Synopses & Reviews
IRENE ADLER
Operatic diva. Femme fatale. Adventuress.
And one of the world's most intriguing detectives.
Before Caleb Carr, Anne Perry, and Laurie R. King, Carole Nelson Douglas gave readers a delightful look into Victoriana with one of the most impressive detective characters: Irene Adler, the only woman ever to have outwitted Sherlock Holmes, in "A Scandal in Bohemia." A charismatic performer and the intellectual equal (some would say superior) the men she encounters, Irene Adler is as much at home with a spyglass and revolver as with haute couture and gala balls.
And her adventures are the stuff of legend. She has faced down sinister spies, thwarted plots against nations, spurned a monarch and lived to reap a sweet revenge...and now is on the hunt for one of the true monsters of all time-Jack the Ripper. It was she who led a most unlikely group of allies through the cellars and catacombs of 1889 Paris in the search and capture of the suspect at a horrific secret-cult ceremony held beneath the city. But disaster has scattered those allies and the Ripper has again escaped, this time from the custody of the Paris police. Sherlock Holmes has returned to London, and Watson, to reinvestigate the Whitechapel murders of the previous fall from an entirely new angle.
Irene fears the Ripper will soon carve a bloody trail elsewhere and is eager to hunt this terror down. But terror has struck a little too close to home, for her own nearest and dearest are mysteriously missing--her companion/biographer, Nell Huxleigh, abducted in Paris and her barrister husband, Godfrey Norton, vanished in the wilds of Bohemia.
What should Irene do first? Search for Nell, Godfrey, or the Ripper? Though Irene has many highly placed friends, the Baron de Rothschild, Sarah Bernhardt, and the Prince of Wales can only offer money and good will.
For the actual pursuit, Irene must rely on an unreliable cohort, the American prostitute named Pink, who has proven to be someone with her own agenda, and Bram Stoker, the theatrical manager who was later to pen Dracula. The trail will lead back to Bohemia and on to new and bloodier atrocities before pursuers and prey reunite at a remote castle in Transylvania, where lthe Ripper is cornered and fully unveiled at last . . . a truly astounding yet chillingly logical answer to what the world has never known before:
Who was Jack the Ripper?
Review
“Irene Adler is a swashbuckling heroine who smokes cigars, carries a pistol and disguises herself in mens clothing... A colorful character.”--
New York Times Book Review“Carole Nelson Douglas's vivid descriptions of people, places and events weaves a splendidly crafted tale of mystery and murder, horror, and humor.”--Anne Perry
“Castle Rouge is a breathtaking work of depth and quality. Never has Irene been so fascinating or determined... This is a sumptuous read.”—Romantic Times (4 stars, Top Pick)
Review
"Setting herself the task of creating a heroine worthy of Sherlock Holmes, Douglas succeeds smashingly. . . . Readers will doff their deerstalkers."-
Publishers Weekly"Her fine Sherlockian novels have turned Carole Nelson Douglas into a genuine mystery star. Pick one up and you'll see why."-Mystery Scene
Synopsis
A Novel of Suspense Featuring Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes
“Irene Adler is a swashbuckling heroine who smokes cigars, carries a pistol and disguises herself in mens clothing... A colorful character.”--New York Times Book Review
“Carole Nelson Douglas's vivid descriptions of people, places and events weaves a splendidly crafted tale of mystery and murder, horror, and humor.”--Anne Perry
Irene Adler is the only woman ever to have outwitted Sherlock Holmes in A Scandal in Bohemia; she is as much at home with a spyglass and revolver than with haute couture and gala balls. Her adventures are the stuff of legend, for she has faced down sinister spies, thwarted plots against nations, and led an unlikely group, including the bachelor of Baker Street and his faithful cohort Watson, through the cellars and catacombs of 1889 Paris to capture Jack the Ripper. But disaster scattered those allies and the Ripper has escaped...
With the help of an unreliable prostitute named Pink, and theatrical manager Bram Stoker, who would later pen Dracula, Irene follows the clues that lead back to Bohemia, and on to new and bloodier atrocities. And when pursuers and prey reunite at a remote castle in Transylvania, the Ripper is cornered and fully unveiled at last...
“Castle Rouge is a breathtaking work of depth and quality. Never has Irene been so fascinating or determined... This is a sumptuous read.”—Romantic Times (4 stars, Top Pick)
Synopsis
Irene Adler is the only woman ever to have outwitted Sherlock Holmes in A Scandal in Bohemia; she is as much at home with a spyglass and revolver than with haute couture and gala balls. Her adventures are the stuff of legend, for she has faced down sinister spies, thwarted plots against nations, and led an unlikely group, including the bachelor of Baker Street and his faithful cohort Watson, through the cellars and catacombs of 1889 Paris to capture Jack the Ripper. But disaster scattered those allies and the Ripper has escaped...
With the help of an unreliable prostitute named Pink, and theatrical manager Bram Stoker, who would later pen Dracula, Irene follows the clues that lead back to Bohemia, and on to new and bloodier atrocities. And when pursuers and prey reunite at a remote castle in Transylvania, the Ripper is cornered and fully unveiled at last...
About the Author
Castle Rouge is the companion volume to
Chapel Noir, chronicling Irene Adler's first Ripper case. The first book in
Carole Nelson Douglas's Irene Adler series,
Good Night, Mr. Holmes was a
New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the year, as well as winning an American Mystery Award for Best Novel of Romantic Suspense and a Romantic Times Best Historical Romantic Mystery Award. In addition to the Irene Adler series, Carole Nelson Douglas is the author of the bestselling contemporary Midnight Louie mystery series. She resides in Fort Worth, Texas.