The Sherlockian

How it reads

The Sherlockian is mystery (historical literary mystery, specifically), and its dominant mood is tense. The suspense is the kind you feel in your shoulders. It moves fast: plot-driven and hard to put down, the kind of book that carries you along even when you're tired.

It's set in several locations, in the recent past, told across two timelines. Its central concerns are secrets, art and creativity and friendship. In weight it sits in the middle: substantial without being heavy going.

It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending resolves happily. At 350 pages it's an ordinary novel's length. It's well known, the kind of book most keen readers have heard of.