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Horowitz's Holmes #2
Moriarty
NEW YORK TIMES
BESTSELLER
What happened after Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty went over the Reichenbach Falls? Bestselling author Anthony Horowitz (creator of TV’s Foyle’s War and Midsomer Murders) once again takes on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in this razor-sharp thriller
“Anything but elementary, this clever thriller is sure to please.” —People
“Infernally clever.” —The New York Times Book Review
Sherlock Holmes is dead.
Days after Holmes and his arch-enemy Professor James Moriarty fall to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls, Pinkerton agent Frederick Chase arrives from New York. The death of Moriarty has created a poisonous vacuum that has been swiftly filled by a fiendish new criminal mastermind. Ably assisted by Inspector Athelney Jones, a devoted student of Holmes’s methods of investigation and deduction, Chase must hunt down this shadowy figure, a man much feared but seldom seen, a man determined to engulf London in a tide of murder and menace.
The game is afoot . . .
Award-winning TV screenwriter Anthony Horowitz takes up Conan Doyle’s mantle once more in this riveting and deeply atmospheric tale—sanctioned by the author’s estate—that breathes life into Holmes’s world, again proving that once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
What happened after Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty went over the Reichenbach Falls? Bestselling author Anthony Horowitz (creator of TV’s Foyle’s War and Midsomer Murders) once again takes on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in this razor-sharp thriller
“Anything but elementary, this clever thriller is sure to please.” —People
“Infernally clever.” —The New York Times Book Review
Sherlock Holmes is dead.
Days after Holmes and his arch-enemy Professor James Moriarty fall to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls, Pinkerton agent Frederick Chase arrives from New York. The death of Moriarty has created a poisonous vacuum that has been swiftly filled by a fiendish new criminal mastermind. Ably assisted by Inspector Athelney Jones, a devoted student of Holmes’s methods of investigation and deduction, Chase must hunt down this shadowy figure, a man much feared but seldom seen, a man determined to engulf London in a tide of murder and menace.
The game is afoot . . .
Award-winning TV screenwriter Anthony Horowitz takes up Conan Doyle’s mantle once more in this riveting and deeply atmospheric tale—sanctioned by the author’s estate—that breathes life into Holmes’s world, again proving that once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 23, 2014
2324 people are currently reading
26556 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Horowitz
345 books21k followersAnthony Horowitz, OBE is ranked alongside Enid Blyton and Mark A. Cooper as "The most original and best spy-kids authors of the century." (New York Times). Anthony has been writing since the age of eight, and professionally since the age of twenty. In addition to the highly successful Alex Rider books, he is also the writer and creator of award winning detective series Foyle’s War, and more recently event drama Collision, among his other television works he has written episodes for Poirot, Murder in Mind, Midsomer Murders and Murder Most Horrid. Anthony became patron to East Anglia Children’s Hospices in 2009.
On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced that Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled the House of Silk.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/anthon...
On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced that Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled the House of Silk.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/anthon...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,861 reviews
February 22, 2016
Sherlock Holmes is dead! What an excellent selling point for a book; it made me want to read it. I think half of me was disgusted and the other half, deeply intrigued. First point to note, I have been a little cryptic in my review because if I said too much, I would spoil the marvellous ending which, of course, makes this book into something quite superb.
Sherlock Holmes and his archenemy, Moriarty, are both dead: they have fallen over a cliff after a struggle. Moriarty’s body is found with a coded note that casts suspicion on a rival crime lord.
The protagonists of this novel are two detectives: Jones and Chase. Athelney Jones is a Sherlock Holmes imitation; Holmes and Jones even sound the same. He has spent his professional life looking up to the master of deduction and has spent months perfecting his techniques. The Watson to Horowitz’s Holmes, is Frederick Chase an American agent tracking a former suspect which leads him into the heart of British crime.
A good crime novel needs to keep the reader guessing; it needs to keep them suspecting everyone and questioning their motives: scrutinising their characters. This has achieved it masterfully. Each new character that was introduced could have been a new link to the crime lord or a suspect. The plot was incredibly fast, even for a book of this genre. Two out of three chapters ended with a point that made me want to read more than I usually would. Towards the end, it somehow becomes even faster and more intense.
The ending of this is one of the most shocking things I’ve read in a novel. Ok, so the clues are there in the book and they are very, very subtle. I do believe that very few people reading this, if any, will guess the ending. No doubt, some people in their reviews will say, “I knew from the start.” I disbelieve anybody who says this. I had suspicious, but they were unfounded. Towards the end of the book, I did have a feeling something was going to happen; that something more had to be revealed and I was glad when it did because, it changed the book from a standard crime story to something very clever. Indeed, the author has been incredibly deceptive!
I would recommend this to any fans of Sherlock Holmes; once you’ve reached the ending you will understand why.
Sherlock Holmes and his archenemy, Moriarty, are both dead: they have fallen over a cliff after a struggle. Moriarty’s body is found with a coded note that casts suspicion on a rival crime lord.
The protagonists of this novel are two detectives: Jones and Chase. Athelney Jones is a Sherlock Holmes imitation; Holmes and Jones even sound the same. He has spent his professional life looking up to the master of deduction and has spent months perfecting his techniques. The Watson to Horowitz’s Holmes, is Frederick Chase an American agent tracking a former suspect which leads him into the heart of British crime.
A good crime novel needs to keep the reader guessing; it needs to keep them suspecting everyone and questioning their motives: scrutinising their characters. This has achieved it masterfully. Each new character that was introduced could have been a new link to the crime lord or a suspect. The plot was incredibly fast, even for a book of this genre. Two out of three chapters ended with a point that made me want to read more than I usually would. Towards the end, it somehow becomes even faster and more intense.
The ending of this is one of the most shocking things I’ve read in a novel. Ok, so the clues are there in the book and they are very, very subtle. I do believe that very few people reading this, if any, will guess the ending. No doubt, some people in their reviews will say, “I knew from the start.” I disbelieve anybody who says this. I had suspicious, but they were unfounded. Towards the end of the book, I did have a feeling something was going to happen; that something more had to be revealed and I was glad when it did because, it changed the book from a standard crime story to something very clever. Indeed, the author has been incredibly deceptive!
I would recommend this to any fans of Sherlock Holmes; once you’ve reached the ending you will understand why.
November 7, 2021
4.5 stars
I loved this!
I guessed pretty much from the get-go what was going to happen, but I still loved it.
Even though I kind of knew the twist, it was still a fun surprise when it happened. And when I say "knew the twist", Horowitz still kept me second-guessing myself right up till the end.
This takes place after the Reichenbach Falls incident where Sherlock Holmes kills Professor Moriarty and fakes his own death.
The gist is that there is a villainous mastermind from America who rivals Moriarty in intelligence and leaves a trail of blood in his wake. Right before the Professor's death, he had come to England to potentially meet with him in an effort to (maybe) expand both of their illicit kingdoms.
A Pinkerton agent from the States is hot on his trail and teams up with an inspector from Scotland Yard who has studied Holmes' methods of investigation. These two become like their own version of Sherlock and Watson while they attempt to ferret out the identity of this dangerous new criminal and bring him to justice.
After The House of Silk, I assume that all of these new Holmes stories would be from Watson's lost case file or something. But no! This was an interesting way to tell another story from that world without using Watson as the narrator. And while it didn't exactly have the same Sherlock vibe that HoS had, it was an entirely worthwhile book for fans.
I listened to the audio version read by Julian Rhind-Tutt. Excellent job, I absolutely loved the narration.
Highly Recommended!
I loved this!
I guessed pretty much from the get-go what was going to happen, but I still loved it.
Even though I kind of knew the twist, it was still a fun surprise when it happened. And when I say "knew the twist", Horowitz still kept me second-guessing myself right up till the end.
This takes place after the Reichenbach Falls incident where Sherlock Holmes kills Professor Moriarty and fakes his own death.
