There’s a lot of good publicity surrounding this book, lots of favourable comments. ‘A fresh take on the Sherlock Holmes tales,’ says the Sunday Express, ‘swirling with all the suspense of the originals.’ So, does it live up to the hype?
   The short answer is Yes. It’s well written, the plot is nicely calculated to keep you guessing without getting irretrievably complex, and Holmes works his usual deductive magic right from the first sentence. Horowitz has captured the style of Conan Doyle, without going over the top, and the camaradie between Holmes and Watson is also well drawn.
   My only complaint is that I thought the denoument and ending came a bit too quickly, but it was a quibble and not a full-scale moan. I thought The House of Silk was well done and if you are a fan of the Old Master, you shouldn’t miss it.