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A review by mwgerard
The Whole Art of Detection: Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes by Lyndsay Faye
5.0
Holmes fanatics rejoice! Finally there is a collection of stories that adequately celebrate, and imitate, the original.
I am always suspicious when approaching a book that carries on where the original left off. Death Comes to Pemberley, Rebecca’s Tale, The House of Silk, and The Oriental Casebook of Sherlock Holmes all failed with varying degrees of embarrassment. As a reader, I was left angry, disappointed and frustrated by those titles.
A fatal flaw in those and so many similar books is the temptation to somehow recreate a more formal past. Silk dresses and fancy mansions overshadow a good story with interesting characters.
I’ve often argued that what makes Holmes so good, and so evergreen, is the simplicity. The style of writing is not fanciful and the adventures are varied. The loss of a gem or a horse is found next to dictionary transcription and a quiet child in equal measure.
Please read my full review: http://mwgerard.com/review-the-whole-art-of-detection/
I am always suspicious when approaching a book that carries on where the original left off. Death Comes to Pemberley, Rebecca’s Tale, The House of Silk, and The Oriental Casebook of Sherlock Holmes all failed with varying degrees of embarrassment. As a reader, I was left angry, disappointed and frustrated by those titles.
A fatal flaw in those and so many similar books is the temptation to somehow recreate a more formal past. Silk dresses and fancy mansions overshadow a good story with interesting characters.
I’ve often argued that what makes Holmes so good, and so evergreen, is the simplicity. The style of writing is not fanciful and the adventures are varied. The loss of a gem or a horse is found next to dictionary transcription and a quiet child in equal measure.
Please read my full review: http://mwgerard.com/review-the-whole-art-of-detection/