Review: Sherlock Holmes and the Needle's Eye

"Sherlock Holmes and the Needle's Eye" reads far too much like a children's story, or, more to the point, like a Vacation Bible School drama based on a famous character of adventure. Holmes visits a scene or two, then he reads Scripture, often from memory, and then he proceeds to answer questions. The questions posed were interesting, and the book was a fun read, but it all seemed out of place and a bit too close to Bible Man.

Len Bailey offers plenty of fascinating points, and his narrative has the same feel as the original Sherlock Holmes stories, but as Holmes time travels to Biblical times, what he witnesses hardly seems necessary his conclusions. The trips serve only to point out where in the Bible Holmes can make connections.

I like the concept of Dr. Watson being the one with faith while Holmes stays critical of the Bible, but Holmes' character and his reactions to the miraculous things he witnesses make his character confusing and difficult to understand. And why would Holmes accept a challenge from a client to do Biblical research in the first place? It's not real mystery. It's theology and Biblical study.

Furthermore, the mystery behind the Needle's Eye, which allows Holmes to time travel, is never full developed. The beginnings of the machine come from the villain Moriarty, but where the machine takes Holmes seems to be determined by the mysterious client, who leaves calling cards with questions to be solved, both in Biblical locations and in Holmes' London haunts.

* Disclaimer: I received this book for free from BookSneeze in exchange for my honest review.