The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

Despite the vast variety of books, I have encountered, books by Anthony Horowitz, especially The House of Silk, have a special place in my heart. No matter what genre I read, I find myself coming back to the mysteries of the dark, underground London in the bleak 1890s.

The novel contains two prominent characters: Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. Watson. Considering the author is of books aimed generally at a younger audience, the language and atmosphere of this particular novel greatly surprised me and made the book all the more enjoyable. I did not once feel that the story was slow, or the plot was moving inch by inch, rather, it was much more fast-paced and the story swift.

The tale follows the detective and the doctor as they investigate a mysterious person who followed the client on several occasions. As they wander deeper into the case, murder and violence prevail when Holmes is framed and threatened to be killed. Ever determined, the pair are not deterred and they venture, perhaps foolishly, even further into the darker, murkier depths of London.

The read is, as previously mentioned, one that moves quickly along while enrapturing you from the first page to the very last word. Throughout, there is constantly something hanging in the air, a thrill that, while you might have figured one thing out, another mystery awaits. 

I would certainly recommend this if you enjoy mysteries of detective fiction. However, I feel like this book can slot itself into many other genres so, even if you aren’t an avid reader of crime, reading this would still be an enthralling, gripping read that anyone can enjoy.