The gist is that there is a villainous mastermind from America who rivals Moriarty in intelligence and leaves a trail of blood in his wake. Right before the Professor's death, he had come to England to potentially meet with him in an effort to (maybe) expand both of their illicit kingdoms.
A Pinkerton agent from the States is hot on his trail and teams up with an inspector from Scotland Yard who has studied Holmes' methods of investigation. These two become like their own version of Sherlock and Watson while they attempt to ferret out the identity of this dangerous new criminal and bring him to justice.
After The House of Silk, I assume that all of these new Holmes stories would be from Watson's lost case file or something. But no! This was an interesting way to tell another story from that world without using Watson as the narrator. And while it didn't exactly have the same Sherlock vibe that HoS had, it was an entirely worthwhile book for fans.
I listened to the audio version read by Julian Rhind-Tutt. Excellent job, I absolutely loved the narration.
Highly Recommended!
November 5, 2014
I'll start by saying that I thought the first book in this series, The House of Silk, was so wonderful that I was really excited about Moriarty. I'm a keen Holmes fan and in addition to reading all the originals, I've read a number of Holmes novels which have been written by other people.
Ok. This novel was absolutely awful; it was predictable, choppy, it didn't flow, there was a long explanation about what happened at the Reichenbach Falls that served very little purpose, the characters lacked charisma and authenticity, Holmes was barely mentioned, there was hardly any real Victorian flavour, and I could go on.
I was so thoroughly disappointed, having loved the first book, that I felt like throwing my kindle. Moriarty is supposed to be one of the greatest villains of all time and he dished me up a damp squib. Gutting.
Ok. This novel was absolutely awful; it was predictable, choppy, it didn't flow, there was a long explanation about what happened at the Reichenbach Falls that served very little purpose, the characters lacked charisma and authenticity, Holmes was barely mentioned, there was hardly any real Victorian flavour, and I could go on.
I was so thoroughly disappointed, having loved the first book, that I felt like throwing my kindle. Moriarty is supposed to be one of the greatest villains of all time and he dished me up a damp squib. Gutting.
October 4, 2021
In this 2nd book in Anthony Horowitz's "Sherlock Holmes' series, the body of Holme's nemesis Moriarty is found. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Several days after Sherlock Holmes and criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty go over the Reichenbach Falls, a dead body - identified as Moriarty - is fished out of the water. Two detectives descend on the scene: Frederick Chase, a Pinkerton Agent from New York and Athelny Jones from Scotland Yard.
At the urging of Chase, Moriarty's body is searched for a letter from Clarence Devereux - an American criminal mastermind believed to be in England to join forces with Moriarty. A letter written in secret code is found.
Luckily, Athelny Jones - who has intensely studied Holmes' methods - is able to decipher the letter, which has the time and place of a meeting between the evil masterminds. Hoping that Devereux believes Moriarty is still alive Chase impersonates Moriarty at the meeting while Jones is set to follow anyone who shows up.
This maneuver leads the detectives to Devereux's gang and a series of clues point to the location of the American criminal genius, who is essentially untouchable. There's much murder and mayhem in the wake of the detectives' investigations and they work valiantly to nab Devereux while endangering their own lives.
This is especially harrowing for Jones, who has a wife and young child dependent on him - but he and Chase forge ahead to a dramatic climax and finale.
Sherlock Holmes fans will recognize many nods to the original stories in this worthy 'sequel', which is entertaining and clever and has the feel of 'real' Sherlock Holmes stories. Highly recommended to fans of the original tales.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
December 26, 2020
I enjoyed The House of Silk very much so I was looking forward to this follow up, and I was not at all disappointed.
Moriarty is written as the POV of Frederick Chase, a senior investigator from Pinkerton's Detective Agency in the USA. As the book proceeds he partners up with Inspector Athelney Jones from Scotland Yard and their relationship becomes an imitation of Watson and Holmes.
The book is written in the style of the original Sherlock books and it moves at quite a pace with dead bodies falling at the wayside continuously. Characters include a fourteen year old psychopath and a gangland boss with extreme agoraphobia which opens up many possibilities for a crime writer like Horowitz and he grabs every one of them.
This was a good book all the way through but the ending was brilliant. Totally unexpected and the kind which makes you want to read the book again to see why you missed the clues first time round. Loved it!
Moriarty is written as the POV of Frederick Chase, a senior investigator from Pinkerton's Detective Agency in the USA. As the book proceeds he partners up with Inspector Athelney Jones from Scotland Yard and their relationship becomes an imitation of Watson and Holmes.
The book is written in the style of the original Sherlock books and it moves at quite a pace with dead bodies falling at the wayside continuously. Characters include a fourteen year old psychopath and a gangland boss with extreme agoraphobia which opens up many possibilities for a crime writer like Horowitz and he grabs every one of them.
This was a good book all the way through but the ending was brilliant. Totally unexpected and the kind which makes you want to read the book again to see why you missed the clues first time round. Loved it!
September 19, 2021
The collective talents of Horowitz as an expert crime writer and the brilliance of the man that is Sherlock Holmes combine in this tale of Moriarty.
Moriarty is depicted as a cunning but intelligent criminal but the final face off between Holmes and Moriarty results in both plummeting to their deaths at the Reichenbach Falls. Moriarty’s body is found with a coded note that casts doubt as to the events and circumstances surrounding his death, and where is Holmes body?. Nevertheless, this gives rise to a new criminal mastermind set to terrorise London.
Frederick Chase arrives from New York, and teams up with Inspector Athelney Jones, the understudy and devoted student of Sherlock Holmes work. Their investigation sees them managing multiple threads and sub plots involving abduction, murder, deception, and bombings, in this fast paced and gripping novel.
There is a cracking and unpredictable ending following a book that offered so much. The book was packed with everything the spills and thrills, the intrigue, crime, mystery and suspense. One of my favourite endings in any novel.
One small criticism, although the book was very true to the investigative style of Sherlock Holmes, it was disappointing that Holmes did not actually make an appearance in the book although we had lots of references to him.
Moriarty is depicted as a cunning but intelligent criminal but the final face off between Holmes and Moriarty results in both plummeting to their deaths at the Reichenbach Falls. Moriarty’s body is found with a coded note that casts doubt as to the events and circumstances surrounding his death, and where is Holmes body?. Nevertheless, this gives rise to a new criminal mastermind set to terrorise London.
Frederick Chase arrives from New York, and teams up with Inspector Athelney Jones, the understudy and devoted student of Sherlock Holmes work. Their investigation sees them managing multiple threads and sub plots involving abduction, murder, deception, and bombings, in this fast paced and gripping novel.
There is a cracking and unpredictable ending following a book that offered so much. The book was packed with everything the spills and thrills, the intrigue, crime, mystery and suspense. One of my favourite endings in any novel.
One small criticism, although the book was very true to the investigative style of Sherlock Holmes, it was disappointing that Holmes did not actually make an appearance in the book although we had lots of references to him.
March 10, 2015
I won my first Goodreads giveaway! So excited to get this book in the mail :)
Update:
Thank you to the publisher for this free ARC.
I think this is more of a 3.5, but I'm rounding it up to a 4 because the second half of the book really got things going.
An American criminal mastermind crosses the sea to entangle himself within England's web of crime, and all hell breaks loose. Two investigators, one American and one English, come together to find him and shut him down. Holmes and Watson weren't in this installment, but it was still very centered around their lives.
The premise was very well-executed and there were quite a few different levels to the mystery. At first, I found my interest in the story waning a bit, but once the pacing picked up I was increasingly intrigued. I wasn't particularly enamored with any of the characters, but the atmosphere was spot on.
Overall, I think I liked The House of Silk a little better, but both books are worth the read. Great for fans of Sherlock Holmes and mysteries in general.
Update:
Thank you to the publisher for this free ARC.
