The Whole Art of Detection is a mixture of fifteen different stories that tell the life of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. Lyndsay Faye, the author, was inspired to write this book because of the original Sherlock Holmes mysteries written by Arthur Conan Doyle and it is considered to be one of the many canons out in the world. This book spans the entire career of Sherlock Holmes and brings the reader along with the duo as they solve various crime mysteries that take them traveling around Europe. The Whole Art of Detection is divided into four parts, “Before Baker Street, The Early Years, The Return, and the Later Years.” The reader is able to see when Holmes and Dr. Watson first meet each other as new roommates and further on as they progress into crime solving partners. In "The Return," Faye goes further to describe the detective’s life, after he fakes his death at the Swiss waterfall, when he is forced to come out of hiding in order to attend his politician brother’s garden party. The book continues on until his last case called "The Adventure of the Mad Baritone." This case describes a former opera singer, Horatio Falconer, as he rushes into Holmes apartment pleading for help because he claims that he has been kidnapped multiple times, but the police just will not believe him. Everyone believes that Falconer is a madman and just an alcoholic, but Holmes suspects foul play and goes in and out of the house dressed as different disguises to observe Falconer's surroundings. Indeed Holmes catches the culprit behind Falconer's kidnapping cases and the book ends with the final crime mystery case.
I enjoyed this book because of the multiple mystery cases that Lyndsay Faye included. It was interesting to see the Sherlock Holmes series written in the perspective from a different author in a different time period. I also found it interesting how Faye was able to incorporate Holmes' entire career into one book and watch how he improved over the years.
I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys the Sherlock Holmes series, or anyone who is just looking for a good crime mystery book to read. The various crime mysteries really do capture the reader’s attention and make the reader not want to put down the book.
Review Written by Cindy, 10th Grade