Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings

From the gritty streets of nineteenth century London, the loyal and courageous Dr. Watson offers a tale unearthed after generations of lore: the harrowing story of Sherlock Holmes's attempt to hunt down Jack the Ripper.

As England's greatest specialist in criminal detection, Sherlock Holmes is unwavering in his quest to capture the killer responsible for terrifying London's East End. He hires an "unfortunate" known as Mary Ann Monk, the friend of a fellow streetwalker who was one of the Ripper's earliest victims; and he relies heavily on the steadfast and devoted Dr. John H. Watson. When Holmes himself is wounded in Whitechapel during an attempt to catch the savage monster, the popular press launches an investigation of its own, questioning the great detective's role in the very crimes he is so fervently struggling to prevent. Stripped of his credibility, Holmes is left with no choice but to break every rule in the desperate race to find the madman known as "the Knife" before it is too late.

A masterly re-creation of history's most diabolical villain, Lyndsay Faye's debut brings unparalleled authenticity to the atmosphere of Whitechapel and London in the fledgling days of tabloid journalism and recalls the ideals evinced by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most beloved and world-renowned characters. Jack the Ripper's identity, still hotly debated around the world more than a century after his crimes were committed, remains a mystery ripe for speculation. Dust and Shadow explores the terrifying prospect of tracking a serial killer without the advantage of modern forensics, and the result is a lightning-paced novel brimming with historical detail that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

A tour de force of Holmes and Ripper pastiche, this debut signals the arrival of a tremendous talent in the mystery and historical fiction genres.

• Sherlock Holmes is one of literature’s most beloved characters: Ever since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created the character of detective Sherlock Holmes, fans have clamored for more. Numerous authors have taken up the task of keeping Holmes alive, but few have successfully delivered as faithful an offshoot as Lyndsay Faye. In Dust and Shadow, she brings an unveiled authenticity to the legendary hero..

• A thoroughly gripping, old-fashioned investigator: Penned as a pastiche by the loyal and courageous Dr. Watson, Dust and Shadow tells the harrowing story of Sherlock Holmes’s attempt to hunt down Jack the Ripper on the gritty streets of late nineteenth-century London. Brimming with impeccable historical detail, this astonishing debut novel explores the ?terrifying prospect of tracking a serial killer without the advantage of modern forensics and profiling. A tour-de-force, this promising debut signals the arrival of a tremendous talent in mystery and historical fiction..

Lyndsay Faye is a writer and actress who lives in New York with her husband and cat.