So...I just finished BOTH House of Silk and Moriarty...and I guess its time to tell you guys what I think!
House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz Review
Sherlock Holmes is dead. And no, I don't mean the Reichenbach Falls. In 1916, The great detective breathed his last. And without him, what's a Boswell to do? This is a case an old and secluded Watson recounts, which he claims, will cause SUCH a scandal even now, he will hide it in his vault for 100 years (despite the book coming out in 2011, ehhh, give or take). Already a clever gimmick. The story starts when, an art dealer by the name Edmund Carstairs arrives at 221b Baker Street. He tells the story of a strange, scar-faced man who has stalked him the past week. Their interest piqued, Holmes and Watson duly investigate, and that leads them on the strangest of paths: a rich family, a suspicious orphanage/school, Irish gangsters from America, its all a very rich cast and story, and it has a sophisticated theme revolving around poverty, art, and London.
The story in particular is amazing, taking twists and turns and all sorts of new developments you will not expect. Old faces pop up, references are made to other stories, and props to Horowitz as two particular cameos filled me with pure joy. It is also very, very (thematically speaking) dark. The blood and gore is significantly more than in the Conan Doyle stories. here is a spoiler-free example: "His limbs and ribs were horribly broken, deep blood oozing out of his neck, which had a large red gash across the bottom, and his face beaten to an unrecognizable extent." The story reaches a satisfying conclusion, with the horrible secret of the titular House of Silk finally been revealed, which i guarantee, NONE of you will see coming.
The deductions are, in my opinion, the best part. All of them make sense, and I have one particular one memorized: "How on earth did you know, Mr. Holmes, that I lost my debts to gambling with dice, dreamt of being a pianist, was a bad and hard prisoner for my warders, or that I've been in prison at all?" "Simple: your hands constantly make a rolling motion, clearly indicating dice, and the next logical assumption is clearly gambling, for the rich book you are reading cannot be afforded at your lowly position. The curve and frontal finger development of your hands tells of being a pianist, and the prison was evident by the shackle marks around your cuff, which are deep and repressed, showing you must have caused some grief for you warders as you shook them a strenuous amount." AMAZING!
Horowitz maintains all the best parts from the original books: detailed descriptions, Scotland Yard being bamboozled (Lestrade plays a surprisingly touching role in the tale, by the way), and absolutely NAILS the characters of Holmes and Watson. The detective is his usual cold-hearted, emotionless self, but some surprising sides of him are shown throughout. Watson, is unabashedly loyal, but as usual, a little frustrated by his companion's antics. In a move that I thoroughly appreciate, Watson himself gets time to shine in the spotlight in several chapters, much like in the Hound of the Baskervilles. The book takes Holmes much deeper into the seedy underworld of London, showing his less law-abiding side, encountering drunks, drug addicts, freaks, and a suitably grimy and chilling descriptions that follow. Also, and yes, I stand by my opinion, this has the BEST chase scene in the end of any Sherlock Holmes story, rivalled only by the boat chase in the Sign of Four. Those are the many, many Pros.
But unfortunately, lets talk about the Cons. Horowitz, in all his efforts, never quite captures the exact spirit of the original books, despite the House of Silk proudly carrying the logo of being 'officially' approved by the Conan Doyle estate. He sometimes has to provide unnecessary explanations for certain terms, which I would rather look up myself. And Watson, in a move that can mercifully be attributed canonically to his senility, does some cringy 4th wall breaks like 'Snap out of it, Watson!' or the like. But those are the only problems I thankfully have, with this remarkably sophisticated and amazing book.
Conclusion: All in all, I think the House of Silk is sort of like a certain 2018 film about a magical flying nanny I can't mention due to community guidelines as its not related to the topic. It is not pitch-perfect, but very, very close. A little rough around the edges, but it's Horowitz's first try at writing Holmes, give him some credit! Its a very thorough, sophisticated, and above all, entertaining Holmes Pastiche.
Rating: 4/5