The Valley of Fear
Sherlock Holmes series
written by Arthur Conan Doyle
224 pages // published in 1915 // classic crime fiction
BOOK DESCRIPTION
'There should be no combination of events for which the wit of man cannot conceive an explanation.'
In this tale drawn from the note books of Dr Watson, the deadly hand of Professor Moriarty once more reaches out to commit a vile and ingenious crime. However, a mole in Moriarty's frightening criminal organization alerts Sherlock Holmes of the evil deed by means of a cipher.
When Holmes and Watson arrive at a Sussex manor house they appear to be too late. The discovery of a body suggests that Moriarty's henchmen have been at their work. But there is much more to this tale of murder than at first meets the eye and Sherlock Holmes is determined to get to the bottom of it.
'There should be no combination of events for which the wit of man cannot conceive an explanation.'
In this tale drawn from the note books of Dr Watson, the deadly hand of Professor Moriarty once more reaches out to commit a vile and ingenious crime. However, a mole in Moriarty's frightening criminal organization alerts Sherlock Holmes of the evil deed by means of a cipher.
When Holmes and Watson arrive at a Sussex manor house they appear to be too late. The discovery of a body suggests that Moriarty's henchmen have been at their work. But there is much more to this tale of murder than at first meets the eye and Sherlock Holmes is determined to get to the bottom of it.
Admittedly, this is a creepy story (or rather the second half is). Part I is greatly enjoyable -- a basic Sherlock Holmes mystery (had plenty of intrigue, and utilized the same pattern that most of the canon follows). However, Part II? I'm not crazy over it, that's for sure. The cult following in Vermissa Valley kept reminding me of the R.L. Stevenson's The Suicide Club (perhaps because I just read that one a month ago), based on it's cult conspiracy level. It's deep. And dark. Of course, it helps you to finish putting the puzzle pieces together from Part I of the story, but still... whew!
Anyways, I'm glad to have this novel under my belt. Not sure if I'll be especially eager to re-read this one later on -- but you never know!
Available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, paperback, and (FREE!) ebook format,
starting at $6.99.
starting at $6.99.
This is book #3 for me in the Back to the Classics 2018 challenge.
[CATEGORY: Classic Crime Story]
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I've read a lot of Sherlock and Watson. They're great stories! I don't think I've read this one, though. My personal favorite is The Yellow Face.
ReplyDeleteHi Amy,
DeleteThe Yellow Face is an excellent choice. Not sure though exactly which Holmes story I could truly say is my favorite -- because many are so good!
sounds scary
ReplyDelete