Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson

Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson

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3.97 of 5 stars 3.97  ·  rating details  ·  1,906 ratings  ·  319 reviews
From the gritty streets of nineteenth century London, the loyal and courageous Dr. Watson offers a tale unearthed after generations of lore: the harrowing story of Sherlock Holmes's attempt to hunt down Jack the Ripper.

As England's greatest specialist in criminal detection, Sherlock Holmes is unwavering in his quest to capture the killer responsible for terrifying London's

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Hardcover, 325 pages
Published April 28th 2009 by Simon & Schuster (first published April 11th 2009)
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Chrissie
This was fun, terribly fun. How can a book about the Ripper killings be fun? It is fun because the murderer is c aught, by none other than Sherlock Holmes! The feeling of London in 1888 is accurately described. I am absolutely no expert of either Sir Conan Doyle or the Ripper killings, but having listened to this book I feel I am well acquainted with both now.

If you are worried that the story could be too gory, don’t worry. It isn’t. The delight you get from this book is how Sherlock Holmes sol...more
Jeannette
I have read a smattering of Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, and sampled a few modern re-writes, and I think this book is the best I’ve read at capturing the spirit of the original Holmes and Watson. Here Holmes is pitted against Jack the Ripper, a killer like no other that he or Scotland Yard has ever encountered: a cold-blooded, methodical serial killer. Holmes enlists the aid of Watson, the Baker Street Irregulars, Lestrade and the Yard, as well as Miss Monk, a resident of Whitechapel, who is...more
Rachel
Mar 22, 2013 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Rachel by: Christin
Listen, you all know how stingy I am with my 5-star ratings, because I've mentioned it only about a million times. I usually have to sleep on it before I can figure out if I'm really going to give it 5 stars or not. I have done just that, and I think this one deserves it.

Even if you think you've figured out some of the answer, there's always more to it than you could possibly imagine, and the thoughtfulness and planning of this story, in itself, deserves the 5 stars. So when you add to it how w...more
Christine
Ms. Faye tackles the two individuals in history everyone wishes could have truly crossed paths; Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes. The tone of this book is true to Sherlock Holmes and Ms. Lindsay does not alter the characters. The reader joins the investigation through the words of Dr. Watson and is taken through Whitechaple along with an interesting entourage to investigate the Ripper Killings.

In the 120+ years since the killings many theories have been put forth as to the identity of the kil...more
Amy Sturgis
It's entirely possible I've cast a shadow over the rest of my reading of Holmesian pastiches by devouring this novel so early in my project. I'm not quite sure how others will compete. That said, I can't remember when I've enjoyed savoring the first reading of a book as much. (Maybe The Thirteenth Tale last year? Although I think Dust and Shadow may exceed that experience, as well.) Lyndsay Faye delivered all I was wanting in this ambitious novel: excellent characterizations of the main characte...more
Eddie
I'm 22 pages short of this book being completed, but I can't help review it prematurely. The more I read this, the more I realize I am in love with the story and the paid homage to Sherlock Holmes. It's a simple whodunit; but the writing, the pace, the, again, paid homage to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson is wonderful, especially for being the writer's first novel. Gutsy I must say. Which helps me appreciate the author, Lindsaye Faye, for this being, again, her first novel and the fact that she...more
Philip K.
This is a first novel for Ms. Faye and it is subtitled “An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson.” As a Sherlockian scholar, I maintain a database of Sherlockian pastiches, parodies and related fiction. Among other things, this database keeps reference to the subjects of its entries and “Jack the Ripper” is the single most popular subject for pastiche writers, other than “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” There are at least seventy five different items on file about attempts to tell...more
Marilynne
(Reviewed in The Serpentine Muse, Vol 25, No. 4, 2009)
Subtitled “An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson,” the reader is forewarned that there are likely to be grisly details of human mutilation, but, as might be expected, Dr. Watson will be as horrified as ourselves to report them. Fortunately, Sherlock Holmes is on hand to put the details in their proper order and bring the perpetrator of the crimes to justice.
The premise of the book—-Holmes and Watson tracking Jack the Ripper...more
Jen3n
I very much enjoyed this book right up to the end. Then ... not as much.

