Book #9

[katikat]

"The Torment of Sherlock Holmes" by Val Andrews

2 stars out of 5

I was spoiled for the appearance of Irene Adler by a very inconsiderate reviewer who planted her name in the very first line he/she wrote - and that pretty undermined any pleasure I could've taken from the book, I freely admit it, since her involvement was a part of the mystery.

This book takes place right after "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot", if I'm not mistaken. Not heeding his doctor's orders, Holmes returns to London only to suffer a mental breakdown soon after. I really liked how Watson was worried about his friend and how he tried his best to help him.

Yet. Later on, Watson was made dumber than usual to allow Irene Adler to shine. Holmes was almost fawning over Irene yet he was downright belittling Watson, his stupidity and his gluttony. A very unappealing portrayal of their friendship. The one time that Holmes defended Watson didn't really ring true because the Inspector who insulted them was so over the top unlikable he was almost a caricature.

And the case was pretty lame too, to be honest. All the discoveries were way too accidental for my liking.