Review : LEGO ICONS 10351 Sherlock Holmes Book Nook

Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO ICONS set 10351 Sherlock Holmes Book Nook, a box of 1359 pieces currently available for pre-order on the Shop and scheduled for June 1, 2025 at a retail price of €119,99.

As you already know, LEGO is attempting a foray into the Book Nook sector this year, the very popular format that features miniature dioramas to be placed between the books stored on the shelves of a library. This is the first in a series of sets that will exploit this format, with at least two other references already planned: the LEGO Harry Potter set 76450 Book Nook: Hogwarts Express (832 pieces - €99,99) and the LEGO ICONS set 10367 The Lord of the Rings: Balrog Book Nook (1201 pieces - €119,99) which rumor has it will be coming soon.

Let's not kid ourselves, we quickly realize that LEGO is simply riding the wave of the current popularity of the term Book Nook with these products, as the format codes are not all strictly respected. This is not the first time that LEGO has produced sets in the form of a book containing a scene, the twist here being to leave the scene in question visible once the book is closed.

These new LEGO products, which use the mention Book Nook in their title, are also presented open in the form of dioramas with a very relative thickness on the front of the packaging and the possibility of closing them to then insert them in the middle of a row of books is indicated only very discreetly. The construction of the LEGO Harry Potter set 76450 Book Nook: Hogwarts Express is even presented as a simple two-part bookend on the box without even clearly indicating the possibility of closing the thing.

This is in fact more of a diorama to close for storage with a scene that spreads out here in the form of the street in central London where Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are located. It is rather well done with some very convincing facades, a piece of pavement covered with Tiles rounds and the usual urban developments which inevitably remind us of Diagon Alley but I must admit that I am a little disappointed.

I expected LEGO to invest in the format in a more frank way with a staging that would take on its full meaning once the construction is closed. This is not really the case here despite a nice perspective effect towards the end of the street but with a clear lack of light. The back of the construction remains open, which in principle increases the available light, but this will not be of much use once the whole thing is pressed against the back of a bookcase.

The designer also left the top of the construction open to rely on natural lighting, but in any case, it is too insufficient to highlight all the details of the construction and create the very special atmosphere that many real Book Nooks diffuse. LEGO is probably missing an opportunity here to introduce a "homemade" lighting kit that would bring these scenes to life and, in the process, make these models real Book Nooks with usable content even when they are stored between a few books.

There remains a diorama style movie set to display open to really take advantage of the integrated features with a door that opens via a wheel placed on the roof to reveal the Moriarty figurine, a display case that rotates to give access to its contents and a panel that reveals the interior of the investigative duo's apartment. It is once again well done but it is not what I expected from this type of product.

The whole thing is packaged like a book on the cover with the silhouette of Sherlock Holmes, it's nicely done even if some Tiles could have smoothed out the two flaps of the book. Special mention for the silhouette of a simplicity which may seem obvious but which I find very well done.

The stickers are, as is often the case, part of the set and contribute to the atmosphere of the place with stickers with a very inspired design. The only pad-printed elements of the set are the name of the street which is present on the top of the front face of the building and the two Tiles which embody newspapers announcing Moriarty's disappearance.

We will welcome the fact that the instruction booklet is embellished with some comments on the universe developed here, it is always pleasant to have some information during the different phases of assembly. We will also remember that this product is under "official" license The Conan Doyle Estate, a brand managed by the descendants of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, even though the writer's works are now in the public domain.

As for the minifigs provided, we get five characters: Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Watson, Professor James Moriarty, the singer and actress Irene Adler and Paige, a newspaper delivery boy who does not exist under this identity in the universe of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

No pad-printed legs for the characters who have them, a nice new torso for Sherlock Holmes, Watson and Moriarty, a really very successful outfit for Irene Adler and Pippin's torso for the newspaper delivery man who reuses a hairstyle combining hair and cap already seen elsewhere since last year. Why not, even if there were probably better things to do than to provide us with a generic newspaper delivery man and a very anecdotal character. Inspector Gregory Lestrade and the landlady Mrs Hudson would have been welcome, for example.

In short, I readily admit that this product is rather well executed with real attention to detail and some good ideas, but I am generally disappointed because I was expecting something else with the arrival of LEGO on the Book Nook niche. The absence of integrated lighting, one of the codes of the format as we see it exploited on the shelves of many stores currently, is a real disappointment. We will console ourselves with the possibility of storing these mini dioramas by closing them on themselves, it will be additional space on our shelves.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 22 May 2025 at 23:59 pm. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid "I'm participating" or "I'm trying my luck", we suspect that this is the case.