The Return of Moriarty
Sherlock Holmes Is Dead but his Nemesis Is Not
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- $24.99
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- $24.99
Publisher Description
After Professor Moriarty survives Reichenbach Falls and Sherlock Holmes dies, Moriarty finds himself caught up in a locked-room mystery Holmes couldn’t solve.
This time, it’s up to Moriarty to crack the mystery, perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes ingenious retellings like the ones by Anthony Horowitz and Laurie R. King.
Upon escaping from Reichenbach Falls, his empire in ruins, criminal mastermind James Moriarty takes the identity of wealthy inventor Hugo Strahm and embarks on a dark pilgrimage to the cliffside manor of Schloss Alber in Bavaria.
When medical student Clara Mendel returns to Schloss Alber, she finds her childhood home on the verge of ruin. A deadly feud over a priceless heirloom has thrown the Alber family into chaos while its walls play host to an unusual cast of characters–the obstinate Lord Alber, his strange and beleaguered children, their cantankerous butler, and of course, their mysterious new guest, "Hugo Strahm." When one of them is poisoned at dinner, it’s the first act in a spiraling criminal conspiracy, in which any and all of them are suspects.
Working with the sharp and inquisitive Clara, the former crime lord attempts to solve the mystery whilst trying to keep his true identity concealed. Yet despite taking on the role of detective, Moriarty does not share Sherlock Holmes’s methods, nor his interest in justice. Only one thing is certain, for James Moriarty, dying at the hands of Sherlock Holmes would have been an elegant end… The question of what comes next is far more complicated.
This cleverly plotted mystery is a faithful and inventive take on the Sherlock Holmes legacy, paying homage to Arthur Conan Doyle’s signature style while adding its own devious tricks to the story that is destined to become a must-read classic for Sherlock Holmes fans.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
British crime and horror novelist Anderson (The Grief Doctor) delivers a wobbly Sherlock Holmes spin-off focused on the detective's nemesis, professor James Moriarty. Picking up immediately after the events of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Final Problem, Anderson builds a world where Holmes has perished and Moriarty has evaded prosecution by assuming the persona of the wealthy Hugo Strahm. As Strahm, he accepts an invitation to visit Lord Alber's ancestral estate in Bavaria. Another, less welcome guest is 24-year-old medical student Clara Mendel, stepdaughter of Alber's deceased eldest son. The lord's remaining children are suspicious of Clara's return to the fold, fearing she may want to stake a claim to the family's most valuable heirloom: a ceremonial, jewel-encrusted saber made of solid gold. When Alber is poisoned at dinner, Moriarty (maintaining the Strahm facade) warily allies with Clara to ferret out the murderer. Anderson, who tells the tale primarily through witness statements, letters, and diary entries, gets points for ambition. The pacing, however, is jerky, with a protracted climax and too much perspective-switching throughout. It's a mixed bag.
