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

Aug 16, 2012 Chrissie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, hf, mystery, england, great-britain

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

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Aug 27, 2012 Jeannette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics-retold, england, historical-fiction, krimis, 2012-read

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

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Mar 22, 2013 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Rachel by: Christin

Shelves: historical-fiction, crime-mystery

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

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Jan 24, 2011 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads

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

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Mar 09, 2011 Amy Sturgis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 21st-century, gothic, sherlockiana, whitechapel, mystery

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

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Mar 21, 2013 Eddie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

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

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Sep 28, 2012 Philip K. rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 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 the story of JACK, including Ellery Queen’s excellent “A Study in Terror” and Carol Nelson Douglas’ two volumes from her Irene Adler series; “Chapel Noir” and “Castle Rouge.”

The literature on the Ripper killings is also complex and lengthy. Numerous individuals have been nominated for the role and reasons for the abrupt end to the killings are also legion. Among the Sherlockian offerings, the number of ripper suspects approaches seventy five with almost as many explanations offered for the end to the killings. Although the Sherlockian works are often interesting, they offer little in the way of solid evidence from history for their resolutions of the questions left by the events. The true Ripper Literature tends toward the ‘Police Procedural’ school and is often merely gross, with little entertainment value except to sensationalists.

In this book, one is taken by the Good Doctor along on an investigation by The Master into the world of monsters. This is not the world of Vampires and Ghosties; instead a sense of growing horror brings both the investigators and the reader to the awarenes of the monsters that dwell amongst us, the human monsters that may be our neighbors or our contemporaries. Holmes and Watson are driven to face this reality and to find ways to deal with apparently ‘motiveless crimes.’ Holmes says “But I have repeated to myself Cui bono? until I can feel the words burned upon my brain, and the only answer is No one.” This adjustment in outlook is what made the Ripper Killings so difficult for contemporary society to deal with. No one could believe that Jack wandered around like a normal person, killed his victims and then dissolved back into the crowd of humanity in Whitechaple.

This novel presents an interesting solution to the identity of The Ripper and to the resolution of his fate. So far as I have read, it does not duplicate other proposed solutions, but it does seem to fit the established facts. There are a number of ‘unestablished facts’ that surround the Ripper Murders but many of those have been debunked by one author or another and many are discussed here. The activities of Press and the reactions of the denizens of Whitechaple are well covered in this book, in fact, they are integral to it. I wish I could call it a ‘pleasant read’ or a ‘good Holmesian tale,’ but it is not either of these things. It is dark and disturbing and frustrating. Holmes is discouraged, the Doctor is outraged and Scotland Yard is held up to ridicule by everyone involved.

The resolution is believable and the identity given for the Ripper is plausible. The book is hard to leave for even a moment and the usual distractions of Americanisms and untimely slang are mostly absent. Holmes’ investigation is real to the reader and his frustrations are apparent. The book is well worth reading and deeply disturbing.

Reviewed by: Philip K. Jones, February 2009.
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Aug 30, 2012 Marilynne rated it 5 of 5 stars

(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 (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-—has fascinated many authors. The strength of Dust and Shadow is that this tale is told by Watson. Sherlockians are surely the most critical audience for any attempt to emulate the good doctor who, for us, is the voice of the Victorian Era. Without that tone, there can be no verisimilitude in the characters, settings, or story line. Fortunately, ASH Lyndsay Faye has successfully traversed the usual hazards of plot on that oh-so-narrow tightrope of style, and the resulting evocation of Victorian London’s response to a serial killer on the loose is the strength of Dust and Shadow.
Lyndsay Faye isn’t Conan Doyle, of course, but she has sincerely endeavored to capture the essence of Watson’s literary voice. It’s enough unlike the original to make the prologue a little bumpy but, as I settled into the story, I became more comfortable with the familiar characterizations of Holmes and Watson. The tale itself is not a comfortable one—-there is good reason for Watson (and Conan Doyle, for that matter) to have avoided the gruesome subject of Jack the Ripper. On the other hand, Holmes’ clever East End accomplice, Mary Ann Monk, is delightful. Her lower-class thieves’ argot is unusual in the Canon; if you’re stuck for a meaning, I recommend a Google search for the “Victorian Slang Glossary.” I like the relationship between Holmes and Watson here, and I think you’ll enjoy Mrs. Hudson, too.
The story is a good one that rolls right along—-it’s exciting and historically accurate, portraying characters we know in somewhat more desperate circumstances than we’ve seen before. If you’re buying Dust and Shadow for a gift, you should pick up a copy for yourself—-it’s hard to put down once you start.
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Mar 21, 2012 Jen3n rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, mystery, horror

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

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Aug 30, 2011 robyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sherlockiana

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 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 think Faye did a great job of writing a Ripper story without making it sensationalistic or overblown, but also without denying the pathos of the victims. I just think this is a hard story to write, and she did it as well as I've seen it done.