One would think that this idea, a cross-over with Sherlock Holms and Jack the Ripper would be more prevalent. Same time period. A series of horrible (and, admittedly, very real) murders might well have been solved by the worlds greatest (and, regrettably, fictional) consulting detective. But for the life of me, I can't think of another book that did it. And I read a lot. No, really: a lot. I prefer it to talking to most peop...more
robyn
This was a pretty good pastiche! I wasn't too invested in it at the beginning, but by the time the story hit its stride, I'd come round and was really enjoying it. I like that Faye included a female character in the spirit of Doyle - intelligent and capable but not at the expense of Holmes or Watson. And while I don't think she quite nailed Holmes, she absolutely did a better job than most. It says on the fly-leaf that she's a devotee, and I believe it. This story was a labor of love.

I also thin...more
Riju Ganguly
Holmes v/s Ripper has always been a favourite subject of discussion among people fascinated with the subjects of crime & retribution, essentially to "prove" that had there been any body like Sherlock Holmes in London, 1888, he must have caught the Ripper, and therefore, Holmes did not exist. Those who wish to bring the two Victorian icons (yes, even as you wince thinking about it, swirling fog brings the fiend of Whitechapel to mind as easily as it recalls Sherlock Holmes) together had alway...more
Gena


Autumn 1888 and London is in the grip of a killer. When an unfortunate woman is killed outside a pub in the meanest part of Victorian London, there is only one man who can uncover the truth before more lives are lost. So enters the Great Detective himself, Sherlock Holmes, into the Jack the Ripper investigation. Soon Holmes and his trusty companion Dr. Watson are racing through the twisted alleys and back ways of Whitechaple on the heels of a very cunning killer. Thwarted at every turn, merciles...more
Paul Pessolano
The story is a fictional account of the Jack the Ripper murders, and if you did not know it Dr. John H. Watson was the historian for Sherlock Holmes.

If you liked the Sherlock Holmes mysteries you will certainly enjoy this book. You will enjoy it from two aspects. First, you will enjoy it because it is a well put together account of the Jack the Ripper murders, and Secondly, you will enjoy it because the author has done an uncanny replication of the style and writing of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Mos...more
Lisa H.
I think I've read all of the "canon" of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories and novels - as well as many of the derivative works like The Seven Percent Solution and Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series, and of course over the years I've watched many of the Sherlock Holmes movies, like the ones from the '40s with Basil Rathbone, and the Jeremy Brett portrayal from 1980s-'90s TV. Of those various productions, Lyndsay Faye's treatment in Dust and Shadow stands out as among those mo...more
Mike
Sep 03, 2009 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone
A really good story. Written in the if-I-was-Conan-Doyle style and as one reviewer pointed out, done better than many, many others.

The tale of the Ripper is in itself fascinating: Officially, he really was never caught and seemingly faded into oblivion after several increasingly gruesome murders and mutilations. It has been speculated that the type of knife work employed required some level of medical knowledge, but that like all of the the other theories is pure speculation.

In this novel, none...more
Jason Pettus
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)


As I've mentioned here before, I'm one of the millions out there with an obsessive love for the great fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, originally the product of Victorian genre author Arthur Conan Doyle but that has since passed into the public domain, which now that anyone can write stories conc...more
Christopher Roden
Sherlock Holmes pastiche is a tricky subject. Picking up on the scenes of the times is one thing - and Lyndsay Faye does a good enough job with that, seemingly having researched London of the time. Capturing the language of the times, and the language and style of Conan Doyle is another, and whilst Faye has made a promising stab at doing that, DUST AND SHADOW still contains material that would never have made it into THE STRAND MAGAZINE. Rough as one of Holmes's associates is - and street ladies...more
jordan
For reasons that are entirely obvious, fans wishing to write new adventures for Conan Doyle's great detective have been drawn to the idea of placing Holmes in pursuit of Jack the Ripper. After all, the same setting easily encompasses the fictional protagonist and the serial killer who's reign of terror, real and murderous though it was, reads like the stuff of fiction. Lyndsay Faye does an impressive and mostly successful job in adding to this cannon with her fine debut novel, Dust and Shadow.

