From Publishers Weekly
Initially published in the Paris Review in 2003, Chabon's first significant adult fiction since his Pulitzer-winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (2000) continues his sophisticated, if here somewhat skewed, appropriation of pop artifacts—in this case one of the greatest pop artifacts of all, Sherlock Holmes. As fans of the great detective know, after retirement Holmes moved from London to Sussex, where he spent his days keeping bees. Chabon's story takes place during WWII, when Holmes is 89 and intent on bee-keeping only—until a mysterious boy wanders into town. The boy is remarkable for two reasons: he's clearly intelligent but is mute, and he keeps a parrot that mouths, among other utterances, numbers in German. When the parrot is stolen, local cops turn to Holmes, and he's intrigued enough to dust off his magnifying glass and go to work. The writing here is taut and polished, and Chabon's characters and depictions of English country life are spot on. It's notable, though, that Chabon refers to Holmes never by name but persistently as "the old man"—notable because it's difficult to discern a reason other than self-conscious artistry not to name Holmes; the scenes in the novel that grip the strongest are those that feature Holmes, and more credit is due to Conan Doyle than to Chabon for that. Neither a proper mystery nor particularly fine literature, this haunting novella, for all its strengths, lies uneasily between the two and will fully please few fans of each. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Bookmarks Magazine
From his editorship of an issue of McSweeney’s to his Pulitzer Prize-winning Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Chabon has mined genre fiction and pop culture in pursuit of literary gold. His newest novella finds him polishing up the detective story as an unnamed Sherlock Holmes comes out of beekeeping retirement to work the case. Reviewers applaud the fresh approach Chabon takes with Holmes’ character, eschewing analytic genius for emotional complexity. Critics labeled the title’s reference to the Holocaust distasteful, but to be fair, it also ties to The Final Problem, the story in which Sherlock Holmes meets his apparent demise. The plot appears compelling enough, but Chabon’s literary prose pushes critics to a tipping point; some assert there’s more than just a gripping yarn at hand, while others question the combination of detectives, geopolitics, and ten-dollar words. Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.

From AudioFile
While Chabon's novel of suspense is relatively short and Michael York delivers a stellar performance, it's a challenge to the listener. The work does not translate well to audio. Chabon is a master of complexity, both in the stories he crafts and the style in which he writes. Although these distinctions work well in print, in audio the listener does not have the luxury of being able to turn back pages frequently to re-read complicated sentences. The result is an anomaly. Michael York could not be better, and his style and tone fit well into a mystery based in the English countryside. But York's strengths simply cannot overcome Chabon's complicated plot and narrative style, which are best enjoyed in print. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
Following Summerland (2002), his foray into fantasy, Chabon continues to tinker with genre fiction, this time with a peculiar homage to the classical detective story. It's summer 1944: the Allies are slogging their way across France, and deep in the British countryside, a man is killed, apparently while in the act of stealing a German boy's parrot. The boy, a seemingly mute Jewish refugee living with a melancholy African minister and his English wife, captures the interest of a long-retired detective, once famous for his remarkable deductive abilities. Thus begins a slow-moving but atmospheric evocation of the mood and feel of Christie and Sayers. Once roused from his reclusive retirement, our nameless, pipe-smoking, beekeeping hero proves every bit as eccentric and outlandishly brilliant as the classical-era detectives he evokes: Holmes, Poirot, Wimsey. Although Chabon patches together a serviceable plot--the murder victim may have been some sort of spy, and the number-spouting parrot may be hoarding a secret--he is less interested in constructing a genuine puzzle than in assembling a cast of eccentrics and letting them frolic in the countryside. It's all accomplished with plenty of smart, stylistic turns, but finally the short novel feels like a lesser Coen brothers movie: all the trappings without much filling. That's the trouble with genre homages: too often they turn out be Potemkin villages. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
This Michael Chabon experiment with genre fiction -- a follow-up to his Pulitzer Prize winner, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay -- is marked by a notable richness of character and playfulness of plot. Set in sleepy southern England in 1944, the story introduces a nine-year-old refugee, clearly intelligent but mute, and his constant companion, an African Gray parrot who spouts strings of numbers in German. Joining their ranks are a now-unbelieving Malayan minister and his underappreciated English wife, a few of their shady boardinghouse neighbors (one of whom turns up dead), and several inept police officers. When the parrot goes missing, who better to sort out the mystery but a pipe-smoking, beekeeping, 89-year-old retired detective who just happens to live in the neighborhood?

Arthur Conan Doyle fans will remember the last Sherlock Holmes book, The Final Problem, and get the reference right away. Though Chabon never calls his elderly detective by name, Holmes's spirit is decidedly alive in these pages.