The Ripper/Holmes pastiche is always problematic for me. On the one hand, it's a natural pairing, since Holmes and Jack inhabited the same space of time. As a young person, I came to wonder why Doyle had never addressed the Ripper crimes through Holmes. As an adult, it seems to me that the two could never meet (as written); Holmes inhabited a world where, no matter that he didn't always get the bad guy, virtue must always triumph and rationality carries the day, and very few of the crimes he worked demanded that he or we be emotionally invested. The Ripper comes from a dark place of hopelessness, futility, and the real disposability of the Victorian poor. His horrible crimes would have demanded an emotional response far and above what Doyle ever wrote for Holmes.

Holmes must have come up against the sordid side of Victorian society, but not in his own person; it was always off-stage and in disguise, with the end-result that Holmes the Victorian gentleman never needs to discuss it and Watson never needs to acknowledge it and we the reader never need to picture them existing in that world.

Holmes is SO controlled, in fact, that once one acknowledges how much time he spends in other personas, amongst the poor and criminal classes, one begins to imagine a Holmes as deeply divided as Victorian society itself was. THAT is why it's problematic to put Holmes and the Ripper together. It's the Batman/Joker phenom; you can't deal with the Joker long without acknowledging that the Batman has some problems of his own. Moriarty, Holmes' proper nemesis, was another intellect and as such did not demand that Holmes descend into the dark places of the human soul to combat him. The Ripper was a human beast, and pitting Holmes against him would highlight the division in Holmes, and make you think about the fact that he even COULD move in the Ripper's world. You can't imagine Watson or Lestrade doing it, but you think that perhaps Holmes could.

But then again... that might be giving the Ripper too much credit. *I* think, from what I've read, that the Ripper was degenerating, and in a modern-day setting would soon have been caught. Perhaps that's the real reason Holmes was never set to catch the Ripper. There were no deductions to be made, no logical conclusions to come to; just a vicious madman with a knife, operating in darkness and preying on the poor.(less)

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Aug 01, 2011 Riju Ganguly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 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 always tried to invent newer & newer methods.

In A Study in Terror, despite all the character-building, the story appeared somewhat stilted, in book version as well as in the film A Study In Terror [1965] [DVD],(which is a classic, I must admit), primarily because the frenzy concerning Ripper had not reached such alarming proportions till then.

Michael Dibdin broke every Holmesian rule in his entertaining-but-extremely controversial The Last Sherlock Holmes Story.

Then came a delight to brighten up any film-lover in the form of Murder By Decree [DVD] [1979] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC], but by following one of the pet conspiracy theories propounded by the now-notorious Stephen Knight in his Jack the Ripper: the Final Solution the film undermined itself in terms of credibility.

Geoffrey Landis' "The Singular Habits of Wasps" (to be found in The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) the conclusion was indeed ingenious and quite revolutionary (and yet, much more palatable compared to Dibdin's efforts).

Edward B Hanna's The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Whitechapel Horrors: 10 was the first serious attempt to keep both of these characters firmly footed onto their socio-politico-geographical ground, and perhaps because of this very attempted authenticity resulting from enormous amount of researches into the past of the historical personalities, the book had a rather open ending, probably because it was entering Stephen Knight territory.

I am very-very happy to state that this book is, till date, the only effort where at times I had to re-kindle my disbelief, rather than the other way around, to assure me that this is not a book in Begg-Sugden-Rumbelow tradition. The sentences, the characters, and the ending, all ring so true that you would be forced to think... No, let me conclude the review here. Go read the book, and wait for this author's next venture. I am sure, the wait will be worthwhile.(less)

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Jun 12, 2011 Gena rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

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, mercilessly attached by the knife wielding fiend, and libeled in the press, Holmes faces a challenge unlike any he has ever faced before. With each passing day panic spreads across the city, blood runs in the street and the frightened citizens are being turned against their only hope at stopping the Ripper. This could be the last case for Sherlock Holmes, the one mystery he will not live to solve, all could remain only Dust and Shadow.

As an avid Sherlockian I tend to read any pastiche that passes my way. Some are very fanciful, others set the Great Detective in a foreign country and some do away with him all together and concentrate on Watson. Lyndsay Faye has stayed true to Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. She has mastered Doyle’s style and set Holmes to work solving one of the greatest mysteries of all time – who was Jack the Ripper? Both Holmes and the Ripper were active at relatively the same time, and so mixing the real life horror with the greatest fictional detective ever written seems like a foregone conclusion. Faye does an amazing job; her plot is well thought out and her details of the real case are very accurate. The pace is brisk and there are some really wonderful characters (Miss Mary Ann Monk), but it is her Holmes and Watson that steal the show. Much as in the latest Sherlock Holmes movie, these two Victorian gentlemen come off as likable partners in crime solving, their friendship and affection shows through as well as their deep understanding of how these crimes could effect their whole nation. I would recommend this book to anyone who liked the movie, or historical mysteries or has an interest in Victorian crime.

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Feb 03, 2011 Paul Pessolano rated it 3 of 5 stars

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

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Jan 24, 2011 Lisa H. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-alt-history, mystery, fantasy

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

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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

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Jul 07, 2009 Jason Pettus rated it 4 of 5 stars

(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

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Jun 02, 2009 Christopher Roden rated it 3 of 5 stars

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

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May 05, 2009 jordan rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 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.

