3.5 out of 5 stars. 
 Anthony Horowitz was not who I would have seen writing the first Holmes novel in years (my choice would have been the brilliant Matthew Pearl). However, I was pleasantly surprised with how well he kept the setting and characters intact. The action is a little more like the new movies than the original novels, but not excessive. I think both Watson's and Holmes' characters were influenced by the movies as well. Holmes was a bit more reactionary and Watson thought in ways that were a little out of character. Other than that, the story/plot was solid. The only other suggestion I would have made is to make the book more complex, or shorter. 
 Conclusion: A great summer/beach read.