Originally published as a novella in the Paris Review, the story is distinguished by its tightness and clean prose. Chabon's knack for giving even the parrot a certain realness and spark (along with a quirky insight that we would not expect) emerges as the real meat of this entertaining fiction, and Michael York's finely detailed performance is an appropriate pairing to the author's tone and pacing. The Final Solution is a pleasing addition to the genre and a satisfying nod to Arthur Conan Doyle himself. Elizabeth McMillan

FROM THE PUBLISHER

An astounding new work of imagination from the Pulitzer-prize-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

SYNOPSIS

In The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, prose magician Michael Chabon conjured the golden age of comic books, interwining history, legend and story-telling verve. In The Final Solution, he has condensed his boundless vision to create a short, suspenseful tale of compassion and wit that re-imagines the classic 19th-century detective story.

In deep retirement in the English countryside, an 89-year old man, vaguely recollected by the locals as a once-famous detective, is more concerned with his bookkeeping than his fellow man. Into his life wanders Linus Steinman, nine years old and mute, who has escaped from Nazi Germany with his sole companion: an African grey parrot. What is the meaning of the mysterious strings of German numbers the bird spews out-a top-secret SS code? The keys to a series of Swiss bank accounts? Or do they hold a significance at once more prosaic and far more sinister?

Though the solution to this last case may be beyond even the reach of the once famed sleuth, the true story of the boy and his parrot is subtly revealed to the reader in a wrenching resolution to this brilliant homage. The Final Solution is a work from a master story-teller at the height of his powers.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Initially published in the Paris Review in 2003, Chabon's first significant adult fiction since his Pulitzer-winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (2000) continues his sophisticated, if here somewhat skewed, appropriation of pop artifacts-in this case one of the greatest pop artifacts of all, Sherlock Holmes. As fans of the great detective know, after retirement Holmes moved from London to Sussex, where he spent his days keeping bees. Chabon's story takes place during WWII, when Holmes is 89 and intent on bee-keeping only-until a mysterious boy wanders into town. The boy is remarkable for two reasons: he's clearly intelligent but is mute, and he keeps a parrot that mouths, among other utterances, numbers in German. When the parrot is stolen, local cops turn to Holmes, and he's intrigued enough to dust off his magnifying glass and go to work. The writing here is taut and polished, and Chabon's characters and depictions of English country life are spot on. It's notable, though, that Chabon refers to Holmes never by name but persistently as "the old man"-notable because it's difficult to discern a reason other than self-conscious artistry not to name Holmes; the scenes in the novel that grip the strongest are those that feature Holmes, and more credit is due to Conan Doyle than to Chabon for that. Neither a proper mystery nor particularly fine literature, this haunting novella, for all its strengths, lies uneasily between the two and will fully please few fans of each. (Nov. 12) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Roused out of retirement, a former detective, now a beekeeper, is identified only as "the old man." The story opens in the summer of 1944 when he sees a boy with a parrot on his shoulder walking along the train tracks. The boy is Linus Steinman, a refugee from Nazi Germany who lives with Mr. and Mrs. Panicker and their grown son in their boardinghouse. Though Linus doesn't speak, his parrot, Bruno, recites strings of numbers in German, as well as bits of poetry and snatches of songs. When a boarder is murdered and Bruno is kidnapped, the local police try to engage the beekeeper in helping them solve the crimes. He agrees to help, but only to find the bird. Thus begins his last case, his "final solution." The double meaning of the title gives subtle layers to the story and reveals the man's deep compassion for Linus. Chabon's writing can be both startlingly clear or laced with intricacies and detours. One chapter is told from the point of view of the parrot. Readers will enjoy the realistic characters and lush descriptions, and, best of all, trying to figure out the mysteries. Even the identity of "the old man" is a mystery until they figure out the clues for themselves-the tweed suit, the pipe, the beekeeping, and the sharp mind that can only belong to one famous sleuth.-Susanne Bardelson, Kitsap Regional Library, WA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

AudioFile

While Chabon's novel of suspense is relatively short and Michael York delivers a stellar performance, it's a challenge to the listener. The work does not translate well to audio. Chabon is a master of complexity, both in the stories he crafts and the style in which he writes. Although these distinctions work well in print, in audio the listener does not have the luxury of being able to turn back pages frequently to re-read complicated sentences. The result is an anomaly. Michael York could not be better, and his style and tone fit well into a mystery based in the English countryside. But York's strengths simply cannot overcome Chabon's complicated plot and narrative style, which are best enjoyed in print. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews