And I had really, really wanted to like this book. . . . .

But was very, very disappointed in the end.

Being set in Scotland I had hoped for something along the lines of 'Hound'. But boy was I wrong.
For me, it was a terribly hard book to read.
The plot fell apart very early on, and just buried itself deeper with each page.
The dialog was way over written, and painful to follow.
The tale, that was spread over way to many pages, could have easily, and possibly with good results, been done in a story a third of the length.

Mycroft comes off as the literary version of Nigel Bruce's Watson.
You would be surprised why the younger Holmes ever had any respect of the older if you went by the model here.

Reasons for conclusions are never explained and one of the main foes is never exposed for who he is. (Unless you follow the spectral explanation, and if so, then there is no point.)
The tale will do nothing to improve English/Scottish stereotypes.
And although quite fond of them myself,( ), I have never seen so many used in storytelling.

The 'Final' battle scene would be, sorry to say, very Guy Ritchie if ever brought to the big screen. And I am not saying that would be a good thing.

Sorry I bought this book new.