The Reichenbach Problem

by Martin Allison Booth
Kregel Publications

Arthur Conan Doyle is on the run from his own fame. Taking a much-needed holiday, Doyle escapes to a picturesque village in Switzerland nestled beneath the imposing Reichenbach Falls. There he hopes to find anonymity, but even in this beautiful rural setting, peace eludes him when he finds himself immediately recognized and involved in the investigation of a mysterious death of a fellow traveler.

All too soon, Doyle s somewhat unwilling, gentle probing into the case causes the finger of suspicion to turn towards him. But can the creator of the famous detective actually do the sleuthing himself? As Doyle learns more and more about the famous character he penned, he finds he is less like Sherlock and more like his sidekick, Watson. Can the sidekick see enough of the picture to solve the case for once?

Sherlock Holmes has fascinated readers since he first burst into fiction, over one hundred years ago. In this novel, the first in a trilogy, we meet his author and discover the difficult relationship between them.

My Review:

I was actually very surprised by this book, because being distributed as a Christian novel, it was just a classic Sherlock Holmes mystery. The premise was intriguing, and it was somewhat of a slow start. Some of the elements of this book certainly didn't point to Doyle's supposed devotion and love for his wife. Doyle's character was looking for answers in the same manner that was common at the time, (nope, not telling you what - I don't do spoilers!) But what I was really disappointed that what should have been a good opportunity to create some tension/resolution in the area of faith, was simply played off as a "falling away." Aside from this information, we are not given any real indication that this book should be marketed as Christian Fiction. It was a great premise, great writing, but it is not what is should have been. That being said, this is a great novel for Sherlock Holmes fans, and I enjoyed it from that perspective. 

This book was provided by the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review.