I think this is more of a 3.5, but I'm rounding it up to a 4 because the second half of the book really got things going.
An American criminal mastermind crosses the sea to entangle himself within England's web of crime, and all hell breaks loose. Two investigators, one American and one English, come together to find him and shut him down. Holmes and Watson weren't in this installment, but it was still very centered around their lives.
The premise was very well-executed and there were quite a few different levels to the mystery. At first, I found my interest in the story waning a bit, but once the pacing picked up I was increasingly intrigued. I wasn't particularly enamored with any of the characters, but the atmosphere was spot on.
Overall, I think I liked The House of Silk a little better, but both books are worth the read. Great for fans of Sherlock Holmes and mysteries in general.
December 27, 2014
I love Doyle. I adore Holmes and Watson. The television shows, old and new... like them. The 7% Solution --book and movie-- loved!! This book. Nope.
I can understand why others might like it. If I were stuck on a plane for 3 hours I'd be happy enough reading it. But otherwise, I'd like me time back, please.
There were a number of disappointments, but in general if the words weren't supposed to be from Victorian times, they would have been okay. The crisp language of Doyle though, is not reproduced. And granted, this is not a sin. Writers take a modern tone with historical pieces all the time. But I expected/needed different.
I thought there was also a problem with the pacing and lack of drama and lack of foreshadowing. I had to draaaaag myself through the first 200ish pages. After which the action started. AND the action/drama at this point almost made the book for me. I was intrigued. Excited even. Right up until the point where the author betrayed me as a reader.
SOME READERS ARE GOING TO BE DELIGHTED by the betrayal and find it ever so amusing. I might have been if there had been some foreshadowing and puzzling occurrences. But I felt it was just dropped on me out of the blue. That's not clever.
IF YOU want to try this book, and I wouldn't put you off of it as many people have LOVED IT, I would approach it as a YA-type read. I think you'll enjoy it more that way.
I can understand why others might like it. If I were stuck on a plane for 3 hours I'd be happy enough reading it. But otherwise, I'd like me time back, please.
There were a number of disappointments, but in general if the words weren't supposed to be from Victorian times, they would have been okay. The crisp language of Doyle though, is not reproduced. And granted, this is not a sin. Writers take a modern tone with historical pieces all the time. But I expected/needed different.
I thought there was also a problem with the pacing and lack of drama and lack of foreshadowing. I had to draaaaag myself through the first 200ish pages. After which the action started. AND the action/drama at this point almost made the book for me. I was intrigued. Excited even. Right up until the point where the author betrayed me as a reader.
SOME READERS ARE GOING TO BE DELIGHTED by the betrayal and find it ever so amusing. I might have been if there had been some foreshadowing and puzzling occurrences. But I felt it was just dropped on me out of the blue. That's not clever.
IF YOU want to try this book, and I wouldn't put you off of it as many people have LOVED IT, I would approach it as a YA-type read. I think you'll enjoy it more that way.
February 17, 2017
I had heard a lot about ‘The House of Silk’, the first book in this series. Unfortunately, I could not get my hands on it. When I received the review copy of Moriarty from the publishers, I was really excited to get into it.
The Story picks up from the Reichenbach Falls, where Sherlock Holmes and his arch-nemesis meet their end. Pinkerton agent Frederick Chase and Inspector Athelney Jones of Scotland Yard join up to solve the case of the new mastermind who takes up the criminal vacuum left by Moriarty. From a scrap of paper with his name on it to the real person that Clarence Devereux is, the author builds up a new character for the two detectives to follow and take down. Will they succeed or will the loss of Sherlock Holmes give the criminal world to rise again?
A Sherlock Holmes book with very little about Sherlock Holmes! Yes, this book takes the canon world to a whole new level. Will Frederick Chase and Athelney Jones be able to fill in the very big shoes of Sherlock and Watson? Well read it and judge it for yourself.
My experience with this book was unbelievable. Once I realized the turn the author was taking with the book, I was in shock for most part of it. All of a sudden all my expectations had taken a whole new level and I have to admit that the book fulfills it all and then some.
The characters of Frederick Chase and Athelney Jones are well created and developed throughout the book. Athelney Jones, who has been following Sherlock Holme’s methods closely, brings quite a bit to the story. Frederick Chase on the other hand brings in a different flavor. Together they form quite a formidable duo. The plot on the other hand is something out of a Conan Doyle novel. The hardcore mystery buffs can play the Whodunnit game right along the 2 detectives and I have to admit that most of my guesses turned out wrong. Yes, this is a great mystery that had the better of me and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride it took me for.
This is certainly one of the best books that I have read this year and this is certainly the best Sherlock Holmes cannon that I have read. Don’t be skeptical, go ahead and pick it up!
http://www.b00kr3vi3ws.in/2015/01/Mor...
The Story picks up from the Reichenbach Falls, where Sherlock Holmes and his arch-nemesis meet their end. Pinkerton agent Frederick Chase and Inspector Athelney Jones of Scotland Yard join up to solve the case of the new mastermind who takes up the criminal vacuum left by Moriarty. From a scrap of paper with his name on it to the real person that Clarence Devereux is, the author builds up a new character for the two detectives to follow and take down. Will they succeed or will the loss of Sherlock Holmes give the criminal world to rise again?
A Sherlock Holmes book with very little about Sherlock Holmes! Yes, this book takes the canon world to a whole new level. Will Frederick Chase and Athelney Jones be able to fill in the very big shoes of Sherlock and Watson? Well read it and judge it for yourself.
My experience with this book was unbelievable. Once I realized the turn the author was taking with the book, I was in shock for most part of it. All of a sudden all my expectations had taken a whole new level and I have to admit that the book fulfills it all and then some.
The characters of Frederick Chase and Athelney Jones are well created and developed throughout the book. Athelney Jones, who has been following Sherlock Holme’s methods closely, brings quite a bit to the story. Frederick Chase on the other hand brings in a different flavor. Together they form quite a formidable duo. The plot on the other hand is something out of a Conan Doyle novel. The hardcore mystery buffs can play the Whodunnit game right along the 2 detectives and I have to admit that most of my guesses turned out wrong. Yes, this is a great mystery that had the better of me and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride it took me for.
This is certainly one of the best books that I have read this year and this is certainly the best Sherlock Holmes cannon that I have read. Don’t be skeptical, go ahead and pick it up!
http://www.b00kr3vi3ws.in/2015/01/Mor...
August 16, 2015
Excellent Story, Well Told, with a Totally Surprising Ending. But...
Illustration: Professor Moriarty, by Sidney Paget. Strand Magazine, 1893. Public Domain.
3.5 stars
This book, is, of course, a new Sherlock Holmes story written by famous British writer Anthony Horowitz with the blessings of the Arthur Conan Doyle estate.
Horowitz is an extraordinary story teller. He knows how to build suspense, create an atmosphere of dread, etc.
He also knows how to craft a story that could have been written by Arthur Conan Doyle himself. It's full of authentic details and characters right out of the Sherlock Holmes stories.
The Major Players
His characters are real and believable.
Frederick Chase, an American Pinkerton inspector, comes to the United Kingdom to track down some American gangsters who have taken refuge in England. In particular he's after Clarence Devereux, the evil crime mastermind who he believes to be responsible for the execution style murder of Chase's subordinate, Jonathan Pilgrim. He's also interested in tracking down some of Devereux's lieutenants, such as the nasty Mortlake brothers, Edgar and Leland.
He arrives in Britain the very week of the apparent deaths of Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty. They engaged in mortal combat on the edge of the terrible Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. Professor Moriarty was seen to fall (presumably to his death). Sherlock Holmes is missing and presumed dead.
Chase encounters Scotland Yard agent Athelney Jones in the Swiss village nearest to the falls. Jones seems like a godsend to Chase. He's emulated the methods of Sherlock Holmes and is brilliant at noticing and interpreting clues. Chase persuades Jones that Devereux is an evil man. The two quickly join forces.
