Synopses & Reviews
The game is once again afoot in this thrilling mystery from the bestselling author of The House of Silk, sanctioned by the Conan Doyle estate, which explores what really happened when Sherlock Holmes and his arch nemesis Professor Moriarty tumbled to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls.
Internationally bestselling author Anthony Horowitzs nail-biting new novel plunges us back into the dark and complex world of detective Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty—dubbed the Napoleon of crime” by Holmes—in the aftermath of their fateful struggle at the Reichenbach Falls.
Days after the encounter at the Swiss waterfall, Pinkerton detective agent Frederick Chase arrives in Europe from New York. Moriartys death has left an immediate, poisonous vacuum in the criminal underworld, and there is no shortage of candidates to take his place—including one particularly fiendish criminal mastermind.
Chase and Scotland Yard Inspector Athelney Jones, a devoted student of Holmess methods of investigation and deduction originally introduced by Conan Doyle in “The Sign of Four”, must forge a path through the darkest corners of Englands capital—from the elegant squares of Mayfair to the shadowy wharfs and alleyways of the London Docks—in pursuit of this sinister figure, a man much feared but seldom seen, who is determined to stake his claim as Moriartys successor.
A riveting, deeply atmospheric tale of murder and menace from one of the only writers to earn the seal of approval from Conan Doyles estate, Moriarty breathes life into Holmess dark and fascinating world.
Review
“Anthony Horowitz throws down the gauntlet in his infernally clever Sherlock Holmes pastiche.” Marilyn Stasio, < em=""> New York Times Book Review < m="">
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“The author turns up the suspense, the sleuths turn up the clues, and crooks end up dead all while Moriartys specter hovers. Anything but elementary, this clever thriller is sure to please Sherlock fans.” < em=""> People < m=""> Magazine, Book of the Week Review
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“Ultimately, the dastardly deeds, the cleverness behind the crimes and the detailed narrative spark multiple echoes of Holmesian elements while producing something new: a pleasurably imaginative theory of what might happened immediately following the showdown at the Falls.” < em=""> Boston Globe < m="">
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“A tour de force quite unlike any other fruit from these densely plowed fields… canny Sherlock-ian Horowitz still has more tricks up his sleeve.… A rare treat, a mystery as original as it is enthralling.” < em=""> Kirkus Reviews < m=""> (starred review)
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“meticulously researched and skillfully executed…. A fiendishly plotted exploit.” < em=""> LJ Express < m="">
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“A stunning riff on the Holmes-Moriarty clash. Its full of allusions to the Holmes cannon that Sherlockians will congratulate themselves for spotting, then wince moments later when Horowitz gently reveals the prank.... Horowitz spins his tale in pitch-perfect Watsonian prose…setting readers up for a finale that is truly jaw-dropping.” < em=""> Booklist < m=""> , (starred)
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“In this skilfully executed follow on, Horowitz takes up the Conan Doyle baton and creates a suitably stylish and twisty detective story.” < em=""> Sunday Mirror < m=""> (UK)
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“Thrilling and compelling, with a stunning twist, this is written as if Conan Doyle were at Horowitzs shoulder, and isin my viewthe finest crime novel of the year.” < em=""> Daily Mail < m=""> (London)
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“Though Horowitz dishes up the gore and violence with relish, he also offers all the tropes one might expect from a Holmes yarn, including baffling coded messages, impossible murders and clever red herrings... its plotting just as brilliantly gnarly but its tone more self-aware and laced with in-jokes.” < em=""> Financial Times < m="">
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“An unpredictable and twist-filled mystery from start to finish. But what do you expect from the man penning the next James Bond novel?” < em=""> Shortlist < m=""> (UK)
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“Is there nothing Anthony Horowitz touches that doesnt turn to gold? ...He captures Conan Doyles narrative technique to perfection. Gory murders, honest thieves, brilliant disguises, breathless chases and red herrings abound.” < em=""> Daily Express < m=""> (London)
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“A page-turning novel for all ages that continues the story of Sherlock Holmess greatest enemy…crammed with references to some of [Doyles] best-loved stories.” < em=""> The Independent < m=""> (UK)
Review
“a tour de force quite unlike any other fruit from these densely plowed fields.” < em=""> Kirkus < m="">
Synopsis
Internationally bestselling author Anthony Horowitz's nail-biting new novel plunges us back into the dark and complex world of Detective Sherlock Holmes and Professor James Moriarty in the aftermath of their fateful struggle at the Reichenbach Falls.
Days after Holmes and Moriarty disappear into the waterfall's churning depths, Frederick Chase, a senior investigator at New York's infamous Pinkerton Detective Agency, arrives in Switzerland. Chase brings with him a dire warning: Moriarty's death has left a convenient vacancy in London's criminal underworld. There is no shortage of candidates to take his place—including one particularly fiendish criminal mastermind.
Chase is assisted by Inspector Athelney Jones, a Scotland Yard detective and devoted student of Holmes's methods of deduction, whom Conan Doyle introduced in The Sign of Four. The two men join forces and fight their way through the sinuous streets of Victorian London in pursuit of this sinister figure, a man much feared but seldom seen, who is determined to stake his claim as Moriarty's successor.
Riveting and deeply atmospheric, Moriarty is the first Sherlock Holmes novel sanctioned by the author's estate since Horowitz's House of Silk.
About the Author
Anthony Horowitz is the author of the international bestseller The House of Silk and the New York Times number one bestselling Alex Rider series for young adults. As a television screenwriter, he created Midsomer Murders and the BAFTA-winning Foyle's War, both of which were featured on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery. He regularly contributes to a wide variety of national newspapers and magazines, and in January 2014 was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his services to literature. He lives in London.