certainly see that he might be so bothered by something that he could not function without resolving the situation. So I feel a bit weird about that, but I also like that Horowitz is writing his own Sherlock that bears obvious resemblance to the original.
It's sort of stunning to me that I didn't think of Holmes and Watson as I was reading the Hawthorne and Horowitz Mysteries. I know it's not an uncommon pattern (to have a detective or private investigator and a layperson), but I felt the connection quite a lot in Horowitz's own pair (and interesting to think that Horowitz got the family of Arthur Conan Doyle's blessing prior to publishing his first Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery). Hawthorne and Horowitz, as a dynamic, is actually my least favorite aspect of those books, and I was grateful to not see too much of the "aww that's cute that you can't see these things that are super obvious to me" dynamic (though of course there was some).
The idea behind this book is pretty unique, I think. Watson is near the end of his life, and he's already published a good lot of Sherlock Holmes episodes. He is revisiting an old case (it doesn't appear to be one of Holmes's last cases, but in it, he is already well-established as a famous private detective) that is darker and more gruesome than the others, such that Watson intends to have it published well after his own death (and Sherlock Holmes is already dead). This is indeed a pretty dark book when you get to the ending, with some hints of it earlier on that I don't remember from the original set (but then, that's how it was). So if you're expecting another run-of-the-mill Sherlock Holmes books, just be aware that there will be some dark and sensitive content.
I like that one mystery starts, but another takes up most of the entirety of the book. Horowitz is always particularly good at making sure every plotline gets wrapped up in the end, and the case is no different from this book. If you're paying attention (and I've given up on doing this most of the time), the first mystery doesn't really feel "solved" when we move on to the next case, and it's addressed super concisely in the last chapter.
I did enjoy the read; in fact, I read most of it in a day of travel, and normally I'm not really in the mood to read much when I'm going from plane to layover to next plane. I was jamming through the short epilogue as my last plane was descending (I had to finish!). I'm glad I read the book, and I will likely read at least the other book, Moriarty. There is probably more Watson in Horowitz's books than in the original mysteries by Conan Doyle, likely because the focus was always meant to be on Sherlock Holmes, so I'm glad that Horowitz is including Watson a little more. He's slightly less bumbling than Horowitz is in the Hawthorne and Horowitz Mysteries (I cannot stand Horowitz in the series).
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, and Drug use
aurum_'s review
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Amazing read!
Gutted by what they discovered to be the crime. I had an inkling suspicion and it broke me a little to read it, and I can't stop thinking at Fitzsimmons lines of how what they are doing won't be stopped, and I think of how it is going on someplace in the world right now. It's just so cruel.
Gutted by what they discovered to be the crime. I had an inkling suspicion and it broke me a little to read it, and I can't stop thinking at Fitzsimmons lines of how what they are doing won't be stopped, and I think of how it is going on someplace in the world right now. It's just so cruel.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death and Pedophilia
elzmri's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Horowitz portrays Holmes and Watson brilliantly, and I really like his writing style. However the content of the crimes that they were investigating, which were revealed towards the end, was really difficult to read and I wish I had seen the content trigger warnings beforehand. As a review on the front cover notes, Horowitz certainly does explore the “capital’s dark underbelly [more] than Conan Doyle ever did”, but I found this to be a bit too triggering and shocking for me and I was close to having to put the book down, but I tried and managed to read it to the end. Nevertheless, I hope for Horowitz to write more Holmes pastiches in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Sexual harassment
rebekka_evie's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
As Doctor Watson lays in his hospital room, in his old age, he reflects on his life. And he wants to write down one last Sherlock Holmes case. The case of the House of Silk.
Which are actually two cases. I found it great how Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson were woven into these two cases at once. Both curious and captivating. Old characters were brought back to life and got to investigate again.
The language used by Anthony Horowitz was appropriat and at the same time easy to read. He approached the project with respect towards the old stories and Doyle. Sherlock Holmes wasn't re-invented, merly brought back for another case or two.
Which are actually two cases. I found it great how Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson were woven into these two cases at once. Both curious and captivating. Old characters were brought back to life and got to investigate again.
The language used by Anthony Horowitz was appropriat and at the same time easy to read. He approached the project with respect towards the old stories and Doyle. Sherlock Holmes wasn't re-invented, merly brought back for another case or two.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, and Murder
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia
magkerr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Pedophilia, and Murder
anniereads221's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Suicide
littlemozart's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
A fast-paced page turner - I really enjoyed this coda to the Sherlock Holmes series. Holmes and Watson were very well portrayed, and all of the threads of the mysteries were drawn together well at the end of the book.
It is worth noting, however, that all in all this was a serious, dark read, with not much redeeming lightness.
It is worth noting, however, that all in all this was a serious, dark read, with not much redeeming lightness.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Pedophilia, and Murder
Minor: Addiction
norwegianforestreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, and Murder