Jones has a little daughter, Beatrice, and a very astute wife, Elspeth.
The two detectives encounter many evil doings and unspeakable crimes as they wend their way through London looking for Devereux, who is rumored to suffer from agoraphobia.
I won't say more to avoid spoiling the story.
Surprising, but Disappointing, Ending
Let's just say that the ending truly caught me by surprise. Maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention, but I'm not usually totally astonished by the ending of a crime novel. So kudos to Horowitz for that coup.
But...
While the book was excellent up to its last few chapters, somehow the denouement (for reasons I can't discuss to avoid spoiling it) felt like a let down. I also can't entirely pinpoint the reasons for my dissatisfaction with the ending, although I have some ideas. (Again, I don't want to spoil the book, so I won't even go there.)
The disappointing ending is the reason I can't give the book four stars, which I most certainly would have done until the last few chapters.
Do read it, if you like Sherlock Holmes. If nothing else, it will surprise you.
Excellent Audio
Well known British actor Julian Rhind-Tutt did a great job reading the audio. His one stumble was having the American Chase pronounce boulevard as "boolevard", something I don't think even we American rubes would do.
It's unclear whether Derek Jacobi was also one of the audio readers. The description doesn't credit him, but he's listed on the Overdrive download, so who knows? I thought I heard his voice, but maybe it was Rhind-Tutt.
September 14, 2019
This is one heck of a clever book and a diverting read. The many-talented Anthony Horowitz gives us a post Reichenbach Falls novel featuring a Scotland Yard detective and a Pinkerton's Detective Agency detective who meet up where Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty took their fatal fall together. A body has washed up and it's Moriarty's. This is a first person narrative written by the Pinkerton man, done in Victorian style in much the same way Conan Doyle wrote. It hearkens back to Agatha Christie's most controversial novel, and a crime-novel-reading group would find much to discuss. I previously had read a dreary crime novel with far too many characters to keep straight, and this book was a breath of fresh criminal air.
April 30, 2015
I listened to this on audio and enjoyed it very much.
I would never have thought that a story about Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty could be told without featuring either one of them, but here it is.
The narration on this is terrific and I thought the story great fun, even if I did miss Holmes and Watson.
I would never have thought that a story about Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty could be told without featuring either one of them, but here it is.
The narration on this is terrific and I thought the story great fun, even if I did miss Holmes and Watson.
July 16, 2025
Overall Rating : A
"I was at Reichenbach five days after the confrontation that the world has come to know as the 'Final Problem'. Well, there was nothing final about it, as we now know, and I guess that just leaves us with the problem."
Starts out five days after the death of Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty. An American Criminal has decided to try to take Moriarty's place and rule London's underground. And a Pinkerton Detective along with a Detective Inspector task themselves with trying to flush him out. Turns out the end was only the beginning.
Anything I write down will give away everything but I will say this was AMAZING! What starts out as a normal mystery turns into a full blown conspiracy were you have no idea how it all comes together - just like every other Sherlock Holmes case ;) Full of twists and turns with an ending that will BLOW. YOUR. MIND. Definitely one of THE BEST interpretations of Doyle yet. I would recommend this book along with its companion The House of Silk for anyone looking for a true Sherlock mystery.
"I was at Reichenbach five days after the confrontation that the world has come to know as the 'Final Problem'. Well, there was nothing final about it, as we now know, and I guess that just leaves us with the problem."
Starts out five days after the death of Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty. An American Criminal has decided to try to take Moriarty's place and rule London's underground. And a Pinkerton Detective along with a Detective Inspector task themselves with trying to flush him out. Turns out the end was only the beginning.
Anything I write down will give away everything but I will say this was AMAZING! What starts out as a normal mystery turns into a full blown conspiracy were you have no idea how it all comes together - just like every other Sherlock Holmes case ;) Full of twists and turns with an ending that will BLOW. YOUR. MIND. Definitely one of THE BEST interpretations of Doyle yet. I would recommend this book along with its companion The House of Silk for anyone looking for a true Sherlock mystery.
July 5, 2018
Moriarty is the follow up, but not a direct sequel, to the 2011 book The House of Silk. It takes place immediately after the infamous events at the Reichenbach Falls, in which both Holmes and Moriarty are thought to have plummeted to their deaths in a violent watery grave.
I believe this was a bold move by Anthony Horowitz as he presents us with a Sherlock Holmes novel minus Sherlock Holmes himself. The synopsis does sound very intriguing. Moriarty is thought to be dead but there is little rest for the streets of London because there is another big cheese criminal mastermind running the show; Mr Clarence Devereux from America has snuck in.
Our narrator is Frederick Chase who does an average job of filling in for Dr Watson. His opening line pulls you in: “Does anyone really believe what happened at the Reichenbach Falls?”. He immediately creates mystery surrounding the deaths and for the first hundred pages it works. I was hooked. We are given brief glimpses at the brutal new criminal, Clarence Devereux, who is made to sound infinitely more worse than Moriarty. The books good guy is Athelney Jones, a Sherlock Holmes wanna be, who is doing his best to fill the great detectives shoes.
The major issue with this book is the absence of Holmes. What makes Moriarty such a brilliant bad guy is his duelling relationship with Sherlock. You can’t have a cool sounding antagonist without the plan foiling protagonist. It just doesn’t work. Sherlock Holmes on his own is good enough for any book, throw in Moriarty and you have an even better book. But Moriarty by himself turns the book into a borefest.
Clarence Devereux is never really believable as a devious crime lord, especially one said to be more evil than Moriarty. During his appearances he comes across as a whining, pathetic cheap imitation. We’re never really told any specific details of his crimes just that he’s a bad man. By the two hundred page mark the book was running out of the small amount of steam it had and I really didn’t care how it was going to finish. Even the ending, which was a pleasant surprise, didn’t reignite my interest.
Moriarty is a case of ‘second album syndrome’. It was a nice idea but the execution was poor. What Horowitz should have written is another Sherlock Holmes Novel and stuck to the formula that worked so well in the House of Silk. Very disappointing.
I believe this was a bold move by Anthony Horowitz as he presents us with a Sherlock Holmes novel minus Sherlock Holmes himself. The synopsis does sound very intriguing. Moriarty is thought to be dead but there is little rest for the streets of London because there is another big cheese criminal mastermind running the show; Mr Clarence Devereux from America has snuck in.
Our narrator is Frederick Chase who does an average job of filling in for Dr Watson. His opening line pulls you in: “Does anyone really believe what happened at the Reichenbach Falls?”. He immediately creates mystery surrounding the deaths and for the first hundred pages it works. I was hooked. We are given brief glimpses at the brutal new criminal, Clarence Devereux, who is made to sound infinitely more worse than Moriarty. The books good guy is Athelney Jones, a Sherlock Holmes wanna be, who is doing his best to fill the great detectives shoes.
The major issue with this book is the absence of Holmes. What makes Moriarty such a brilliant bad guy is his duelling relationship with Sherlock. You can’t have a cool sounding antagonist without the plan foiling protagonist. It just doesn’t work. Sherlock Holmes on his own is good enough for any book, throw in Moriarty and you have an even better book. But Moriarty by himself turns the book into a borefest.
Clarence Devereux is never really believable as a devious crime lord, especially one said to be more evil than Moriarty. During his appearances he comes across as a whining, pathetic cheap imitation. We’re never really told any specific details of his crimes just that he’s a bad man. By the two hundred page mark the book was running out of the small amount of steam it had and I really didn’t care how it was going to finish. Even the ending, which was a pleasant surprise, didn’t reignite my interest.
Moriarty is a case of ‘second album syndrome’. It was a nice idea but the execution was poor. What Horowitz should have written is another Sherlock Holmes Novel and stuck to the formula that worked so well in the House of Silk. Very disappointing.
