About the Book
Narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt
"Anthony Horowitz throws down the gauntlet in his infernally clever Sherlock Holmes pastiche." -- Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
The game is once again afoot in this thrilling mystery from internationally bestselling author Anthony Horowitz, sanctioned by the Conan Doyle estate, that explores what really happened when Sherlock Holmes and his arch nemesis Professor Moriarty tumbled to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls.
Horowitz's nail-biting 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. Moriarty's 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 Holmes's methods of investigation and deduction originally introduced by Conan Doyle in "The Sign of Four", must forge a path through the darkest corners of England's 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 Moriarty's successor.
A riveting, deeply atmospheric tale of murder and menace from one of the only writers to earn the seal of approval from Conan Doyle's estate, Moriarty breathes life into Holmes's dark and fascinating world.
About the Author :
Anthony Horowitz is one of the UK's most prolific and successful writers, unique in being active in both adult and YA fiction, TV, theater, and journalism. Several of his previous novels were instant New York Times bestsellers. His bestselling Alex Rider series for young adults has sold more than nineteen million copies worldwide and has become a hugely successful show on Amazon Prime TV. His breakthrough murder mysteries Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders were adapted into a miniseries for PBS. He lives in London and was recently awarded the CBE for services to literature.
Sir Derek Jacobi has had a long and distinguished career. He has toured in Becket and Uncle Vanya, and he received a Tony Award for his performance as Benedick in the RSC's production of Much Ado about Nothing. His work in television includes the lead roles in Cadfael and I, Claudius, and his film credits include Henry V, Gosford Park, and Hamlet. His narrations have won him eleven Audiofile Earphones Awards.
Julian Rhind-Tutt is an actor and voice artist. His audiobook narrations have earned five AudioFile Earphones Awards, and he has been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award. His film appearances include roles in The Madness of King George, The Saint, Les Misérables, Notting Hill, and Tomorrow Never Dies, while his television credits include Reckless, Dangerfield, and Richard II. His stage work includes Editing Process, The Way of the World, Catherine Howard, and as the Duke of York in The Madness of George III. He is also the recipient of the Carlton Hobbs Award from BBC Radio.
Review :
"A stunning riff on the Holmes-Moriarty clash. It's 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."
-- "Booklist (starred review)"
"A Sherlockian pastiche without Holmes and Watson? Yes indeed, and it's a tour de force quite unlike any other fruit from these densely plowed fields...A rare treat, a mystery as original as it is enthralling."
-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"
"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."
-- "Financial Times (London)"
"Is there nothing Anthony Horowitz touches that doesn't turn to gold?...He captures Conan Doyle's narrative technique to perfection. Gory murders, honest thieves, brilliant disguises, breathless chases, and red herrings abound."
-- "Daily Express (London)"
"Like a caretaker who's been given the keys to the castle, Anthony Horowitz has been entrusted with the legend and legacy of one of fiction's greatest characters, Sherlock Holmes. The estate of Arthur Conan Doyle endorsed Horowitz's 2011 thriller The House of Silk, which was the first new Holmes novel in more than a century. In Moriarty, Horowitz explores trickier, uncharted territory: carrying forward the world of Holmes, without Holmes...But, as with all good Holmes tales, things are not always what they seem. Horowitz proves himself a worthy successor, packing this violent, energized tale with foot chases through Victorian London, clever disguises, encoded messages, feints, and fakes, plus buckets of blood and a platter of red herrings. Horowitz's fresh take on the legend of Sherlock Holmes pays homage to the original while infusing it with his own slick and twisty style."
-- "Amazon.com, editorial review"
"Meticulously researched and skillfully executed...A fiendishly plotted exploit sure to bedevil staunch Sherlockians."
-- "Library Journal"
"The author turns up the suspense, the sleuths turn up the clues, and crooks end up dead all while Moriarty's specter hovers. Anything but elementary, this clever thriller is sure to please Sherlock fans."
-- "People magazine"
"This devious Sherlockian tale by English novelist and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz requires narrator Julian Rhind-Tutt to play a range of English and American characters...He does an admirable job of using intonation and accent to portray personality. His pacing enhances the plethora of action in this fiendish reconsideration of what happened after Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty's death-fight at Reichenbach Falls. The result involves an American Pinkerton agent, a Scotland Yard detective, and an assortment of villains from both sides of the Pond. Have fun!"
-- "AudioFile"
"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."
-- "Boston Globe"
