The House of Silk: The New Sherlock Holmes Novel (Sherlock Holmes Novel 1) [Hardcover]

Horowitz has captured Holmes Heaven (Marcel Berlins THE TIMES )

Horowitz plays a perfectly straight bat. This is a no-shit Sherlock (Ian Sansom THE GUARDIAN )

For fans of the original tales, the game is afoot once more! (Ruth Hunter, Bookseller's Choice THE BOOKSELLER )

A lifelong Sherlock Holmes fan, Anthony Horowitz is the perfect choice to pen the first new official mystery and what a triumph it is. While retaining faithfully the style of the originals, Horowitz's lively prose makes this exciting story just right for a new generation of fans (Sarah Clarke, Bookseller's Choice THE BOOKSELLER )

Orion has pulled a winner out of the bag by inviting Anthony Horowitz to pen a Sherlock Holmes novel. It has the feel of a Conan Doyle tale and only the jealous will fault this superb thriller (Patrick Neale, Bookseller's Choice THE BOOKSELLER )

Bravo, then, Mr Horowitz. Let us hope that the famous dispatch box contains many more cases for him to unearth (Mark Gatiss FINANCIAL TIMES )

a brilliant new Sherlock Holmes novel. The tone of voice is pitch perfect, the send of place and time spot on. I don't want to give too much away about the plot but there are clever twist and plenty of trademark Holmesian moments. I thoroughly enjoyed this (Sue Scholes, Bookseller's Choice THE BOOKSELLER )

a fantastic new Holmes mystery (Emma Giacon, Bookseller's Choice THE BOOKSELLER )

As far as I can see, Anthony Horowitz has done a thoroughly professional job and reading the novel felt to me like being in the company of an old and distinguished friend - or should that be two old friends?' (Mike Ripley SHOTS )

Brimming with informed enthusiasm, this skillfully crafted homage to Conan Doyle is so enjoyable that you're sorry when it fades away to the strains of Holmes playing his Stradivarius (Peter Kemp SUNDAY TIMES )

an exciting, well-crafted novel (Andrew Lycett SUNDAY TELEGRAPH )

Horowitz infuses the novel with a superb eye for the detail of Victorian London but also a touching sense of melancholy, the book functioning as a subtle final coda to Holmes's adventures. Crucially, it also has a cracking plot and is a labyrinthine but eminently lucid page-turner. It is ultimately a homage and you wouldn't want Horowitz to start churning Holmes novels out but as a stand-alone this is very satisfying (METRO )

It's immediately clear how he got the full endorsement of the Conan Doyle estate. Horowitz's grasp of the creator's prose style and intricate plotting, coupled with his understanding of the dynamic between Holmes and Watson, is extraordinary (Henry Sutton DAILY MIRROR - 4-star review )

Looks set to entertain Holmes traditionalists and Sherlock newcomers alike. November 1890 is the time, 221B Baker Street the place, and Holmes and his faithful companion Dr Watson receive an unannounced visit from an agitated gentleman. Let the fun - and there is plenty of it - begin (SPORT )

Giving none of the twists away, this is one for Holmesians who aren't sated by the new film and series (WE LOVE THIS BOOK )

Sherlock Holmes has popped his clogs (and so has Conan Doyle for that matter), but that doesn't mean there's not a hauntingly good new Sherlocky story to be told. This reworking gives old Dr Watson a chance to tell his side. Finally! (THE SUN )

a fresh take on the Sherlock Holmes tales, swirling with all the suspense of the originals (Must Read SUNDAY TIMES )

compulsive Conan Doyle tribute (WOMAN & HOME )

Yet another Sherlock Holmes imitiation? The field is crowded but with one bound Horowitz - well known for his children's books and TV scripts - takes the lead, with his perfect mimicry of Conan Doyle's style and Dr Watson's tone of voice. There is a suitably baffling mystery and the great detective is on top form. It's very good; dare I say as good as the original? (Jessica Mann LITERARY REVIEW )

this deliciously aromatic three-pipe problem (Christopher Bray DAILY EXPRESS )

The story speeds along like a hard-driven phaeton (David Robinson THE SCOTSMAN )