March 29, 2021
প্রথমে ঠিক করেছিলাম স্কিপ রিডিং করে ধারণা নিয়ে প্রচ্ছদ বানিয়ে এরপর প্রুফিং করবো। হাতে শুরুতে নিয়েছিলাম অ্যান্টনি হরউইৎজ’র নিউ শার্লক হোমস সিরিজের দ্বিতীয় ও শেষ কিস্তি “মরিয়ার্টি”। কিন্তু স্কিপ রিডিং আর হলো কই? একটু আরাম-আয়েস করে করে ৫০ পৃষ্ঠায় আসার পর খেয়াল করলাম আর থামার উপায় নেই। একদম শেষ পৃষ্ঠায় গিয়ে থামতে হলো।
শেষ করে কেবল একটা কথাই মাথায় এলো, হরউইৎজ’র সব বই পড়ে ফেলতে হবে। বাদ যাবে না একটি বইও। ওনার একটা দারুণ স্পাই সিরিজ আছে–অ্যালেক্স রাইডার। সেটা নিয়ে ভূমিতে কাজ চলছে।
“মরিয়ার্টি”র কাহিনি এগিয়েছে আর্থার কোনান ডয়েল’র “দ্য ফাইনাল প্রবলেম”-এ রাইখেনবাখের ঝরনায় শার্লক হোমস আর মরিয়ার্টি যখন মারা যায় ঠিক তারপর থেকে। শার্লক হোমসের মৃতদেহ পাওয়া না গেলেও পাওয়া যায় মরিয়ার্টির মৃতদেহ।
মৃত্যুর আগে মরিয়ার্টির সাথে যোগাযোগ হয়েছিল আরেক দুর্ধর্ষ খলনায়ক ক্ল্যারেন্স ডেভারো’র। মরিয়ার্টির মৃত্যুর পর যে শূন্যস্থান তৈরি হয়েছে সে শূন্যস্থান ভরাট করে তাণ্ডব চালাতে যে প্রস্তুত। এখন তাকে থামাতে আমেরিকার পিঙ্কারটন নামের এক বেসরকারি গোয়েন্দা সংস্থার একজন আর ব্রিটিশ স্কটল্যান্ড ইয়ার্ডের এক ডিটেকটিভ ইন্সপেক্টর অ্যাথেলনি জোনস নেমে পড়ে এক ভয়ংকর অভিযানে। আর এই অভিযান যখন শেষ হবে তখন আপনিও আমার মতোই বলবেন, এভাবে লেখক ঘোল খাওয়াতে পারলো? একটুও মায়া হলো না?
মাথা ঘোরানো টুইস্ট যাকে বলে, সেটাই এখানে পাবেন।
অনুবাদ করেছেন ফুয়াদ ভাই। তাই অনুবাদের মান নিয়ে কোনো সংশয় থাকার জো নেই। একদম ঝরঝরে অনুবাদ আর মচমচে কাহিনি–জম্পেশ এক আড্ডা হবে লেখকের সাথে পাঠকের।
তো আর দেরি কিসের? সংগ্রহ করে ফেলুন ভূমিপ্রকাশ থেকে প্রকাশিত নিউ শার্লক সিরিজের এই বইটি।
শেষ করে কেবল একটা কথাই মাথায় এলো, হরউইৎজ’র সব বই পড়ে ফেলতে হবে। বাদ যাবে না একটি বইও। ওনার একটা দারুণ স্পাই সিরিজ আছে–অ্যালেক্স রাইডার। সেটা নিয়ে ভূমিতে কাজ চলছে।
“মরিয়ার্টি”র কাহিনি এগিয়েছে আর্থার কোনান ডয়েল’র “দ্য ফাইনাল প্রবলেম”-এ রাইখেনবাখের ঝরনায় শার্লক হোমস আর মরিয়ার্টি যখন মারা যায় ঠিক তারপর থেকে। শার্লক হোমসের মৃতদেহ পাওয়া না গেলেও পাওয়া যায় মরিয়ার্টির মৃতদেহ।
মৃত্যুর আগে মরিয়ার্টির সাথে যোগাযোগ হয়েছিল আরেক দুর্ধর্ষ খলনায়ক ক্ল্যারেন্স ডেভারো’র। মরিয়ার্টির মৃত্যুর পর যে শূন্যস্থান তৈরি হয়েছে সে শূন্যস্থান ভরাট করে তাণ্ডব চালাতে যে প্রস্তুত। এখন তাকে থামাতে আমেরিকার পিঙ্কারটন নামের এক বেসরকারি গোয়েন্দা সংস্থার একজন আর ব্রিটিশ স্কটল্যান্ড ইয়ার্ডের এক ডিটেকটিভ ইন্সপেক্টর অ্যাথেলনি জোনস নেমে পড়ে এক ভয়ংকর অভিযানে। আর এই অভিযান যখন শেষ হবে তখন আপনিও আমার মতোই বলবেন, এভাবে লেখক ঘোল খাওয়াতে পারলো? একটুও মায়া হলো না?
মাথা ঘোরানো টুইস্ট যাকে বলে, সেটাই এখানে পাবেন।
অনুবাদ করেছেন ফুয়াদ ভাই। তাই অনুবাদের মান নিয়ে কোনো সংশয় থাকার জো নেই। একদম ঝরঝরে অনুবাদ আর মচমচে কাহিনি–জম্পেশ এক আড্ডা হবে লেখকের সাথে পাঠকের।
তো আর দেরি কিসের? সংগ্রহ করে ফেলুন ভূমিপ্রকাশ থেকে প্রকাশিত নিউ শার্লক সিরিজের এই বইটি।
December 18, 2020
Horowitz was taking a huge risk with the structuring of this novel...or was he? A fan-fic of the Sherlock Holmes universe that has the approval of the Conan Doyle Estate is bound to have a metric ton of readers, so why not play a little? And play he does!
Is the dialogue wooden and/or overly campy? Yes, quite often.
Are the 11th hour saves rather unbelievable? Yes, nobody's that lucky.
Are the characters rather sad and/or bizarre in their evilness? Utterly, but then the Victorians loved that, see the original Holmes stories.
Do the "newly arrived" Americans speak in British English, although they've only been in England a few months? Yep, quite comically so.
Does all of that make the novel read rather like a farce of Sherlock than a fan-fic? You bet, and you wonder what the CD Estate was thinking.
But do those things actually make sense, and have very good reasons for being like they are? Oh, my dear uncle George, yes.
Until the last-but-one chapter, I'd have given "Moriarty" a solid 2.5 because of what I've listed above. I'm not a fan of Holmes, so I wasn't expecting purity nor exact references. But in light of the the final two chapters... I'll put my hands up in the air and say "I'm just as good as Scotland Yard. I saw it, but it didn't click together. You got me, Mr Horowitz."
And for that, you get 4 stars. 👏
Is the dialogue wooden and/or overly campy? Yes, quite often.
Are the 11th hour saves rather unbelievable? Yes, nobody's that lucky.
Are the characters rather sad and/or bizarre in their evilness? Utterly, but then the Victorians loved that, see the original Holmes stories.
Do the "newly arrived" Americans speak in British English, although they've only been in England a few months? Yep, quite comically so.
Does all of that make the novel read rather like a farce of Sherlock than a fan-fic? You bet, and you wonder what the CD Estate was thinking.
But do those things actually make sense, and have very good reasons for being like they are? Oh, my dear uncle George, yes.
Until the last-but-one chapter, I'd have given "Moriarty" a solid 2.5 because of what I've listed above. I'm not a fan of Holmes, so I wasn't expecting purity nor exact references. But in light of the the final two chapters... I'll put my hands up in the air and say "I'm just as good as Scotland Yard. I saw it, but it didn't click together. You got me, Mr Horowitz."
