Synopses & Reviews
It is 1890 in Victorian England, and a large amount of gold is arriving unannounced in a special vault in the cargo hold of the steamship
The Empress of India. The steamship, traveling from Calcutta to London, will bear not only the gold but a detachment of the Highland Lancers to guard it.
Of course, such a shipment cannot help but come to the attention of the less savory elements of society. So the Bank of England hires Sherlock Holmes to use his special skills to thwart any plots against the gold before they are executed, but then Holmes disappears and is feared killed in an unfortunate incident. Professor James Moriarty, his archnemesis, finds himself blamed for Holmes's disappearance and under siege from the authorities. Meanwhile, the mysterious Pin Dok Low of the London underworld assembles a crack team with the goal of doing the impossible stealing the shipment of gold out from under everyone's noses.
Now Moriarty, with the help of his cohort Colonel Moran, agrees to undertake a very different assignment one that requires him to be on board The Empress of India at the same time as the gold. As the ship makes its way to the safety of the port of London, Moriarty finds himself stuck in the midst of a diabolical plot, one that threatens the life of nearly everyone on board. The gold, it appears, is only the exposed tip of the iceberg, and Moriarty finds himself matching wits with a mind as or perhaps even more nimble as his, with his own survival at stake.
Review
"This is Kurland's fourth Moriarty novel, and the series is nowhere near wearing out its welcome....This one's ideal for Holmes experts and novices alike." Booklist
Review
"The fourth Moriarty novel by the prolific Kurland carries forward the never-ending franchise with authentic flavor." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
In the late Victorian days, a large amount of gold is arriving unannounced on the cargo ship The Empress of India. Yet the impossible happens--the shipment of gold disappears en route. Sherlock Holmes, brought in by Her Majesty's Government, knows that only one man is both diabolical and clever enough to pull off such an outlandish, daring, and, yes, theoretically impossible crime: Professor James Moriarty. Moriarty, however, had nothing to do with the crime and yet finds himself under siege from all sides. To regain his peace, Professor Moriarty undertakes to locate the missing gold. But the gold is only the exposed tip of the iceberg and he soon finds himself matching wits with a mind as nimble--perhaps even more so--than his own.
About the Author
Michael Kurland has written almost forty books. Most recently, he was the editor of the Sherlock Holmes collection Sherlock Holmes: The Hidden Years. Twice a finalist for the Edgar Award, he lives in Petaluma, California.