In the most crucial areas, Faye hits the mark. The characters are presented in a way that entirely captures Holmes's world: Lestrade, Mycroft, Watson, and the rest are all brought to life. Likewise, Faye succeeds in capturing that elusive voice which Doyle created for Dr. Watson, making one often forget that this novel was written by a different author and a hundred years later than the original. Where a lesser writer would have fallen into the trap of using anachronistic language which might ruin the illusion, Faye avoids this at every turn, fully inhabiting Holmes's Victorian milieu. The author also crafts a wonderful and gripping setting. London in general, and White Chapel in particular, are offered in all of their grim, dirty, charm. Part of the joy of Doyle's original works is being transported back in time through the story and Faye's novel likewise takes us to a world lost to us in time.

My only complaint about the novel was that it lacked the extraordinary conclusion of Doyle's Holmes stories, which force the reader to flip backwards to previous pages in order to assemble the dispirit facts that the great detective assembles to solve the case. Faye's conclusion regarding the Ripper's identity and fate offers few surprises. Other reviewers with a deeper knowledge of the Ripper than I possess praise Faye for crafting a theory that fits all the evidence and I take them at their word. Yet absent is the surprising and large conclusion offered in works such as Alan Moore's complex and labryntine From Hell. I can understand Faye's inclination to maintain fidelity with the facts of the case rather than bending them in order to create a more dramatic identity for the murderer, but still I could not help but be a bit disappointed.

Despite this short coming, Dust and Shadow will surely entertain and please readers, both fans of Doyle and those merely curious. Her skilled prose speak for themselves and I look forward to enjoying her future work. No doubt, the game is afoot. (less)

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Mar 22, 2013 Kennedi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: creepy, favorites, interesting-idea, mystery, sherlock-holmes

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

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Apr 29, 2011 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

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

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Dec 22, 2012 Kam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, mystery, thriller

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 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 popular culture.

Given the time period during which the Ripper operated, an interesting question that has lingered in the minds of some writers is: what would happen if Sherlock Holmes had been involved in solving the Ripper murders? It is a question that many fans and enthusiasts of Sherlock Holmes have asked at least once in the course of their interaction with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's creation: could the inimitable Sherlock Holmes have succeeded where so many others have failed and identified and captured the Ripper, if he had been permitted to do so? This possibility has already been explored in various media, from novels to television shows to video games, but the most recent iteration of this concept is Lyndsay Faye's Dust and Shadows: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson.

Dust and Shadows opens with an explanation from Dr. Watson as to why Holmes' involvement in the Ripper investigation was kept secret. According to Dr. Watson, there were two reasons for doing so: the first is that he felt the narrative was too open-ended, and therefore would not go over well with a reading public that prefers conclusive endings. The second reason is made clear at the end of the novel itself.

In truth, there's nothing new here that the reader would not already expect of a proper Holmes pastiche. Holmes is as any reader expects him to be, which is a good sign because there are a great many pastiches out there that do not quite write him so well. My only issue with this particular Holmes is that his switches in mood are a bit more extreme than I remember them to be in the originals, but I personally think this to be a minor flaw. Watson is pretty much spot-on, for the most part, as are Lestrade and Mycroft. The writing style is, of course, not exactly like Doyle's, but again that is to be expected: no one can sound exactly like Doyle except Doyle himself, and he is long dead. Other writers can only attempt to sound like Doyle as best as they can, and fortunately, Faye manages to do just fine in that department.

As for the Ripper himself, it's obvious that Faye has her own ideas regarding his identity, which is made clear in the novel itself. Many people have been put forward as the face behind Jack the Ripper, but Faye's spin on it is interesting. (view spoiler)

Another thing that bothers me about this is the ending. (view spoiler)

Overall, Dust and Shadows is everything that a proper Holmes pastiche ought to be: no character is out-of-character; narrative is as close to the tone of the original canon as possible. It is throwing in Jack the Ripper that could have made this a standout, and while the lead-up to the ending lives up to expectation, the ending falls rather flat on its face, lacking a little extra something that could have made this novel quite something apart from others like it. Unfortunately, there is no oomph, only a fizzle that makes this novel enjoyable while being read, but rather forgettable once it has been put down. (less)

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Feb 18, 2013 Jacqueline Patricks rated it 4 of 5 stars

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

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Aug 15, 2011 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

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

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Jun 18, 2009 Sabra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2009

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

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Jun 04, 2009 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-crime, hist-fic

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

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Nov 22, 2012 Kimberlee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kimberlee-s-home-library, favorites

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

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Jun 21, 2010 Casey McGrath rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

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Oct 06, 2012 Babette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-suspense

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

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May 22, 2012 Susan VanKirk rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

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Jun 25, 2009 Mary Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

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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topics	posts	views	last activity
The Mystery, Crim...: Sept/Oct 2012 Group Read: Dust and Shadow	29	233	Oct 06, 2012 07:43am
Laurie R. King Vi...: Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye - VBC July 2012	57	76	Jul 31, 2012 02:10pm

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

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