And for that, you get 4 stars. 👏
September 5, 2022
I have read several of Horowitz's book and thoroughly enjoyed them. I have also read much of the Sherlock Holmes adventures, so this title caught my eye. My observance certainly paid off!
A Scotland Yard detective and an operative from the Pinkerton Detective Agency in NYC join forces to find an American crime lord who has come to London to take over the reigns of Moriarty's "business" since the latter's death at Reichenbach Falls. This is a violent man whose actions are much more deadly than Moriarty utilized and Scotland Yard is up in arms to stop him. No one has ever seen him and his identity is unknown except to the Pinkerton agent But finding him in the teeming underworld of London is no easy task. The Scotland Yard man is a great fan of Holmes who is not a fictional character in this book and who has supposedly died at Reichenbach. He uses some of the Sherlockian logic to approach the problem, so the game is afoot!
Nothing is what it appear and all the clues are there if the reader is perceptive. The denouement will come as a total surprise........at least it did to me who obviously was not being perceptive enough. I would recommend this book as it is a rather unusual read.
A Scotland Yard detective and an operative from the Pinkerton Detective Agency in NYC join forces to find an American crime lord who has come to London to take over the reigns of Moriarty's "business" since the latter's death at Reichenbach Falls. This is a violent man whose actions are much more deadly than Moriarty utilized and Scotland Yard is up in arms to stop him. No one has ever seen him and his identity is unknown except to the Pinkerton agent But finding him in the teeming underworld of London is no easy task. The Scotland Yard man is a great fan of Holmes who is not a fictional character in this book and who has supposedly died at Reichenbach. He uses some of the Sherlockian logic to approach the problem, so the game is afoot!
Nothing is what it appear and all the clues are there if the reader is perceptive. The denouement will come as a total surprise........at least it did to me who obviously was not being perceptive enough. I would recommend this book as it is a rather unusual read.
September 4, 2023
I read this awhile ago. I am now bringing my review to Goodreads.
I'll start by saying that I thought the first book in this series, The House of Silk, was so wonderful that I was really excited about Moriarty. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm a keen Holmes fan and in addition to reading all the originals, I've read a number of Holmes novels which have been written by other people.
I am also an Anthony Horowitz fan, so why not try Moriarty?
The short version is that it's not as good as the previous one and suffers (I think too heavily) from an overly contrived attempt to shoehorn a completely non-Holmes novel into a Holmes series.
After all we were warned with the words: Holmes is dead and darkness falls.
The phrase above is written on the book’s cover. Not mine, but I saw it on an advertisement of the book.
The book is named ‘Moriarty’. All the clues are there. Literally and figuratively right in front of my eyes.
And yet, what did I do?
Throughout the book, I waited for Sherlock to appear.
I know, stupid, right?
A Sherlock Holmes novel minus Sherlock Holmes himself.
This book was just a big disappointment for me as a reader, to the point where I started skimming and hoping for it to pick up like it did at the end.
Speaking of which…. the ~surprise plot twist~ just made me angry.
I had been staying up in bed to try and finish this book when the twist hit. I didn't feel wonderfully tricked and surprised.
No, I felt cheated and annoyed at what felt like a last-ditch effort to make this story interesting.
But some of you may feel differently. You may like the reminiscences of Sherlockian characters throughout. I did not. It didn’t work for me.
I'll start by saying that I thought the first book in this series, The House of Silk, was so wonderful that I was really excited about Moriarty. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm a keen Holmes fan and in addition to reading all the originals, I've read a number of Holmes novels which have been written by other people.
I am also an Anthony Horowitz fan, so why not try Moriarty?
The short version is that it's not as good as the previous one and suffers (I think too heavily) from an overly contrived attempt to shoehorn a completely non-Holmes novel into a Holmes series.
After all we were warned with the words: Holmes is dead and darkness falls.
The phrase above is written on the book’s cover. Not mine, but I saw it on an advertisement of the book.
The book is named ‘Moriarty’. All the clues are there. Literally and figuratively right in front of my eyes.
And yet, what did I do?
Throughout the book, I waited for Sherlock to appear.
I know, stupid, right?
A Sherlock Holmes novel minus Sherlock Holmes himself.
This book was just a big disappointment for me as a reader, to the point where I started skimming and hoping for it to pick up like it did at the end.
Speaking of which…. the ~surprise plot twist~ just made me angry.
I had been staying up in bed to try and finish this book when the twist hit. I didn't feel wonderfully tricked and surprised.
No, I felt cheated and annoyed at what felt like a last-ditch effort to make this story interesting.
But some of you may feel differently. You may like the reminiscences of Sherlockian characters throughout. I did not. It didn’t work for me.
Read
November 1, 2016If you’re a Sherlock junky like me, then go get this book. Moriarty is one of the best Sherlock Holmes pastiche I’ve ever read, which is surprising because neither the great detective or his scribbling protege make an actual appearance. And that’s all I can say because anything else would risk spoiling. I hope Horowitz continues to write these Sherlock Holmes/Arthur Conan Doyle Estate sanctioned stories. He brings a new twist to them, exploring and expanding upon the canon. And he has a real gift for unsettling the reader. I felt this sense of menace as I turned the pages – but it wasn’t until the very end that everything fell into place and I realized how craftily I’d been manipulated.
— Tara Cheesman
from The Best Books We Read In September 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/10/03/riot-r...
— Tara Cheesman
from The Best Books We Read In September 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/10/03/riot-r...
August 10, 2021
Все, что упало в Рейхенбахский водопад, должно остаться в Рейхенбахском водопаде.
February 28, 2021
Rating 3.5 stars
For all those who enjoy Sherlock Holmes this is written with the same pace, tone and plot twists. Toward the end the narrator makes you aware it is Moriarty telling the tale. It's well written and models the Holmes stories nicely, though Conan Doyle is the true master!
For all those who enjoy Sherlock Holmes this is written with the same pace, tone and plot twists. Toward the end the narrator makes you aware it is Moriarty telling the tale. It's well written and models the Holmes stories nicely, though Conan Doyle is the true master!
May 31, 2018
What a great continuation of the Sherlock Holmes story!
Moriarty picks up after Sherlock Holmes' presumed death at the Reichenbach Falls. This new novel by Horowitz follows Detective Athelney Jones and Pinkerton agent Frederick Chase as they investigate a new crime syndicate that is taking over London.
I'll be honest: I spent the first half of the book enjoying the story but thinking this was a three-star mystery. But the turn of events in the last quarter of the book made me appreciate it more and I think it's worth four stars.
This is the third Anthony Horowitz novel I've read, the others being Magpie Murders and The House of Silk, and I've become a big fan of his. Very excited to see what other stories flow from his pen.
Highly recommended for fans of Sherlock Holmes.
Opening Passage
"Does anyone really believe what happened at the Reichenbach Falls? A great many accounts have been written but it seems to me that all of them have left something to be desired — which is to say, the truth."
Moriarty picks up after Sherlock Holmes' presumed death at the Reichenbach Falls. This new novel by Horowitz follows Detective Athelney Jones and Pinkerton agent Frederick Chase as they investigate a new crime syndicate that is taking over London.
I'll be honest: I spent the first half of the book enjoying the story but thinking this was a three-star mystery. But the turn of events in the last quarter of the book made me appreciate it more and I think it's worth four stars.
This is the third Anthony Horowitz novel I've read, the others being Magpie Murders and The House of Silk, and I've become a big fan of his. Very excited to see what other stories flow from his pen.
Highly recommended for fans of Sherlock Holmes.
Opening Passage
"Does anyone really believe what happened at the Reichenbach Falls? A great many accounts have been written but it seems to me that all of them have left something to be desired — which is to say, the truth."
February 6, 2017
Now, I'm going to start out by saying that while I read the previous book, 'The House of Silk', rather a while ago, I distinctly remember enjoying it. Not the case with this one, at all. To be quite honest, at times I rather felt like throwing this novel at a wall. One of my main problems with 'Moriarty' is it's lack of sophistication - it feels more like a young adult novel than "a relentlessly thrilling tale" of crime and crime-solving for adult fans of Sherlock Holmes.