Derek Jacobi reads Dr Watson's last story, said to have been hidden in the vaults of a London solicitor for a century because of the scandal within. Horowitz takes Holmes deeper into the capital's dark underbelly than Conan Doyle ever did (Radio Choices THE TIMES )

It'll keep you guessing until the very end (SHORTLIST )

It's a pacy read that delights in the world Arthur Conan Doyle created while adding a little something extra (WORD )

Horowitz stays true not only to the Victorian turn of phrase, but embeds the story within the context of Conan Doyle's other tales - offering up plenty of knowing nods to Holmes aficionados, while luring in the novices too (PSYCHOLOGIES )

Impressive (Susan Jeffreys' Radio Week DAILY MAIL )

Sherlock Holmes if framed for murder by a dastardly secret society in Horowitz's inventive yarn, the first sequel ever to be endorsed by the Conan Doyle estate (Jake Kerridge DAILY TELEGRAPH )

Perfectly paced, entirely unpredictable, edge-of-seat exciting and a total joy from start to finish. The more of it I read, the more I looked forward to basking in Holmes's deductive brilliance at the end: the solutions that are obvious once you know them but completely unguessable until you do. I am happy to report that all the required ingredients had been added; neither Holmes nor Horowitz let me down (Sophie Hannah SUNDAY EXPRESS )

It seems improbable, if not impossible, but it's true! Holmes is back at his best (THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY )

'Fans of Sherlock Holmes rejoice, for the game is afoot again' 5-stars (Daneet Steffens TIME OUT )

a thoroughly first-rate job (Nicholas Lezard THE SPECTATOR 20111117)

He has added a truly diverting entry to the canon. (Barry Forshaw THE INDEPENDENT 20111116)

It's a brilliant pastiche, with a wonderful sense of time and place (Christie Hickman SUNDAY EXPRESS 20111127)

The period detail is poured on like gravy and there are enough nods to previous cases to fill the most demanding Holmesian with delight (Mark Sanderson EVENING STANDARD 20111124)

Were Conan Doyle still alive, I think he would be very grateful that Anthony Horowitz has so successfully recreated the detective he tried so hard to shake off towards the end. This is the first Sherlock Holmes novel that has been written with the full endorsement of the Doyle estate and they have evidently chosen the right man for the job (Carla McKay DAILY MAIL 20111125)

Enthusiastically replicating the spirit, style, suspense and atmosphere of Conan Doyles' stories, this skilfully crafted homage is an irresistible read (SUNDAY TIMES Christmas Books 20111127)

But this review is no murder mystery, so I needn't keep you in suspense as to the end result, the final summation, any longer: with no further ado, then - none at all, no sir - The House of Silk is, in short...terrific (Niall Alexander TOR.COM 20111123)

This is a brilliant novel, made all the more welcome by the fact that Horowitz has stepped into the shoes of an acclaimed and beloved author and has taken time and effort to ensure this novel can stand proud next to the works of Conan Doyle (Madeleine Marsh REVIEWING THE EVIDENCE.COM )

A definite success (BIG ISSUE 20111121)

Anthony Horowitz takes the mantle from Arthur Conan Doyle with grace. The tone is appropriate, without sounding too Victorian. Let's hope Mr Horowitz brings to light other unknown cases solved by Holmes (aided by Dr Watson, of course). (CRIME TIME 20111205)

As teenagers really enjoy the original Holmes stories, I think they'll go for this too. Ingeniously, it adds an element missing in Conan Doyle: social comment' (Charlie Higson MAIL ON SUNDAY 20111211)

This is an excellent and highly recommended addition to the Holmes cannon (THE WORD 20120101)

Sherlock Holmes fans have been well served by Anthony Horowitz's new adventure, The House of Silk, in which Holmes sets down an early case too shocking to be published in his lifetime (Justine Jordan THE GUARDIAN 20111203)

Horowitz, commissioned by the Conan Doyle estate, provides pitch-perfect atmosphere in a novel that's both a tribute to Holmes' creator and a grace note, with a politically damning conundrum at its heart (Christopher Fowler FINANCIAL TIMES 20111203)

