Unfortunately, King's heavy-handed prose detracts from the work's impact a more subtle approach would have been welcome. The overriding theme of the book is that intolerance and prejudice can destroy those whose love is outside of the mainstream. Kate is struck by the uncanny resemblances between the events in the Doyle typescript and the real-life murder of Philip Gilbert.
Assisted by an erstwhile pickpocket, he investigates the death of a soldier who had been having a homosexual affair. The plot features a man who bears a strong resemblance to Sherlock Holmes. The one portion of the book that comes alive is the story within a story, consisting of the entire text of a hitherto lost manuscript that may have been written by Doyle after he visited San Francisco in the twenties. The Gilbert homicide proves to be one of those difficult-to-solve cases that will consume a great deal of time before it is finally resolved.Īlas, The Art of Detection is a tepid mystery that consists, for the most part, of long-winded conversations between the detectives and various witnesses and suspects, and it is a slow slog indeed. They are a warm and loving family, and although Lee is sometimes irked by Kate's dedication to her job, she reluctantly accepts the fact that Kate's work will always be a priority for her. Kate, who is gay, lives contentedly with her partner, Lee, and their daughter, Nora. Could this typescript, which, if authenticated, may prove to be extremely valuable, be a motive for murder? When a manuscript turns up that may be an undiscovered work by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the stakes are raised. Kate and Al interview neighbors and acquaintances of the deceased and examine the physical evidence both in Gilbert's home and at the place where his body was found. Although he was in regular communication with fellow collectors, antiquarian book dealers, and auction houses, Gilbert was a very private person with few friends. Gilbert periodically met for dinner with like-minded Sherlockians dressed in period costumes. Besides having an impressive private collection of Holmesiana, Gilbert lived in a house that looks like a Masterpiece Theatre set, complete with Victorian furnishings and objects that Holmes himself might have used. The victim, Philip Gilbert, was a well-known expert on Sherlock Holmes and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. King's The Art of Detection, Inspectors Kate Martinelli and Al Hawkin of the San Francisco Police Department investigate the death of a man who was dumped, barefoot and in his pajamas, in a park near the Golden Gate Bridge. Philip sought it in a focused concentration on Sherlock Holmes.” Eastern monks seek enlightenment in the contemplation of an object or a painting. “It was like a religious discipline with Philip.
(Reviewed by Eleanor Bukowsky AUG 26, 2006)
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