Anthony Horowitz has been asked by Ian Fleming’s estate to write a James Bond book. And it’s easy to see why, as his second Sherlock Holmes instalment is a delight.
Moriarty takes place after Holmes and his eponymous rival have fallen over the Reichenbach Falls. Holmes and sidekick Dr Watson appear briefly before Horowitz introduces us to his two central characters – Frederick Chase of New York’s Pinkerton Detective Agency and Scotland Yard inspector Athelney Jones.
The pair meet near the falls and Jones, a fan of Holmes, uses his hero’s methods to help his new friend track down an American gang that is taking over London.
They dodge knives and gunshots as they hunt their suspects – but some of their encounters are strange. Something isn’t quite right…
Horowitz weaves this mystery together perfectly and his plot twists are unpredictable until the last. He’s created a page-turner that is exhilarating and infuriating in equal measure.
