Horowitz writes with a style closer to the cerebral stories from Doyle than the action filled recent implementations. This is really two connected stories, two mysteries for Holmes to solve, and this book is the first of two from the author of Alex Rider and Foyle's War.

Penned by Watson in his latter days, this story is to be hidden until the implicated parties are long gone - which means a government or monarchical conspiracy is afoot. Indeed, Mycroft makes an appearance trying to turn Sherlock away, saying there is nothing he can do to help him if he is caught. The combination of conspiracy and crime, initially launched by a vendetta, makes for an excellent plot for this detective duo.

So why not five stars? The social commentary, and indeed a chunk of the mystery, don't quite match the original stories or the London that Doyle wrote about. They are a better match for our modern times. Perhaps the author thought this could be used in one of the recent Holmes incarnations? Not sure. 4 stars.