The secret of the white ribbon

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The Secret of the White Ribbon (Original title: The House of Silk ) is a novel by the British writer Anthony Horowitz , which was published in 2011. The translation into German by Lutz-W. Wolff was published in 2011.

This is a special work in the midst of the many Sherlock Holmes pastiches . Anthony Horowitz was hired by The Doyle Estate to write a canon-based novel. Thus, this book belongs to the official canon and thus also refers to the cases and characters of the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle .

Here, too, the focus is on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson , who were asked to resolve the case of the Flat Cap Gang in late 1890. Their investigations become more and more entangled until they come across a dangerous underground organization.

The mystery of the white ribbon marks the beginning of the series, followed by the novel Der Fall Moriarty (en .: Moriarty , 2014) and the short story The Three Queens. A new case for Sherlock Holmes (en .: The Three Monarchs , 2014).

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In order to write a Sherlock Holmes story that follows on from canon, Horowitz came up with the idea of ​​having Watson tell of a case so cruel that his manuscript would not be published until a hundred years later. Since Watson wrote the case down a year after Holmes' death, that is, in 1911, the hundred years of secrecy will end in 2011, the year the novel was published.

When Holmes and Watson were hired by a gallery owner in December 1890 to solve the case of the Flat Cap Gang, they were targeted by an organization that, throughout the course of the book, did not shy away from killing anyone who knew too much and money with orphans to earn. The organization is also protected by some of the most influential British people. Holmes and Watson find themselves in the midst of this.

Flat Cap Gang

Watson begins his story with a visit to Edmund Carstairs, a gallery owner who is in the sights of the Flat Cap Gang. The latter had destroyed many of his works of art during a raid in America and after Carstair's actions had killed a gang member, he now fears that the gang will seek revenge on the death of one of their leaders. Holmes rejects Carstairs and is asked to the Carstairs property the next day because he was robbed. During Holmes and Watson's investigation, a family feud within the house is revealed to them. Holmes hires street children, the Baker Street Irregulars, to search for the stolen chain. Two of the street kids, Wiggins and Ross, tracked down a suspect. While Wiggins went to fetch Holmes and Watson, Ross kept watch. When Holmes and Watson arrived, they first found the visibly disturbed Ross in front of the hotel and then came across the strange man who had meanwhile been murdered in one of the hotel rooms. After it turned out that the man was the other leader of the Flat Cap Gang, they wanted to question Ross, but he was nowhere to be found. To find the boy, they sought help from the headmaster of an orphanage where Ross had spent some time before running away and becoming part of the Irregulars. Holmes and Watson find Ross on the banks of the Thames. He was first tortured and then mutilated. A white ribbon is tied to his wrist, and it is through Ross' sister that they hear about the silk house for the first time .

The House of Silk

Holmes and Watson try to find out more about the silk house with the help of Mycroft , but it is quickly made clear to them that they must stop investigating this matter or worse would happen. However, Holmes is not deterred and continues to investigate the matter. He is lured into an opium den and a short time later finds himself stunned in the backyard. Next to him is the body of Ross' sister. Since all the signs indicate that Holmes murdered her and since even some very influential men among the onlookers at the scene testify to have seen the murder, Holmes is arrested and locked away. While Holmes is in custody, Watson accepts the invitation of a mysterious man who asks him to come to him. The man gives Watson the key to Holmes' cell door in exchange that Watson will never tell anyone about their meeting and that the identity of the man who introduces himself as Moriarty is keeping a secret. When Watson arrives at the prison, however, it turns out that Holmes had fled just then. United again, the clues lead the investigative duo to a place that resembles a mixture of hype and horror cabinet, called Dr Silkin's House of Wonders . However, this is another trap that they could only survive with Lestrade's help. The trio then goes to the orphanage from which Ross had fled some time ago. They found another building on the property, which the school principal used for special events. At these events he loaned the orphan boys to paying customers, which also included high-ranking personalities. Lestrade arrested all accomplices, but none of them came to justice because of their high level of influence.

characters

In The Secret of the White Ribbon, Anthony Horowitz uses the popularity of the well-known characters from the originals, but he also mentions lesser-known canon figures and of course also creates completely new characters.

Well-known figures from the originals

  • Sherlock Holmes
  • Dr. John Watson
  • Mary Morstan (Watson's wife, first mentioned in The Mark of Four )
  • Lestrade (Inspector at Scotland Yard, first mentioned in A Study in Scarlet )
  • Mycroft Holmes (Sherlock's brother, holds a high government position, first mentioned in The Greek Interpreter )
  • Professor James Moriarty (Holmes archenemy, first mentioned in The Final Problem)
  • Mrs. Hudson (Holmes and Watson's housekeeper and landlady, first mentioned in The Mark of Four )

Lesser known figures from the originals

  • Dr. Percy Trevelyan (doctor, mentioned in The Resident Patient )
  • Murray (Watson's assistant, mentioned in A Study in Scarlet )
  • Stamford (Resident under Watson at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, mentioned in A Study in Scarlet )
  • Mrs. Forrester (Mary's former employer, mentioned in The Mark of Four )
  • Godfrey Emsworth (ex-soldier with ichthyosis, mentioned in The Pale Soldier )
  • Culverton Smith (amateur bacteriologist, mentioned in The Detective on the Deathbed )
  • Morton (inspector at Scotland Yard, mentioned in The Detective on the Deathbed )
  • C. Auguste Dupin (detective in Edgar Allan Poe's crime stories, mentioned in A Study in Scarlet )

New figures

  • Edmund Carstairs (gallery owner)
  • Catherine Carstairs (wife of Edmund Carstairs)
  • Eliza Carstairs (sister of Edmund Carstairs)
  • Mr. Kirby (servant in the Carstairs household)
  • Mrs. Kirby (cook / housekeeper in the Carstairs household)
  • Patrick Kirby (nephew of Mr. and Mrs. Kirby)
  • Rourke and Keelan O'Donaghue (twins and leaders of the Flat Cap Gang)
  • James Devoy (agent of Edmund Carstairs)
  • Cornelius Stillman (customer of Edmund Carstairs)
  • Bill McParland (Stillman appointed investigator)
  • Elsie (Carstairs kitchen maid)
  • Ross Dixon (orphan boy)
  • Sally Dixon (sister of Ross)
  • Mr. Hardcastle (host)
  • Russell Johnson (Pawnbroker)
  • Sir Alec Ravenshaw (part of the House of Silk )

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Anthony Horowitz. Retrieved April 29, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Sherlock Holmes - Anthony Horowitz | Author | Alex Rider | Sherlock Holmes | James Bond. April 29, 2020, accessed on April 29, 2020 .