I understand that with crime novels an author has to explain deductions and how things were worked out by the characters, but some things were just so spelled out it was painful to read. In fact I remember remarking to a friend that the explanations of some deductions were so patronising I would have preferred putting my hand through a shredder.
Being a best-selling author I believe Mr Horowitz should know that writing as if your readers are incredibly stupid just makes said readers mad. Many times as I was reading I picked up on things before our dear main character, and having finished the book I know why this is, but I just found it annoying and found myself laughing at how slow the main characters were to pick up on things. At times it would take a whole load of unnecessary paragraphs from a clue to the characters working it out. This combined with discussion of some events in the original Holmes stories made me feel as if Horowitz was throwing what he could in to bump his word count.
Further, all the little references to the original Holmes stories, and other tidbits such as the reference to Sweeney Todd felt cheap to me, like Horowitz was just throwing anything Victorian-related in, in an attempt to spice up a very bland book. It honest to god made me grit my teeth and stare angrily at the page, willing the words to disappear every time it happened. I actually dog-eared (I'd say sorry for this terrible crime against books, but this one deserves it) the pages with such references, along with instances of incredible main character stupidity to remember for a friend so we could laugh about them.
Let me also add, that the ~surprise plot twist~ just made me angry. I had been staying up in bed to try and finish this godforsaken book when the twist hit, and I threw the damn thing onto the floor and gave up on it for the night. I didn't feel wonderfully tricked and surprised. No, I felt cheated and annoyed at what felt like a last-ditch effort to make this story interesting. On the back cover, the Sunday Times says Horowitz replicates the spirit, style, suspense and atmosphere of Conan Doyle's stories, but I did not feel this at all. Honestly, 'Moriarty' reads like uninspired fanfiction thought up by a high school student for an assignment, who thinks they're clever for throwing in little references and twist endings - sorry, Mr Horowitz.
If all of this sounds excellent to you, give it a go - the atrocity of some parts was actually enjoyable to me as it was so hilariously bad. If you're very particular about your crime and your Sherlock, and don't enjoy things being so spelled out you feel like a primary school student, I'd say save your money and give this a miss or borrow it from a library.
I understand that with crime novels an author has to explain deductions and how things were worked out by the characters, but some things were just so spelled out it was painful to read. In fact I remember remarking to a friend that the explanations of some deductions were so patronising I would have preferred putting my hand through a shredder.
Being a best-selling author I believe Mr Horowitz should know that writing as if your readers are incredibly stupid just makes said readers mad. Many times as I was reading I picked up on things before our dear main character, and having finished the book I know why this is, but I just found it annoying and found myself laughing at how slow the main characters were to pick up on things. At times it would take a whole load of unnecessary paragraphs from a clue to the characters working it out. This combined with discussion of some events in the original Holmes stories made me feel as if Horowitz was throwing what he could in to bump his word count.
Further, all the little references to the original Holmes stories, and other tidbits such as the reference to Sweeney Todd felt cheap to me, like Horowitz was just throwing anything Victorian-related in, in an attempt to spice up a very bland book. It honest to god made me grit my teeth and stare angrily at the page, willing the words to disappear every time it happened. I actually dog-eared (I'd say sorry for this terrible crime against books, but this one deserves it) the pages with such references, along with instances of incredible main character stupidity to remember for a friend so we could laugh about them.
Let me also add, that the ~surprise plot twist~ just made me angry. I had been staying up in bed to try and finish this godforsaken book when the twist hit, and I threw the damn thing onto the floor and gave up on it for the night. I didn't feel wonderfully tricked and surprised. No, I felt cheated and annoyed at what felt like a last-ditch effort to make this story interesting. On the back cover, the Sunday Times says Horowitz replicates the spirit, style, suspense and atmosphere of Conan Doyle's stories, but I did not feel this at all. Honestly, 'Moriarty' reads like uninspired fanfiction thought up by a high school student for an assignment, who thinks they're clever for throwing in little references and twist endings - sorry, Mr Horowitz.
If all of this sounds excellent to you, give it a go - the atrocity of some parts was actually enjoyable to me as it was so hilariously bad. If you're very particular about your crime and your Sherlock, and don't enjoy things being so spelled out you feel like a primary school student, I'd say save your money and give this a miss or borrow it from a library.
September 18, 2015
"Sherlockians" are, in general, a conservative bunch. If they want more Holmes than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle provided, they want little changed. The Baker Street Irregulars, that literary group, hold fast to the minutia provided in those novels and stories. The Conan Doyle Estate still makes its voice known. It parsimoniously grants "official" approval to addition works of literary fiction. Anthony Horowitz gained their approval for House of Silk and he retains it for Moriarty.
Horowitz is a prolific writer who offers us a wide variety of crime, suspense and beyond. He just published a "new" James Bond novel. I am staggered by the amount of research that must have gone into Moriarty. Just like an excellent jazz soloist, who must know his melody before he can improvise, Horowitz creates a flowing riff on all we know about Sherlock Holmes, his methods, manners and the milieu of London approaching the 20th Century. The devil is in the details and it is obvious that Horowitz enjoys describing the different horse carriages, parts of London, clothing, restaurants, forms of address, class differences, and police procedures that this era presents. His details of the American Embassy in London are fascinating in themselves.
Who's your Sherlock Holmes? Cumberbatch? Rathbone? Brett? It doesn't matter here because Holmes is the background. Here it is about the title figure, Professor Moriarty. Holmes is on the minds of Scotland Yard, Pinkertons and others but it is primarily his influence that creeps around the edges. I fear that this book won't appeal to you, unless you have some grounding in Conan Doyle's original.
There is little I can relate to you without ruining Horowitz's plot. Others may not be so fastidious. The plot is the thing. Horowitz gives us the most striking, most ambitious, most challenging approach to Sherlockia.
If you persevere through this substantial book, I guarantee that you will be frustrated, astounded, mislead, tricked, amused, intrigued and chagrined by turns...........but only if you are into Sherlockia.
Horowitz is a prolific writer who offers us a wide variety of crime, suspense and beyond. He just published a "new" James Bond novel. I am staggered by the amount of research that must have gone into Moriarty. Just like an excellent jazz soloist, who must know his melody before he can improvise, Horowitz creates a flowing riff on all we know about Sherlock Holmes, his methods, manners and the milieu of London approaching the 20th Century. The devil is in the details and it is obvious that Horowitz enjoys describing the different horse carriages, parts of London, clothing, restaurants, forms of address, class differences, and police procedures that this era presents. His details of the American Embassy in London are fascinating in themselves.
Who's your Sherlock Holmes? Cumberbatch? Rathbone? Brett? It doesn't matter here because Holmes is the background. Here it is about the title figure, Professor Moriarty. Holmes is on the minds of Scotland Yard, Pinkertons and others but it is primarily his influence that creeps around the edges. I fear that this book won't appeal to you, unless you have some grounding in Conan Doyle's original.
There is little I can relate to you without ruining Horowitz's plot. Others may not be so fastidious. The plot is the thing. Horowitz gives us the most striking, most ambitious, most challenging approach to Sherlockia.
If you persevere through this substantial book, I guarantee that you will be frustrated, astounded, mislead, tricked, amused, intrigued and chagrined by turns...........but only if you are into Sherlockia.
March 26, 2015
Incoming! Incoming! Book with a passport.Swimming across the pond from São Paulo to the Cusp, then onto Wandaful. Thankee dear thing. I look forward to it.
