Monday, January 10, 2011

The Sherlockian by Graham Moore

Before getting too far into this post, I should warn you. I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. My father gave me a used copy of The Complete Sherlock Holmes when I was 12 years old and I've been hooked ever since. So this new fiction book by Graham Moore was right up my alley.

The Sherlockian follows two plotlines and alternates between the two every chapter. The first plotline follows Sir Arthur Conan Doyle beginning in 1893 and ending in 1900 as he assists Scotland Yard in an investigation of the murder of a young woman killed in a bathtub. The second plotline is set in the present day and follows Harold White. Harold is a newly inducted member of the Baker Street Irregulars, a Sherlockian secret society. Harold is hot on the trail of a volume of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's diary, which has been missing since his death. The search leads him from New York to London and then all over Europe in company with the beautiful but secretive reporter, Sarah.

This book explores the nature of fame and asks the question: Can the answers to the great mysteries of life ever be as satisfying as the mysteries themselves?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although the change in perspectives was frustrating at times. If you love a good mystery and are a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and/or his alter ego Sherlock Holmes, I'm sure you will enjoy it too.

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