Reviews

This book was definitely an improvement on the first installment in the series. There were no weird perspective shifts at all! It went beginning to end without interruption, with the culprit's story being told out of his/her own mouth at the very end (the best possible way to organize, in my opinion). There were also more inventive murders, exciting boat chases, a romance for Dr. Watson, a wooden-legged man, and hidden treasure, to name a few of the innovations. Overall, an intriguing read, though I still hope that the next one will be even better!

mick_c's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Brilliant.

dalreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

annathebooksiread's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced

4.0

lanagoossen's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny mysterious relaxing 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

3.0

alyssaehopper's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

I can't help but love the setting, clues, and writing of the Sherlock series. This one was a bit too short for me to sink deep into the story and the mystery, but I still enjoyed it. There is a lot of offensive, racist imagery and speech toward Indians, making it very clear that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a man of Victorian England as it was (and not as I like to pretend it was). However, I still think this book was good and enjoyable. I'm reminded of a quote from Anne Fadiman, that I will repurpose:

"The invitation [Doyle] offers me is a far broader one: to enter a world that was very different from ours, but in its own 'pretheoretical' way possessed nobility and beauty. If I had to step into a polling booth and vote on [Doyle]'s [race] politics, I'd pull the NO lever strenuously. I am therefore very glad that [Sherlock Holmes] is a [book series], not a referendum."

More...