July 23, 2025
প্রফেসর মরিয়ার্টির মৃত্যুর পর ডেভারো নামের আরেক ভয়ানক অপরাধী মাথা চাড়া দিয়ে ওঠে। তাকে থামাতেই একসাথে কাজ করা শুরু করে চেজ আর জোনস। কি হবে এর পরিণতি? তারা কি ধরতে পারবে অপরাধীকে? নাকি হারাতে হবে তাদের প্রাণ? কিন্তু গল্পের শেষেই এলো আসল টুইস্ট।
২১ পর্বে এসে জোনস এর সাথে আমিও হতবুদ্ধি আর অবাক হয়ে যাই। যতই বলুক শুরু থেকে প্রতারণা হয়নি কিন্তু আমি বলবো জোনসের সাথে সাথে প্রতারণা পাঠকের সাথেও হয়েছে। পুরো বই জুড়ে এই জোনস চরিত্রটাকে আমার এত ভালো লেগেছে আর শেষে কিনা এই পরিণতি হলো?
২১ পর্বে এসে জোনস এর সাথে আমিও হতবুদ্ধি আর অবাক হয়ে যাই। যতই বলুক শুরু থেকে প্রতারণা হয়নি কিন্তু আমি বলবো জোনসের সাথে সাথে প্রতারণা পাঠকের সাথেও হয়েছে। পুরো বই জুড়ে এই জোনস চরিত্রটাকে আমার এত ভালো লেগেছে আর শেষে কিনা এই পরিণতি হলো?
April 22, 2017
Moriarty is much more difficult than The House of Silk to write about. Moriarty is an excellent book (I think?), but I'm not sure that is an excellent Sherlock Holmes book, and not merely because Holmes isn't in it. This is almost entirely down to expectations.
This is the follow-up to The House of Silk and has the official backing of the Doyle Estate. As such, there are expectations of tone that this book doesn't quite meet. It is difficult to knock that though, because if it was an exact match in tone, then people would complain that Jones and Chase were merely Holmes and Watson with different names (even more than they are).
To me, the largest problem is the expectation that there is a specific mystery to solve. Here we have Moriarty and Holmes both dead, and our two investigators are after an American named Devereux. But as readers, we know something is wrong. I mean, look at the name of the book. So by the middle of the book, we still don't feel like we have identified the real mystery. As a reader, I was asking a series of questions: "Where is Moriarty?" "Is Chase Devereux?" "Is Devereux Moriarty?" "Might Jones be Moriarty?" "Certainly Moriarty is manipulating them, but how?" Etc, etc, etc. The trouble is that neither of our MCs are asking those questions, which makes one want to reach into the pages and smack around the MCs so they will do what we want. So much of that is due to expectations though, and not necessarily the fault of the book. Or maybe the book is at fault, but I can't be objective about that at this point.
The end of this book is great, and to the author's credit, there are some very very subtle hints along the way that point to answers to the questions I was actually asking as the reader instead of the ones the MCs were pursuing. Subtle enough that I actually flipped back to a couple of places to check that they really were there and the explanation at the end wasn't just nonsense.
If you can set aside your expectations for a traditional Holmes book (I knew Holmes wasn't in this, and mistakenly thought I had), there is a lot to like about this story. Just know that your major questions do get answered and enjoy the ride.
This is the follow-up to The House of Silk and has the official backing of the Doyle Estate. As such, there are expectations of tone that this book doesn't quite meet. It is difficult to knock that though, because if it was an exact match in tone, then people would complain that Jones and Chase were merely Holmes and Watson with different names (even more than they are).
To me, the largest problem is the expectation that there is a specific mystery to solve. Here we have Moriarty and Holmes both dead, and our two investigators are after an American named Devereux. But as readers, we know something is wrong. I mean, look at the name of the book. So by the middle of the book, we still don't feel like we have identified the real mystery. As a reader, I was asking a series of questions: "Where is Moriarty?" "Is Chase Devereux?" "Is Devereux Moriarty?" "Might Jones be Moriarty?" "Certainly Moriarty is manipulating them, but how?" Etc, etc, etc. The trouble is that neither of our MCs are asking those questions, which makes one want to reach into the pages and smack around the MCs so they will do what we want. So much of that is due to expectations though, and not necessarily the fault of the book. Or maybe the book is at fault, but I can't be objective about that at this point.
The end of this book is great, and to the author's credit, there are some very very subtle hints along the way that point to answers to the questions I was actually asking as the reader instead of the ones the MCs were pursuing. Subtle enough that I actually flipped back to a couple of places to check that they really were there and the explanation at the end wasn't just nonsense.
If you can set aside your expectations for a traditional Holmes book (I knew Holmes wasn't in this, and mistakenly thought I had), there is a lot to like about this story. Just know that your major questions do get answered and enjoy the ride.
November 9, 2019
2.5 Stars I loved the first one, "The House of Silk," but I feel disappointed with this one. This just fell flat for me, the absence of Sherlock is a major issue. The pacing was really slow, and it contained a lot of "saying" or "telling" instead of "showing." There was a surprise ending, however it did not redeem this for me. I wish Horowitz had written another Sherlock novel and stuck to the formula that worked so well in "The House of Silk" instead.
May 12, 2017
Faux Sherlock Holmes has been a thing practically since the creation of Sherlock Holmes. The originals were almost immediately ridiculously popular, so of course there were imitations. So many of them that ITV once ran a whole series adapting contemporaneous imitations of Sherlock Holmes. For the record, and if you’re interested in this particular shadowed literary corner, William Hope Hodgson’s 'Carnacki' stories are well worth checking out.
Having given us his Sherlock Holmes in the actually not bad ‘House of Silk’, Anthony Horovitz now gives us his fake Holmes in ‘Moriarty’.
Sherlock Holmes is dead, having fallen from the Reichenbach Falls, and stepping into the breach are a young Scotland Yard Inspector and a Pinkerton Detective – in the Holmes/Watson roles respectively. These new heroes are out to foil a new mastermind villain determined to take over London
The problem is that reading imitations of Sherlock Holmes is nowhere near as much fun as reading Sherlock Holmes, and The Great Detective hangs such a large spectre over this story that it’s impossible not to miss him. And if you actually take a step back and think about it, then this is someone other than Conan-Doyle writing about a detective who isn’t Sherlock Holmes and whilst not un-entertaining (which I know is absolutely damning with faint praise) in terms of inessential ephemera around Sherlock Holmes, this feels really inessential.
At the close of the volume we have a fake Holmes story – ‘The Three Monarchs’ – which links to the main book and, I guess, is supposed to serve as a palate cleanser. And even though it’s thin and insubstantial, I just wished that all that went before had been Holmes, rather than fake Holmes.
If you get chance, please visit my blog at frjameson.com
LIke my Facebook page
Or follow me on Twitter or Instagram: @frjameson.
Having given us his Sherlock Holmes in the actually not bad ‘House of Silk’, Anthony Horovitz now gives us his fake Holmes in ‘Moriarty’.
Sherlock Holmes is dead, having fallen from the Reichenbach Falls, and stepping into the breach are a young Scotland Yard Inspector and a Pinkerton Detective – in the Holmes/Watson roles respectively. These new heroes are out to foil a new mastermind villain determined to take over London
The problem is that reading imitations of Sherlock Holmes is nowhere near as much fun as reading Sherlock Holmes, and The Great Detective hangs such a large spectre over this story that it’s impossible not to miss him. And if you actually take a step back and think about it, then this is someone other than Conan-Doyle writing about a detective who isn’t Sherlock Holmes and whilst not un-entertaining (which I know is absolutely damning with faint praise) in terms of inessential ephemera around Sherlock Holmes, this feels really inessential.
At the close of the volume we have a fake Holmes story – ‘The Three Monarchs’ – which links to the main book and, I guess, is supposed to serve as a palate cleanser. And even though it’s thin and insubstantial, I just wished that all that went before had been Holmes, rather than fake Holmes.
If you get chance, please visit my blog at frjameson.com
LIke my Facebook page
Or follow me on Twitter or Instagram: @frjameson.
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