Book Cover

I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose.

# Review

This year I’ve decided to reread all of the Sherlock Holmes books. This is the first book, where the reader is introduced to the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes as well as his partner Dr. John Watson. Holmes and Watson tackle the mystery of two Americans' murders.

The book is split into two halves. The first half deals with Holmes and Watson meeting and tackling the case while the second half deals with the dramatic backstory of the case, which involves Mormons in the Salt Lake Valley. The two feel like totally different stories until the end, where everything is tied together. Doyle is an excellent storyteller but this isn’t his finest work. The clues don’t tie into the backstory nor the ultimate result of the case. There were also some aspects of the book which aged poorly, such as the idea that people are able to judge one another’s morality accurately based on how they look.

# Conclusion

Not my favourite Sherlock book but it's a decent introduction to his character as well as that of the narrator John Watson.

# Overall rating: 7.7

What does the rating mean?