LEGO Icons 10351 Sherlock Holmes Book Nook review

LEGO Icons 10351 Sherlock Holmes Book Nook takes on a fascinating concept in LEGO form and delivers in almost every way you would hope.

Book nooks have been a growing trend in recent years, offering intricate hideaway worlds built out within tiny slots between books. They are detailed, interesting, celebrate well-known characters and stories from literature and, of course, are ripe for the likes of LEGO to take on creatively.

10351 Sherlock Holmes Book Nook

Release: June 1, 2024

Retiring: TBC

Price: £109.99 / $129.99 / €119.99

Pieces: 1,359

Minifigures: 5

This is a concept that in so many ways can and should translate into a fun and engaging LEGO experience, the sort with potential to stretch across any number of source materials. So where better to start kicking off a potential series than with the world’s most iconic and famous detectives to come out of literature – Sherlock Holmes.

Now, when this was first rumoured, you may have been expecting a couple of things. First, that this book nook would be set within Sherlock’s bustling office, perhaps packed full of references to the many famous cases he and his trusted friend Dr. John H. Watson worked on. And second, that it would be designed as every other non-LEGO book nook you’ve seen before would be – to slip between books, to be locked in as this narrow, deep build packed with detail.

But this is LEGO and, in the spirit of finding a way to put their unique stamp on the book nook concept, they’ve created 10351 Sherlock Holmes Book Nook –effectively a two-in-one set. It can indeed be set up to fit between books and offer a peek into the world of Sherlock Holmes, but it can also fold out and serve as a long, wide display of an entire scene.

This dynamic option for LEGO builders to switch between two display orientations is presumably the reason why we don’t get a set based on the inside of Sherlock’s office, but instead we get an outside street model showcasing 221B Baker Street and a couple of other London building exteriors more reflective of the busy capital that Holmes and Watson work within.

Alongside a detailed design of 221B, there’s a bookstore complete with a revolving bookcase (which is really interesting to put together), and a darker residence with a shadowy entrance that includes a character-reveal door within its design. Sherlock’s office is still represented within the set – complete with a number of nods to the character – thanks to a clever feature wall that opens the top of 221B out to reveal a detailed look inside. A nook within a book nook, so to speak.

Opened up the set presents as a credible, detailed and very interesting representation of London as it was in the late 1800s to early 1900s, designed with excellent use of colour and detail to give the set enough personality and individual flavour – what we mean is you may see similarities between this and any of the Diagon Alley-based builds from LEGO Harry Potter, but the details worked into 10351 very much work to set this apart as its own thing.

Likewise, where there’s a risk that a front-facing fascia-style build could lack depth, 10351 absolutely packs in clever and intricate techniques to make for as thorough of a LEGO building experience and final model as any house set with an interior. In many ways, this showcases what’s possible with LEGO sets within the limitation of a fascia design and rather sets a new benchmark…just because it’s flat doesn’t mean it has to be…well, flat.

Then, when closed, the Sherlock Holmes Book Nook transforms into what is more commonly known as a book nook, designed to sit between books and offer that sneak peek into that same busy Baker Street. It’s framed with a decorated Baker Street archway and capped at the sides with a Sherlock silhouette design, imagined so as to mimic the front cover of a book.

In all, there are any number of excellent design considerations and ideas that have been worked into 10351 Sherlock Holmes Book Nook, and they have been done so with attention and care to the source material in a way that makes this set a delight to both put together and to play and interact with, genuinely so in both configurations.

The minifigure designs are generally on point too, even if Sherlock’s head print is one of the most re-used across the LEGO catalogue, and Moriarty’s design more closely resembles Arsène Lupin, a character inspired by Holmes and explored in more detail here. Maybe it’s all just another cunning ruse from the Professor to try and outwit Holmes…

Indeed, that’s probably the only quibble with 10351 Sherlock Holmes Book Nook, because it is otherwise a fantastic exploration and tribute to an iconic figure from the world of detective novels. A wholly apt character and series of books is given the book nook tribute as only LEGO would have it – engaging, detailed and very fun.

Our honest opinion: You thought you knew how LEGO would do a book nook, until 10351 Sherlock Holmes Book Nook was revealed. The twist in concept is an excellent idea and makes this a wholly engaging and quite unique LEGO experience well worth your attention.

This LEGO set was provided by the LEGO Group for review purposes.

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