The House of Silk

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories when I was younger, and I wondered how this, Anthony Horowitz’s 2011 addition to the Sherlock Holmes canon, would measure up. Not too shabbily at all, as it turns out. I suppose the thing that impressed me most was how perfectly Horowitz channels Watson’s narrative voice. Its tone and pacing are sublime. Close your eyes and you are there.
That said, there are a few points that would never have made it into a Conan Doyle book. Firstly the subject matter, which would have made the author blush. Horowitz neatly gets round this with Watson’s caveat that the book should not be published for the next 100 years; Horowitz also argues convincingly in his notes that modern authors must cater to modern audiences, and in doing so cannot afford to write purely Victorian books. Secondly it’s clear that Horowitz understands women better than Conan Doyle ever did, and manages to portray them as more fully-fleshed, rounded characters, thank goodness. Thirdly and last, the subplot that concerns itself with the Chicago gang feels slightly off kilter; to my mind it’s the kind of device a young Agatha Christie might have employed.
But this is nitpicking. It’s a breathless, beautifully researched romp through Victorian London and I for one enjoyed it very much.
But that’s just my own humble opinion…what do you think? Do let me know! Read for the Crime & Thrillers reading group that I attend at Canada Water Library, and also for my 2015 Goodreads reading challenge.


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