Sherlock Book Reviews - Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of The Found Note
Posted by Steve Emecz on
Dominic Selwood - Historian, barrister and author of the best-selling thriller 'The Sword of Moses'. His latest book 'Anatomy of a Nation: A History of British Identity in 50 Documents' is a masterful journey through time, exploring the documents that forged our national identity.
"An absolute belter of a Sherlock mystery! Packed with suspense, international intrigue, secret societies, dead ends, rugged islands in the north sea, masterful deceptions, the cosy fireside at Baker Street, connoisseur tobaccos, and nail-biting shoot-outs. Through it, we are in the more than capable hands of the warm, faithful, resolute Watson. And above it all towers Holmes: ascetic, impetuous, unmanageable, indomitable. THE ADVENTURE OF THE FOUND NOTE confirms Matthew Simmonds as a magnificent observer and recreator of Holmes, whose unique Victorian world of contrasts and baffling mysteries is woven into every page. I have been looking forward to this book for a long time, and the wait was more than worth it! If you like Sherlock, brain-cudgelling puzzles, and edge-of-the-seat adventures, you'll love this!"
There is a school of thought that the Sherlock Holmes stories should more properly be called the Dr. Watson adventures, as nearly all of The Canon, and a vast majority of the post-Canonical pastiches, are narrated by Watson, and Holmes is only seen through Watson’s eyes. In fact, there are quite a few pastiches where Watson’s story is the center of attention – working with the police, for instance, during Holmes’s presumed innocence during The Great Hiatus. In many other cases where Holmes is present, we spend our time with Watson, often as he waits for news while Holmes is busy elsewhere, or when he’s been sent on some solo quest to assist in one of Holmes’s investigations.
In Matthew Simmonds epic novel, “The Adventure of the Found Note”, we find Watson initially assisting Holmes with a case that starts very small – a piece of trash is found blowing in the street with the words “Help Me” written on it. From this alone, Holmes makes a series of deductions that progress from something small to a Government-threatening plot. Along the way, Holmes goes undercover, and then he goes missing, and it’s up to Watson, with the aid of his friend, Inspector Lestrade, to find him. In the meantime, Watson is consulted upon a separate matter and, using what he’s learned from his friend, he makes a very credible start toward the solution to that affair too.
A good part of arguably the most-famous Holmes adventure, “The Hound of the Baskervilles”, concerns Watson’s sojourn in Dartmoor while Holmes is elsewhere. This was a wonderful example of the importance of Watson in The Canon, and how The Great Holmes Tapestry is more properly “The Great Holmes and Watson Tapestry” – and Matthew Simmonds latest novel only serves to reinforce this notion even further.
Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of The Found Note is available now from this site and also from:
Darkness clung to the early Baker Street morning as Dr Watson opened the front door. The night watchman held out a small slither of paper. Written faintly upon this were just two short words: "Help me."
Sherlock Holmes must use all of his remarkable powers of deduction to identify the author of this desperate plea. His investigations lead him and his companion into a murky conspiracy - a sinister secret society plotting a fiendish scheme that could destroy the British economy and bring down the government.
From a thunderous carriage chase through the streets of London to a deadly shootout on a remote island off the North-East coast of England, can Holmes and Watson uncover the dark secret that lies within the sinister 'Ex Tenebris' club?