The more of it I read, the more I looked forward to basking in Holmes's deductive brilliance at the end: the solutions that are obvious once you know them but completely unguessable until you do. Bookended by brief notes from this elderly Watson, we are given explanation for why this story has never been told before.

Hudson’s tea, scones, pound cake, honey and cream sounds wonderful, we all need a Mrs Hudson I reckon! From the moment Horowitz’s Holmes opens his mouth, I heard Brett’s distinctive voice in my head and knew I was on to a winner, at least in terms of characterisation. All of the money raised from these events fund our vital work protecting and saving young lives in war zones. The House of Silk was originally the central feature of an opium smuggling ring, the supplier to lesser dens, but by the end of the novel it had become a brothel of boy prostitutes for well-to-do men. It’s not identical by any means, there are slight differences in the dialogue, I never completely got a sense of the old Holmes in terms of the passion and theatrical displays that he was so fond of, I think a few of the phrases used were probably more modern and also I think the ‘type’ of narrative tackled would not have been one that you would have ever read about when ACD wrote his originals.The books featured on this site are aimed primarily at readers aged 13 or above and therefore you must be 13 years or over to sign up to our newsletter. I would agree that sometimes a 21st century perspective slips in but this doesn't seriously detract from a rattling paced narrative and ingenious plotting.

When the boy’s badly-beaten body turns up days later, Holmes and Watson find that things have taken a much more sinister turn, and that the mysterious House of Silk lies behind everything. Perfectly paced, entirely unpredictable, edge-of-seat exciting and a total joy from start to finish. Observing the window, he realizes Ross would have had a clear view of the alley and may have seen the killer. Holmes notices from her accent that Catherine is American, and she informs him that they have not been married long - they met during Edmund's voyage back to England.

The doctor apparently managed to provide Holmes with a wig and makeup sufficiently convincing to pass close scrutiny by Dr Watson although there is no mention of how these props were obtained. He then investigates the garden, noting that due to the height of the window it would have been difficult to break into. He’s actually less disdainful towards Watson and the police in The House of Silk, where authenticity ends up lost to make him a kinder, gentler Holmes, and nobody asked for that. Age: You must be 18 years of age or more to attend this event (no exceptions) | Photo ID – Please bring ID if you are 25 years of age or less or appear so. Apparently the key and wax in the spine did not affect the opening or closing of the book and was unnoticeable to Watson.

Almost unwillingly, Holmes and Watson find themselves being drawn ever deeper into an international conspiracy connected to the teeming criminal underworld of Boston, the gaslit streets of London, opium dens and much, much more. We must take them on their own terms, then: Mr Carstairs, the troubled dealer in fine art, who is being watched by a mysterious stranger in a flat cap with a "livid scar on his right cheek". As is also traditional, the story opens with a lesson, by Holmes, in ratiocination and deductive reasoning, as he divines the reason for Watson’s visit based on a handful of seemingly innocuous clues. To them I bequeath one last portrait of Mr Sherlock Holmes, and a perspective that has not been seen before. His audiobooks are also well read and although he does get tied up in descriptions sometimes, the stories are interesting without being attention seeking.In the period between, presumably the doctor has had other duties as well as eating, sleeping etcetera. I read House of Silk awhile ago, but I remember being similarly disappointed, and your point about the luridness is spot on. The House of Silk consists of two mysteries which seem, at first, to be separate, one nested neatly inside the other and the two related, seemingly, by the flimsiest of links. I haven't read many of the original books but I have seen plenty of the films and TV shows so this book felt like an authentic realisation of a Sherlock story. Holmes did not take ill after his food was poisoned at dinner time nor at breakfast but then ‘took ill’ after being poisoned at 11 am during morning tea.

The main theme is the House of Silk and due to a couple of events that take place during the story Holme’s makes it his personal mission to bring the perpetrators of the crimes to account, no matter what danger may be involved. This leads Holmes and Watson into a new investigation that is obviously going to be tenuously linked to the first story at the inevitable reveal. After waiting on Holmes for some time the night before, the doctor is then at work before 11 am the next morning when Holmes stages his illness.They are the kind of books we would love to receive ourselves so you can confidently gift them knowing they are exactly as described.