Anthony Horowitz & the Case of the Timeless Detective

Ever since this peerless consulting detective sprung fully formed from the mind of Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes has continued to capture the hearts and imaginations of the reading public.  While there were 56 short stories and four novels in the established Holmes canon, Sherlock has been featured in hundreds of books, plays and films.  Sherlock Holmes: a Game of Shadows starring Robert Downey, Jr. opens in a few weeks and we can look forward to another season of the BBC television series, Sherlock.

Now, for the first time in its 125-year history, the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate has authorized a new Sherlock Holmes novel.  The anointed one, British author Anthony Horowitz, has just released The House of Silk: a Sherlock Holmes novel -- and he's produced one darn good tale! 

It's a year after the death of Sherlock Holmes and the elderly Dr. Watson is determined to put pen to paper once again, perhaps for the last time.  He feels the need to recount Sherlock's adventures of The Man in the Flat Cap and The House of Silk.  Why were they not written before?  As Watson explains, "...the events which I am about to describe were simply too monstrous, too shocking to appear in print..."

As Watson's story unfolds, the good doctor transports you back to 1890 London.  Step inside 221 B Baker Street and join the Great Detective for tea and scones.  Familiar characters make an appearance:  Lestrade, Mycroft, Mrs. Hudson, and the Baker Street Irregulars. Sit back and prepare to be entertained.  Indeed, the game is afoot!

For those of you unfamiliar with Anthony Horowitz, he is one of the UK's most popular children's authors. His Alex Rider series, which features a teenage spy, enjoys worldwide readership.  Horowitz has also written or created some of Britain's most successful television series including Midsomer Murders, Poirot, Robin of Sherwood, and Foyle's War.  Most recently, he wrote the sequel to Steven Spielberg's Tintin movie and is at work on the screenplay with Spielberg and Peter Jackson.  Learn more about Anthony Horowitz on his website.

Sample a bit of House of Silk: