Jack Anderson (3)

I'm a sucker for Sherlock Holmes variations. The return of Moriarty was a real delight. Really that's all you need to know if you're a Holmes afficionado like I am.

The action opens in an alpine cabin in the same general area as Reichenbach Falls, with an unnamed doctor who is there as a result of blackmail and who knows nothing about who his patient is and when that patient will arrive. This section is written in the doctor's voice. Subsequent chapters are written in a variety of voices. show more Some recur regularly others just pop in to a single chapter.

Anderson does a wonderful job of leaving readers uncertain without making them resentful. He throws in surprises that keep making the reader rethink their understanding of what is going on. He does this not by being vague, but by being quite precise while not naming names. This raises question like is X Holmes or Moriarty? is he neither? are Y and Z working together or with conflicting goals. The last 100 or so pages are rich in sudden reveals.

If you enjoy Holmes and if you enjoy mysteries that are absolutely not mundane, you're in for a treat with The Return of Moriarty. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own. show less

The Return of Moriarty was a dark tale full of twists and turns. It took me a little bit to get into it because I found the way the first part was written to be very confusing, but I reread the beginning a couple of times and kept going. Once I got everything straight, I was hooked. If you love Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, you will enjoy this tale of a world without him. The author takes the reader into the mind of Moriarty (as observed through a third party) and the lengths he is show more willing to go to best the great Holmes. Along the way, you meet many sordid characters who are duped by Moriarty's cunning and incredible ability to morph into whoever he needs to be for the moment, while revealing the darkness that exists within each one. I wish there was a more obvious break between points of view throughout, but other than that it was well done and a worthy addition to the Holmes universe. show less

Thank you for the ARC! I love the character Professor Moriarty, so revisiting him for any reason is always a treat, and he's as twisty as you could wish in this novel. Clara is the real dark horse, though. By the end I was more invested in her than the professor, though I did enjoy how they play off one another. Solid story and I think I want to do a re-read soon.

Calling this book The Return of Moriarty isn't particularly accurate as he is largely a supporting character. The inclusion of a famous character, the needlessly convoluted structure, and the contrived plot twists all read as attempts to distract from the fact this is actually a middling novel.

Received via NetGalley.