A fabulous atmospheric historical mystery told through the eyes of Dr. Watson as Sherlock Holmes is entangled with and eventually solves, in only a Holmesian way, the mystery of Jack the Ripper.

In 1888 Inspector Lestrade calls on Holmes to help with the investigation of two murdered prostitutes. What follows is a dark look at the times and people of London as Holmes enlists the help of additional characters that liven up a time that has almost brought Holmes to his knees. Between opiate abuse and being accused of the murders himself, Holmes must survive both physical and emotional attacks to solve the crime of the century.

Faye does a admirable job inputting voice to Dr. Holmes as he , with the reader, seems to be a step behind the great investigator.

I hope that this is only the first of many wonderful books for Faye.

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5 stars
A wonderful historical novel written by 'Dr. John H. Watson' on the Jack the Ripper case that he and Sherlock Holmes worked but failed to catch the Ripper. The Ripper taunts Sherlock Holmes and even accuses him through the press of being the Ripper and nearly destroys his career. The historical novel is based on 'lost notes' of Dr. Watsons, which he hopes are never found and published.

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This may be the very best Sherlock Holmes pastiche I've read so far (its only competition would be The Last Sherlock Holmes Story, which also happens to be a Holmes/Jack The Ripper crossover). Watson's voice is just about perfect as Faye writes it, which is a rare accomplishment indeed. She also understands Holmes and Watson's relationship far better than most male writers do, and hence writes it in an extremely believable, true-to-canon way. A further refreshing change from the many male-penned pastiches is the inclusion of a major female character who is not just a damsel in distress, but a Violet Hunter sort of figure who is very intelligent and capable, and is recognised as such by Holmes, who employs her talents. I was terrified for this character's safety throughout the story, which demonstrates Faye's ability to write an appealing character that readers can emotionally connect to.

As for the story itself, Faye treats the horrific subject matter with the sensitivity and weight that it deserves, and makes sure to name each victim of the vicious murderer instead of treating them as valueless, nameless statistics. She also manages to imbue the tale with a deep horror that left my skin crawling by the dramatic climax of the action. This is very much a page-turner, and I found it hard to put the book down once I got going; the twists and turns of the tale will keep you anxious and curious to discover how things turn out, to see if our heroes will be triumphant or torn apart by this horror-show of a case. We get to see Holmes and Watson stretched to the limit of their abilities, and it is nail-biting stuff.

The more you know about Sherlock Holmes and about the Ripper murders, the more you will appreciate this story, as the author is extremely knowledgeable about both. Slash fans will also find a sly wink in the course of the narrative (I won't reveal what it is, since I hate spoilers, myself). Keep an eye out for it, if you choose to read this book (and I highly recommend you do)!

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