Within seconds of being invited by the Conan Doyle estate to write a new Sherlock Holmes novel. Anthony Horowitz was off the starting-blocks, piecing together a plot as involved and involving as the best of the originals. (Maggie Fergusson INTELLIGENT LIFE 20120101)

Anthony Horowitz's new Sherlock Holmes novel The House of Silk is superb - indeed, I would say it is better than any of Conan Doyle's own Holmes novels, which always feel padded out in comparison with the gripping short stories. (Charles Spencer DAILY TELEGRAPH 20111219)

As to whether he should write another; well, the man with the pipe would nod approvingly. (RTE GUIDE 20111210)

I really, really enjoyed The House of Silk, it drew me in. I loved spending time with Holmes and Watson again and was gripped and tricked along the way. I just loved the adventure of it all. It doesn't try to take Holmes anywhere new that the loyal fans will be unhappy with, nor does it become a pastiche of a Holmes novel. I knew it wasn't Conan Doyle but I knew I was in safe hands. (SAVIDGE READS 20111118)

As you'd expect from the creator of Foyle's War and Midsomer Murders, the narrative is exciting and the mystery baffling. Actually, that should be 'mysteries'. Mr Horowitz presents us with one puzzle, then introduces a quite different one, and cleverly leads us through the labyrinth until, with a flourish of his magician's staff, he reveals the devilish connection between them. (THE DISTRICT MESSENGER Newsletter of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London 20111124)

Another adult novel suitable for this cohort is Anthony Horowitz's The House of Silk. A Sherlock Holmes tale, narrated by Watson but considered too shocking for publication in the good doctor's own time, it is a tight atmospheric thriller of dismal foggy London. (IRISH INDEPENDENT 20111211)

I approached this novel with some trepidation. This new adventure, approved by the Conan Doyle estate, seems to have stemmed from the same idea that led to Jeffrey Deaver's James Bond reinvention Carte Blanche, a novel so diabolically dull that it seemed to suck all the joy out of me like some kind of papery black hole - of antijoy. If such things exist. Does The House of Silk disappoint? It does not, not for one page. (THE DIOGENES CLUB 20111219)

In his acknowledgements Horowitz says writing the books was a "joy" and hopes he's done justice to Conan Doyle's creation. He certainly has. (Emma Lee Potter DAILY EXPRESS 20111223)

It's all very satisfying for a Holmes fan, not least because Horowitz captures Conan Doyle's style perfectly, right down to Watson's habit of referring to his friend by his full name when singing his praises. (Anna Carey IRISH TIMES 20111224)

With such a daunting legacy to live up to, surely only a very bold person would take on the first "official" Sherlock Holmes novel since the author's death in 1930. Fortunately, Anthony Horowitz is that person and The House of Silk is a worthy addition to the canon. (Toby Lichtig TIME LITERARY SUPPLEMENT 20120106)

Brilliantly capturing the spirit and tone of Doyle's original stories while devising a new ystery for modern readers is no mean feat, but Horowitz has risen to the challenge with absolute aplomb (GOOD BOOK GUIDE 20120101)

Anthony Horowitz has paid homage to Doyle's creation in the best way possible, by writing a mystery true to Holmes. Reading his book was an absolute delight. Rating: A+ (DEADLY PLEASURES )

Here is a real treat for all fans of Sherlock Holmes: a new Holmes novel by skilled writer Anthony Horowitz (IRISH CATHOLIC 20111215)

The writing flows like an original Sherlock Holmes tale, and the logic and analysis reflect the virtuosity and great mind of the singular detective. Too often attempts to recreate classics fail or end up being something else. Such is not the case with this novel, and it is recommended. (Theodore Feit CRIMESPREE 20120301)

It has everything a Holmes novel should - humour, intrigue and a mind-boggling reveal that is so wonderfully intricate, you feel both awe-inspired and frustrated for missing the clues (HAMPSHIRE SOCIETY MAGAZINE 20120101)

The writer is in cracking form with this welcome tribute to Holmes (CLASSROOM (NATE) )

The first official new Sherlock Holmes mystery, written by global bestseller Anthony Horowitz.