A simple pastiche, or observations on sibling rivalry?
The Adventure of the Silver Birches centres on a plot to devalue the pound and collapse Britain’s economy. With Sherlock off bee-keeping in Sussex, Lestrade calls on his brother Mycroft to aid the investigation. What follows is a rapid journey through the streets and establishments of London, before culminating in the grounds of a grand country house.
The novella is littered with wonderful description. The style of writing itself gently emulates that of Conan Doyle, with its use of detailed imagery – ‘the sodden, soaking dripping mass of humanity’ – setting us off down the road with the character of Lestrade to kick-start the mystery and bring us closer to the hero of the tale: Mycroft Holmes.
Structo magazine blog 