Book review: Sherlock Holmes in Japan by Vasudev Murthy

Goodreads

Sherlock Holmes in Japan
Vasudev Murthy
2 stars

It is not a surprise for anyone that I absolutely love Sherlock Holmes (and that I am not so secretly Moriarty) and that I love reading pastiches about the consulting detective. So it was with my heart bursting of joy that I started reading “Sherlock Holmes in Japan”. The book brings us the story of the “missing years” of the famous detective, presenting a possibility as to what he could possibly be doing during the years he was supposedly “dead”. 
I liked the concept of this book a lot. What happened to Sherlock Holmes between Reichenbach and his rather dramatic reencounter with Watson is something that I’ve always wished Conan Doyle would have written about. We don’t have Doyle, but now we have a pastiche. Good enough for me. 
The beginning of this book was very interesting. Watson receives a letter from his dead friend, urging him to go to Japan, where very important events were unfolding. Then, for me, things go downhill. The long explanations of boarding and disembarking were too much and could have been using to furthering the plot. Talking about plot, it was too uneven and, admittedly, rather boring. 
The big events that could change the whole world were not that exciting and the conclusion and the bad guys were very obvious. Besides, this cat and mouse game played by Holmes and Moriarty was not as amazing as it could have been. Their enmity has lots of potential and unfortunately, in my opinion, it was not very well utilized. 

Book Haul: Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes has been my obsession for ages. Since I read my first Sherlock Holmes books I look everywhere for his next adventure, for my next fix of him and Dr. Watson.

The first Sherlock Holmes book I read was 'The Hound of Baskervilles'. I loved it, I loved how mysterious it was, the little addition of horror, the characters, everything. Even though I have read a lot more of Sherlok Holmes through the years, this book continues to be one of my favorites. I think it is because it sends me back to the past, to the day my 8-year-old self sat on her bed, with her book in hands, enthralled by the words in it. I have re-read it uncountable times, and surely will do so again in the near future.

Since that first moment, I have read everything I could: the 56 short stories, the 4 books, several pastiche novels, and a lot of fanfiction as well. I also have watched every movie/show/cartoon I can find. And I never get tired of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Every new thing I find makes me very happy! It is another opportunity to dive deeper into their world and their lives and the mysteries. One more adventure, one more chance to get to know more about the greatest detetive and the amazing Dr. Watson (and about Moriarty a lot of times).

I hope this book leaves me as enraptured as I was the first time I read Sherlock Holmes. But, somehow, I doubt that magical and special moment could be revived.