Anyone who has enjoyed the classics of Arthur Conan Doyle about the world’s most popular and appreciated detective – Sherlock Holmes – is in for a load of fun thanks to Mark Twain’s humorous novel “The double-barrelled detective”.
However, people expecting an authentic detective story might be in for a bit of a surprise. Rather than following the great Sherlock Holmes unravelling the greatest mysteries and putting together clue by clue to discover who had done it and why, the reader will find a fumbling Holmes unsure of himself or of what he is actually supposed to do.
People familiar to Mark Twain’s style will certainly take no offense in this comic portrayal of the great detective. Rather than being put perfectly arranged clues and plots by the narrator, poor Holmes is wondering about finding, or better yet, stumbling upon what one might consider as awkwardly placed clues – if they can be called clues.
