THE WHOLE ART OF DETECTION
Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes
By Lyndsay Faye
The Mysterious Press
347 pgs
Ever since Arthur Conan Doyle bestowed upon the world his marvelous characters, hundreds of writers have written Sherlock Holmes pastiches. Some of have been highly successful with their efforts while others dismal failures. Still only a rare few brilliant in capturing the genuine Doyle essence of Homes and Watson. One of the latter is Lyndsay Faye, who, in this collection of fifteen tales, demonstrates an uncanny ability to portray Doyle’s heroes in a revealing light.
Rest assured all the mysteries are adequate to applaud, but the treasure lies in the poignancy in which she exposes the affection shared by these two men; one an almost naïve romantic with a backbone of steel and other a pragmatic, nearly emotionless genius whose destain of civilized society is sad. That the two have, over the course of their partnership, become fast friends is remarkable and the heart of this book. Though all the stories contained are entertaining, “An Empty House” is my favorite of the bunch for the reason previously stated.
“The Whole Art of Detection” is wonderful and a delight for any avowed Holmes fan. Thank you, Lyndsay Faye.
