The writing style of the book is very similar to Arthur Conan Doyle, and that is rather commendable for a modern day writer to mimic one from the 1800s. This is what is called a pastiche- a borrowing of styles/ themes from other sources. The story as always was written through the eye of Dr Watson, Holmes' sidekick (every hero needs one, don't they?), after the death of Holmes and when it was safe, to reveal the case. The House of Silk case involved important public figures as well as a royal family, and hence was never written or reported until many years later.
Holmes was approached by an art dealer, Edmund Carstairs, whose paintings were believed to have been stolen by a group of thugs. Holmes then hired a group of wayward youth to follow a suspect. One of the boys, Ross, subsequently was murdered. Then began a whirlwind chase, with Holmes ending up in prison for framed murder. Of course his wits and mostly luck, I must add, got him out of prison and thus, saving his life. The prison break was rather unbelievable, as I do not really think that anyone could be so lucky! However, apart from that, the story was quite well-written.
The House of Silk though was a rather strange concept... whether it could have existed in the 1800s, is quite questionable. But who knows, right?
Read this book if you are a Sherlock Holmes fan, or a crime fiction one.
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