A fiction book! And a book set in the same universe as Sherlock Holmes, just after the famous consulting detective has vanished, locked in the clutches of his foe Moriarty, over the Reinenbach Falls? How could I pass this up?
"Moriarty", as I mentioned, is set in the same era, where our hero is Frederick Chase, a detective with the Pinkertons, sent across the pond to England while tracking Moriarty's American equivalent. Now that the evil professor is gone, Chase fears that Clarence Devereaux, the American version, will move into the power void and create an evil empire spanning both continents!
Chase, although initially at a loss, soon finds himself teaming up with Athelney Jones, a local detective who has his own hero-worship for Sherlock Holmes. As the two dig further into the case, following a seemingly never-ending trail of bodies, we start to pick up some comparisons between Jones and Chase that mirror the original relationship between Watson and Holmes.
I'm sure that's intended.
As the book began to draw to a close, however, I felt that everything seemed to be wrapping up a bit too neatly. And, just as that thought entered my mind, BAM! Twist!
Admittedly, I should have seen that twist coming, given several clues, but I was still quite surprised. Although there doesn't appear to be much chance of a sequel, this book was a great read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, staying up extra late to finish it.
Time to read: 4-6 hours, but one single day!
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