I read this book a while ago when I was looking for an escape – for something to suck me in and transport me to another realm where I could relax and unwind.
I have to say, this book really did the job.
The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel
If you love Sherlock Holmes, you will love this book. Written in the true tone of the original Sherlock mysteries, the story weaves in and out of two different mysteries – keeping you guessing and enthralled throughout.
The story is actually one of the only Sherlock Holmes novels to be officially sanctioned by the Arthur Conan Doyle estate, which, I think, says something about how true it is to the original Sherlock-ian style. It is written from the point of view of Dr. Watson and he is writing the story about Sherlock’s greatest mystery. It’s a story he didn’t feel he could tell until long after Sherlock was dead.
It was impossible before – and I am not just referring to Holmes’s well-known aversion to publicity. No, the events which I am about to describe were simply too monstrous, too shocking to appear in print. They still are. It is not exaggeration to suggest that they would tear apart the entire fabric of society and, particularly at a time of war, this is something I cannot risk.”
Makes you curious, doesn’t it? What exactly DID go on in this story he’s about to tell?
The book is actually two stories in one ~ The House of Silk and The Man in the Flat Cap ~ and how these wove together and unfolded as I read kept me enthralled throughout the book.
As the book opens, a London art dealer asks for Sherlock’s help in tracking down a mysterious man in a flat cap who he feels is threatening him. Sherlock takes the case and through tracking down the mystery of the man in the flat cap, he finds his own life in jeopardy as he is accused of murder, his own life is put in danger, and he finds that some of his methods are not always fool-proof.
Add in a mysterious Flat Cap Gang, art thieves, opium dens and other assorted bad guys and you have quite the tale. Watson, as usual, is a few steps behind Sherlock in most things, but this loyal friend does his part to assist in bringing the mystery (mysteries?) to a conclusion.
I don’t want to spoil the plot for you – I want you to enjoy it, to savor it like a rich, dark chocolate confection – and so I’m not going to tell you much more.
This book is perfect for a rainy day with a cup of tea and a comfy chair.
Thoughts Along Life's Highway 
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