Next Book.... The Italian Secretary.

This book, by Celeb Carr, is essentially a "Sherlock Holmes" Tale. Holmes and Watson are the main characters, and it takes place in the same time period... So... it's like an original Sherlock HOlmes story - he even attempts to mimic the similar style and etc...Apparently... only a few of the words used by Watson (who narrates the story) is changed "in teh interest of accommodating modern readers, the anachronistic spelling soof several words" have been updated.

But... This book like the rest of Holmes' stories start in his apartment... with a note to start it off.

In the beginning his brother sends an encrypted message ... along the lines of "Youse done a special one, at No. 8 Pall mall - 'The sun burns too thoot, the sky fills with familar eagles' - read mcKay and Sinclair, collected works...Have your palm read for protection.... my old crofter will pull alongside at Quarantine" - It makes almost no sense at all... But Holmes understands it immediately... and lets Watson figure it out on his own - with some help of course... but still Watson has to use his own reasoning skills - I'm guessing to partially explain it to the reader that don't understand... not only because it is encrypted but becuase we are out of context in understanding it, too.


---There seems to be a lot of that in these stories.. Holmes understanding and knowing more... like him understanding "scotish nationalists" who attack HOlmes and Watson on their way to the castle are simply "better than averaage impostors" and not actual scottish nationalists - which we find out at the end of the book that they are imposters.

He understands more and can deduce more but we, even the more intelligent of us are left out of the loop. If not because Holmes is more logical and deducing capable person, it is because we are not at the scene of the crime and cannot figure it out for ourselves, -since everythign is filtered through Watson.

----but as to why Doyle does that and Carr mimics it? It's evident in a lot of HOlmes stories and even in other detective/thrillers that follow it. What do you think?

My reasoning is partially... that it's like a teaser.... keeps us interested but out of teh loop for a more dramatic ending? And we accept it becuase why? We'll we accept he's right and is proably correct in his assumptions because well as Watson himself says... He's right so often that its almost impossible to think of him as being wrong.

Also, it might be part of what builds his character.... Confidence in what he knows is correct but he's only willing to give out so much information about it.

So.... there's some food for thought.

Next order of business....

I found a piece of evidence for the police thing. ... ok not exactly following it... but it does provide some historical background to the entire thing.

"This is nether a matter for the local authorities nor one for Scotland Yard," Replied Mycroft. You yourself know how unsafe truly sensitive information can be, in their hands." ---This shows thies lack of faith in the ability and value of the police force - As does the reference to the police in "A Study in Scarlet" and in books like the Alienist. And... also the Dante Club... - Everyones a bit unforgiving on them!... Anyways...


That's it for now....


Probably More on the Italian secretary later.