The House of Silk

A Sherlock Holmes Novel

By: Anthony Horowitz

Narrated by: Derek Jacobi

Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Sherlock Holmes is the greatest detective in literary history. For the first time since the death of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a new Holmes story has been sanctioned by his estate, whetting the appetites of fans everywhere. Information about the book will be revealed as deliberately as Holmes himself would unravel a knotty case, but best-selling novelist and Holmes expert Anthony Horowitz is sure to bring a compelling, atmospheric story to life. With access to the estate's archives and careful study of the original stories, Horowitz is sure to weave a tale that satisfies new fans as well as the most dedicated Baker Street Irregular.

©2011 Anthony Horowitz (P)2011 Hachette

Near perfection - dare I say better than ACD?

[4.5 stars] Having read this absolutely wonderful novel, I understand why this is the first time the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate authorized a new Sherlock Holmes novel. Horowitz is masterful, giving period appropriate details, weaving a plot and conspiracy as complex as it is deplorable, and hitting all the right notes to make this feel authentically Holmes-ian without merely aping Conan Doyle.

The novel opens as Dr. Watson, an old man now, reveals that he is about to put in writing a tale that he has been sworn to secrecy about. A mystery whose unraveling so shook the halls of power he could not risk telling it until now, when many of the main actors have passed away and he himself nears the end of his life. The story is one of two intertwined mysteries, one on a smaller scale of personal revenge and one larger with machinations at the highest levels acting concertedly to cover it up. We quickly are reacquainted with characters and set pieces known from the original canon – from 221B Baker Street and Ms. Hudson, to Lestrade and the Irregulars, to Holmes’s meditative moods and Mycroft’s rotund presence at the Diogenes Club.

The mystery itself is layered and slowly revealed. Astute readers may have a guess at what could be happening behind closed doors at the eponymous House of Silk. But what made me truly love this book was how Horowitz respected the groundwork laid in the original Holmes stories but was not bound by the conventions of the time. Where some older novels, Conan Doyle’s included, can feel stilted in language and emotionally staid, Horowitz gives the characters and their reactions a verisimilitude and resulting warmth and approachability, ire and coldness, disdain and fear, that is sometimes missing in in the original novels.

This is one of my favorite iterations of Sherlock Holmes. The balance of old school mystery with human touches makes it a pleasure to read, though disturbing and infuriating at the conclusion. The ending especially is all too plausible. Where power often evades a full reckoning for what was done, and the downtrodden are only partially saved and only for a short period of time. Still, despite the grounding in real life, this still was a pleasurable read. Highly recommended.

Exception to "the rule"

Most post-Conan Doyle Holmes books are deplorably absent of style. They focus on the twists of missed observations and not on the literary bend surronding and supporting Holmes' observations. This book is an exception. Though is is difficult to distinguish between the written words of Anthony Horowitz and the wonderful style of narrator Derek Jacobi, it "feels" like the Watson and, by extension, Holmes of the originator's work. I applaude everyone associated with the production.

A must for Sherlock Holmes fans

If you like Sherlock Holmes this is a must listen, excellent job of narration. Would recommend to everyone.

Sherlock?...

3.5 stars. Not bad but it missed the oomph for me that is so prevalent in Sir ACD's work. Parts were over verbalized and I found my mind wondering, but it did not matter much because it was usually not relevant to the story. About half way through I figured out where the story was going and for me the endless mystery of Sherlock Holm's is what made his adventures such a good ride. The narrator did a good job but it could have been better with more destinct voices.

Well-written, poorly-read

What did you love best about The House of Silk?

What Sherlock Holmes fan wouldn't jump at the chance to read a new story written in the spirit of Conan Doyle?!

What did you like best about this story?

It had all of the twists and turns of a great Holmes story, and it didn't rush through any of it.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Prior to listening to this book, I had just listened to all three volumes of the Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes read by the brilliant Charlton Griffin. His performances were so good that I had come to believe that Sherlock Holmes and Watson would have actually sounded as he performed them. He infused Holmes with a gravity and sharpness of speech that perfectly match his persona.

I have not heard any other performances by Derek Jacobi, but despite his often warm-sounding voice, his depiction of Holmes was grating on my ears. He used a higher-pitched voice for Holmes than he used for any other male character. When reading a sentence of Holmes' dialogue, Jacobi raises his pitch, ending the sentence in near-falsetto. It was not at all congruent with the weighty words of Holmes; it significantly weakend his dialogue.

Granted, I already have a preconceived notion of how I'd expect Holmes to sound from Griffin's performances, but this didn't make sense to me.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Holmes and Watson thought they had seen it all... until they entered the House of Silk.

Any additional comments?

Despite what I thought was a weak reading, I did thoroughly enjoy this book. As with other Holmes stories, I found myself simultaneously wanting to learn how it would end, but not wanting it to end. This is exacerbated by hints early on in the story that this would be a one-off, and not a new Holmes series.

While the story was indeed written in the spirit of a Conan Doyle tale, there were also some departures from the original style. First off, Holmes is far more sentimental than he ever was in the original stories. He only had a handful of moments in the original stories where he showed feelings of close frienship or concern for Watson, but they were numerous in the House of Silk. Also, Watson is far more preachy than he was in his original narrations... especially about the then-current state of London culture and failings of British society, etc. These didn't detract much from the story, but they did serve as reminders that this is not a work of Conan Doyle. Since the story was told from the POV of a much older Watson, this could reasonably be explained by his having had time to reflect on what he 'saw' at the time, whereas his earlier chronicles were 'written' after far shorter intervals.

I still think almost any Holmes fan would very much enjoy this story.

Sherlock??

Found these tedious , longwinded, hard to keep focused on when listening in the late hours . Love Jacobi and the only reason I kept on with this book

A fine study of Sherlock

I was happy to listen to the incredible tale told by such an entertaining narrator!

Beautiful

So first, Narrator, 10 out of 10.
His voice really brought the book to life especially the end 😭.

Now, the story, it did not disappoint.
What really got me though was the afterword. I have no words to describe , just beautiful.
I was satisfied with the conclusion of the mystery but to my surprise there was more and it added another dimension to the book.* chefs kiss*
What was already a good book turned into a beautiful story.

Excellent

Truly the gold standard by which all Sherlock pastiches must be judged. This visceral emotional thrill ride had me captivated the whole time. Every Holmes & Watson enthusiast needs to read this book.

Horowitz needs to write more Sherlock

Loved it and love Horowitz for Holmes! Felt like ACD was back at the typewriter.