The House of Silk

And so, we have a new Holmes book. What's it like? Faithful to the original? Worth your time? Read on to find out ...

The House of Silk begins with a brief, personal recounting of events by Watson. He informs readers about the first meeting of Watson and Holmes. Watson also mentions a case that was:

too shocking to be revealed until now....

He introduces the client of "The Flat Cap case". This is Edmund Carstairs, an art dealer. A gang of Irish robbers destroyed Carstairs paintings and he turns to Sherlock Holmes for help. Holmes employs the aid of the Baker Street Irregulars. They find the supposed Keelan O'Donaghue, one of the leaders of the gang. One of the newest recruits of the Irregulars, a boy named Ross, stations himself outside to wait for Holmes, Watson, and Mr. Carstairs. When the group finally arrives, Ross appears horror-stricken. Later he's found murdered by thugs of the House of Silk. When Holmes makes inroads with the House of Silk case, he is framed for murder and sent to prison. Meanwhile, Watson meets with a mystery criminal. This is later revealed as Professor Moriarty, who provides him with a key to free Holmes from prison. Professor Moriarty's motives are uncertain, except that he wishes Holmes to rid the world of the House of Silk, whose activities appall even him. When Watson arrives at the prison, he discovers Holmes has escaped of his own accord. Holmes has disguised as an aide to the prison doctor, whom he had once helped as a client. Various leads draw them to a travelling funfair, where they are ambushed, before being saved by Lestrade.

Holmes, Watson and Lestrade make their way to the "House of Silk". This is a club operated by a pastor and his wife who also govern a boy's orphanage. They rent the boys to wealthy customers. Scotland Yard round up the members but despite their arrests the case does not come to trial. This is due to the involvement of a member of the royal family. It is revealed that Mrs. Carstairs is the true person responsible for The Flat Cap case, being the second leader of the Irish gang.

So, all the elements are there: the data, the data, the data. Nothing of consequence overlooked. And yet can Horowitz, like Holmes, make from these drops of water the possibilities of an Atlantic or a Niagara? Can he astonish us? Can he thrill us? Are there “the rapid deductions, as swift as intuitions, and yet always founded on a logical basis” that we yearn for? Emphatically, yes