The first Sherlock Holmes novel. Introduces the now cult characters of the detective Holmes, and Dr. Watson. I was surprised by how readable and compelling the prose was. There are a few archaisms—mainly meanings for words that aren’t common anymore, like using “bespoke” in the sense of “seeming like”—a sophistication of prose, which might also befuddle a contemporary reader. If you can overcome these superficial obstacles, you gain access to a flowery and rich prose, with precise and vivid descriptions.
The second half of the story unfolds almost cinematically, in an eerily precocious way, immersing us in the atmosphere of a western, as if we were watching something that Clint Eastwood might star in. I was very surprised to find a personal story intertwined with the Mormon exodus and the founding of Utah. Really feels like a novel in a novel, and the level of creativity and immersion sets this apart from other detective novels of its time.