I Read Books: The House Of Silk

 

The House Of Silk

Dr Watson reveals an adventure he and Sherlock Holmes had that was so shocking it could not be revealed for a hundred years. Art dealer Edmund Carstairs shipped some paintings to America, where they were destroyed by some Irish robbers trying to do a train heist. All but one of the gang were later killed in a shootout. Somewhat in shock, Carstairs meets a woman on the liner back to England and they get married. Later his mother dies, somewhat strangely, and his sister, hostile to the marriage, is sickening.

This isn’t why Carstairs is consulting Holmes though; Keelan O’Donaghue, the surviving member of the gang, has been spotted in London, stalking Carstairs and his home, robbing it, all while wearing his trademark Flat Cap, hence the Case Of The Flat Cap. After some shenanigans, Ross, a new member of the Baker Street Irregulars (street boys Holmes pays for information) tracks down the hotel O'Donaghue is staying in, but seems shocked when he sees the party come to arrest O’Donaghue (this does not go to plan). Later Ross is found dead and a guilty-feeling Holmes turns to investigate this.

This the Case Of The House Of Silk. Someone sent Holmes a silk ribbon previously, which he’d meant to get to. They consult Holmes’s brother, Mycroft, who works for the government, and he warns Holmes that he can’t help. Then Holmes is given a clue that the Silk House is an opium den; this is too obvious but Holmes goes in anyway. A man is killed and Holmes locked up for murder.

There are a lot of important men who are willing to go to great lengths to stop Holmes investigating the House Of Silk. Indeed Holmes falls ill in prison after Watson is warned his life is in danger. He manages to make an escape and continue the investigation while on the run.

This is perfectly fine Holmes, that also touches on topics that Conan Doyle didn’t (as a doctor he may well have come across them). Horowitz in his afterword notes a few concerns; that this novel, though not awfully long, is still longer than any original Holmes story. This is one reason why it is two interlinked cases.

Read This: A lightly twenty-first century’d Sherlock Holmes mystery
Don’t Read This: You’ve had enough Sherlock Holmes and you certainly don’t need him confronting child abuse