Sherlock Holmes and his arch nemesis, Professor Moriarty, meet, fight and go over Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. A body, identified as Moriarty, is found in the water. From this point on we hear little of the two. Frederick Chase, a Pinkerton Agent of New York, and Athelny Jones of Scotland Yard arrive at the scene to investigate. Chase suggests searching Moriarty's body for a letter from Clarence Devereux - American criminal mastermind who hopes to join forces with Moriarty. The letter is found written in code. Jones has studied Holmes' methods enabling him to decipher it which describes a meeting set between the two with time and place. Thus begins the detective partnership between Chase and Jones, much like that of Watson and Holmes.
The two try to trap the American criminal, the first of several attempts. It fails. As they follow various leads to criminal activity of the Devereux gang, murders begin to accumulate. There seems to be little reason for some but while the investigation continues so, too, do the murders. As the book draws to a climax Jones' daughter is kidnapped luring Chase and Jones into captivity. At this point they are convinced that their careers are to end. What happens from this point is startling and exciting as the two flee amid buzzing bullets. While I deciphered what was happening I thrust it aside believing that I was wrong. The ending proved my instincts correct but I was surprised by some of the details.
The storyteller of this tale is Chase. It moves rapidly with dead bodies falling continuously. Characters, so believable, include a fourteen year old psychopath and an American gangland boss with extreme agoraphobia who moved to the British Isles to take over crime in the country. Cohorts are the violent Mortlake brothers, Edgar and Leland.
The two try to trap the American criminal, the first of several attempts. It fails. As they follow various leads to criminal activity of the Devereux gang, murders begin to accumulate. There seems to be little reason for some but while the investigation continues so, too, do the murders. As the book draws to a climax Jones' daughter is kidnapped luring Chase and Jones into captivity. At this point they are convinced that their careers are to end. What happens from this point is startling and exciting as the two flee amid buzzing bullets. While I deciphered what was happening I thrust it aside believing that I was wrong. The ending proved my instincts correct but I was surprised by some of the details.
The storyteller of this tale is Chase. It moves rapidly with dead bodies falling continuously. Characters, so believable, include a fourteen year old psychopath and an American gangland boss with extreme agoraphobia who moved to the British Isles to take over crime in the country. Cohorts are the violent Mortlake brothers, Edgar and Leland.
I had enjoyed House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz but for some reason, couldn't get into the next offering from Anthony Horowitz in his Sherlock Holmes' series. Moriarty left me feeling a bit let-down, perhaps because my expectations had been built up too high after House of Silk.
Loved it! Surprises galore! Hope there is another one to follow!m
