The Sherlockian by Graham Moore

11. – 570.) The Sherlockian by Graham Moore – A brilliant combination of past and present mysteries inspired by and connected to Sherlock Holmes.

In his deerstalker hat, Harold White, the newest and youngest member of the Baker Street Irregulars, is in New York for the annual meeting. White, who makes his living as a reader for law firms, is a worthy hero for dedicated mystery readers. Excitement is at a fever pitch as the Irregulars await the appearance of Alex Cale who has advised that he has found the missing diary of Arthur Conan Doyle. The missing diary is from late 1900 near the end of period between Holmes going over Reichenbach Falls and Doyle bringing Holmes back. When Alex is found dead in his hotel room Harold with journalist, Sarah Lindsay, set out to investigate the death and find the diary.

            Simultaneously, in alternating chapters Doyle, with the aid of author Bram Stoker, is living the period of the missing diary and seeking to solve London murders. 

            Both White and Doyle work to solve their mysteries by Holmesian methods. We have a devout Sherlockian and the author of Holmes trying to be Holmes. The book is a triumph of logic. It is a rare mystery so devoted to logical reasoning. There are no leaps of intuition and but rare coincidences or fortunate circumstances.

            White is the brilliant thinker while Doyle is the dogged investigator. Where White makes progress through his deductive skills Doyle advances his investigation by the hard dreary work of checking out slender leads.

            Doyle is forced to consider his stalwart opposition to the Woman’s Suffrage Movement while Lindsay is White’s practical aide.

            Both mysteries are worthy of Holmes. It is remarkable to read a book so soon after Bury Your Dead where there are multiple mysteries within the same book. Moore has managed to create a pair of mysteries solved by Sherlockian principles without Holmes working out the solutions.

            Doyle’s determination to solve murders reflects his real life efforts to correct injustice. See 27. - 159.) The True Crime Files of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

            It is a captivating book with a wonderful cover. It is a superb first novel. (Feb. 22/11) (See the post below on an email exchange with the author Graham Moore)