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Book summary and reviews of Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

Moriarty

A Novel

by Anthony Horowitz

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  • Published:
  • Dec 2014
    304 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Internationally bestselling author Anthony Horowitz's nail-biting new novel plunges us back into the dark and complex world of detective Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty—dubbed "the Napoleon of crime" by Holmes—in the aftermath of their fateful struggle at the Reichenbach Falls.

Days after the encounter at the Swiss waterfall, Pinkerton detective agent Frederick Chase arrives in Europe from New York. Moriarty's death has left an immediate, poisonous vacuum in the criminal underworld, and there is no shortage of candidates to take his place—including one particularly fiendish criminal mastermind.

Chase and Scotland Yard Inspector Athelney Jones, a devoted student of Holmes's methods of investigation and deduction originally introduced by Conan Doyle in "The Sign of Four", must forge a path through the darkest corners of England's capital—from the elegant squares of Mayfair to the shadowy wharfs and alleyways of the London Docks—in pursuit of this sinister figure, a man much feared but seldom seen, who is determined to stake his claim as Moriarty's successor.

A riveting, deeply atmospheric tale of murder and menace from one of the only writers to earn the seal of approval from Conan Doyle's estate, Moriarty breathes life into Holmes's dark and fascinating world.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. A stunning riff on the Holmes-Moriarty clash. It's full of allusions to the Holmes cannon that Sherlockians will congratulate themselves for spotting ...Horowitz spins his tale in pitch-perfect Watsonian prose... setting readers up for a finale that is truly jaw-dropping." - Booklist

"Starred Review. A tour de force quite unlike any other fruit from these densely plowed fields… canny Sherlock-ian Horowitz still has more tricks up his sleeve.… A rare treat, a mystery as original as it is enthralling." - Kirkus Reviews

"[M]eticulously researched and skillfully executed…. A fiendishly plotted exploit." - LJ Express

"In this skilfully executed follow on, Horowitz takes up the Conan Doyle baton and creates a suitably stylish and twisty detective story." - Sunday Mirror (UK)

"Thrilling and compelling, with a stunning twist, this is written as if Conan Doyle were at Horowitz's shoulder, and is—in my view—the finest crime novel of the year." - The Daily Mail (UK)

"Is there nothing Anthony Horowitz touches that doesn't turn to gold? ...He captures Conan Doyle's narrative technique to perfection. Gory murders, honest thieves, brilliant disguises, breathless chases and red herrings abound." - The Daily Express (UK)

"Though Horowitz dishes up the gore and violence with relish, he also offers all the tropes one might expect from a Holmes yarn, including baffling coded messages, impossible murders and clever red herrings... its plotting just as brilliantly gnarly but its tone more self-aware and laced with in-jokes." - Financial Times

"A page-turning novel for all ages that continues the story of Sherlock Holmes's greatest enemy…crammed with references to some of [Doyle's] best-loved stories." - The Independent (UK)

This information about Moriarty was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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FictionZeal

from FictionZeal.com re: Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz
The action in this story picks up from The Final Problem in which Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty had fought at the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland and both fell over the falls … both presumed dead. The reader becomes acquainted with Frederick Chase through his first person narration of this story. He introduces himself as a New York Pinkerton Detective traveling to Europe on the heels of an American crime lord who he believes planned to meet with Moriarty. He meets Athelby Jones, Scotland Yard, who accompanies him as they examine the recovered body of Professor Moriarty. Together they find a note carefully sewn into the jacket lining of the deceased. It begins to provide them with the clues they need to begin solving the murders.

Athelby Jones had been that bumbling detective Watson referenced in The Sign of the Four. Determined to overcome that image, he has made an intensive study of the deductive reasoning utilized by Sherlock Holmes, but he’s not quite perfected it. So at least for a while, the duo become very similar to Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes (Chase as Watson and Jones as Holmes) as they work together to try to solve the execution style murders taking place in their vicinity.

I found this author very talented at ending one chapter with a mysterious lead in to the next. While I felt that middle grade or high school students could read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, I don’t feel comfortable with recommending this book for younger readers. The writing style had similarities to Doyle, but it has several scenes with graphic physical violence. The ending was a major twist of events that I thought was very clever. The character development of Jones was well done showing his love of his job; his love of his family; and the pursuit of a balance. Rating: 4 out of 5.

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Author Information

Anthony Horowitz Author Biography

Anthony Horowitz is the author of the US bestselling Magpie Murders and The Word is Murder, and one of the most prolific and successful writers in the English language; he may have committed more (fictional) murders than any other living author. His novel Trigger Mortis features original material from Ian Fleming. His most recent Sherlock Holmes novel, Moriarty, is a reader favorite; and his bestselling Alex Rider series for young adults has sold more than 19 million copies worldwide. As a TV screenwriter, he created both Midsomer Murders and the BAFTA-winning Foyle's War on PBS. Horowitz regularly contributes to a wide variety of national newspapers and magazines, and in January 2014 was awarded an OBE.

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