I...more
Kennedi
Rating: 4.5 stars

Dust and Shadow was a really, really good book. It really was engrossing (it was read between last night and this morning), and trust me, those who like to solve the mysteries won't be able to do so here. (Do people ever do so with Holmes? Maybe - I just end up reading) Anyway, I found this on the Sherlock Holmes Pastiche list I'm slowly working my way down. While I still like the Mary Russell series better, it had a solid plot, wasn't disorganized, and kept true to the way Holm...more
Jill
I always swore that I would never read books of famous fictional characters that were written by other than the originating author.....but then I read the Laurie King Holmes books and was satisfied. So I picked up this novel by Faye and was again satisfied with how the author dealt with trying to follow-up on a classic character.
She has captured perfectly the language of Victorian England and the manner in which Holmes and Watson spoke to each other as so beautifully written by Conan Doyle. This...more
Kam
Jack the Ripper is perhaps one of, if not the most, (in)famous serial killers of all time. His brutal murder of five known (and perhaps more unknown) women in and around London's Whitechapel district ensured his notoriety in the annals of history and, of course, in literature. The fact that no one has ever figured out who, precisely, Jack the Ripper is only adds to the mystique, and it is because of that mystique that the Ripper continues to be a constant presence in the collective memory of pop...more
Jacqueline Patricks
I really enjoyed this. The author did a lot of research, yet kept it from taking over the story. She was able to stay true enough to Doyle's style that I felt like I was visiting old friends. As with all Sherlock stories, Dr. Watson narrated by first person and she wrote it in the older English style, so some of the phrasings were odd and stilted. But that made it more true to the original series. Even the mystery was, overall, nicely done. Though there was one clue that I felt was deliberately...more
Ashley
Sherlock Holmes meets Jack the Ripper, what's not to love, right? I've been on a bit of a Holmes kick lately-not at all related to my reading pursuits admittedly, but thanks to the BBC's series Sherlock. Lyndsay Faye's take on Sherlock is certainly an enjoyable read, have no doubt, however it is not one of the better Sherlock Holmes tomes I've read.

As the title suggests, this tale is written from the point of view of Dr. Watson, so we miss out on all internal thoughts and discussions from Mr. Ho...more
Sabra
I am not a Sherlock Holmes expert, in the least; my knowledge of the iconic literary character mostly gleaned from Disney's The Great Mouse Detective. Yeah, I know, how American am I? So I can't speak to how well Faye holds to Doyle's original characters and literary voice. However I do know a little bit more about the antagonist, having done a pretty comprehensive research paper and presentation on Jack the Ripper for a 19th Century England course in college. Still no expert, but based on what...more
Linda
New novelist Lyndsay Faye has done what few have managed before. She has resurrected Sherlock Holmes and company. Faye succeeds admirably in creating the ambience of the original novels, and by pitting Holmes against Jack the Ripper, presents him with a challenge worthy of his talents. The world’s greatest detective emerges true to form, with arrogance and foibles intact. Dr. Watson, dear as ever, remains at his side, but in this tale, he takes a more active role than was his wont. The usual lov...more
Kimberlee
I've been both a Sherlockian and a Ripperologist since childhood, so learning this book existed filled me with both excitement and worry. It had the potential to be as fantastic as I could imagine, but it also had a chance - a greater chance, even - of failing miserably. I knew about a couple chapters in that the latter wouldn't be the case.

It's not a perfect pastiche, if you're looking for perfection in either field, this probably isn't for you. What it is is a lot of fun. The voices are close...more
Casey McGrath
I found this book lounging in the new books section of my library and snatched it up as if my life depended on it. I am not a fan of modern crime novels or courtroom dramas, but I have a facination with Victorian England and the dichotomies between the straight laced morals of the day and the historical reality of crime and disrepute.

I adore Sherlock Holmes and have since I was a child. I have followed him through the brooding streets of London many time. I am also facinated by Jack the Ripper....more
Babette
I must have come across a very good recommendation for this book, because I am usually suspect of Sherlock Holmes tales written by someone other than Conan Doyle (of course nothing can match Laurie King's Mary Russell books). In addition, this was a Holmes meets Jack the Ripper story, which sounded a bit ludicrous. Early into the book, my thinking was changed. This is Lindsay Faye's first novel, and what a marvelous read she has penned. The style, the characters, the setting, the mood, the suspe...more
Susan VanKirk
Dust and Shadow is a debut novel for Lyndsay Faye and it is an amazing one. I love all things Sherlock Holmes and this book is her rendition of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson meet Jack the Ripper. She is especially adroit at describing the impoverished residents of London's East End, living in squalid conditions and afraid that they may be the next victim. As Holmes investigates, the body count continues to rise in the Whitechapel district. Before the book ends Holmes finds himself under suspici...more
Mary Beth
I checked this book out of our local library only as a stop-gap read: I was waiting for the books on my library request list to trickle in, and I had nothing at home that I wanted to reread. I had my toddler by the hand(straining, yearning, struggling to run free!) and did a quick peruse of the "new books" section and found this book, grabbed it as a likely candidate, and checked it out before toddler meltdown. Wow! Am I glad that I did! It was a really enjoyable read and not at all the stop-gap...more
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Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson (Paperback)
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