Holmes and Moriarty by Gareth Rubin

I would like to thank Simon and Schuster and Anne from Random Things Tours for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher - Simon and Schuster

Published - Out Now

Price - £18.99 hardback £11.99 Kindle eBook

A new Sherlock Holmes novel, endorsed by the Conan Doyle Estate. 

Two adversaries. One deadly alliance. Together, can they unlock the truth? 

Sherlock Holmes and his faithful friend, Dr John Watson, have been hired by actor George Reynolds to help him solve a puzzle. George wants them to find out why the audience who comes to see him perform every night are the same people, only wearing disguises. Is something sinister going on and, if so, what?
 
Meanwhile, Holmes’ archenemy, Professor James Moriarty is having problems of his own. Implicated in the murder of a gang leader, Moriarty and his second, Moran, must go on the run from the police in order to find out who is behind the set-up.
 
But their investigation puts them in the way of Holmes and Watson and it’s not long before all four realise that they are being targeted by the same person. With lives on the line, not just their own, they must form an uneasy alliance in order to unmask the true villain. With clues leading them to a hotel in Switzerland and a conspiracy far greater than any of them expected, who can be trusted – and will anyone of them survive?

Ok Arthur Conan Doyle did create one of the world most popular detectives in Sherlock Holmes but let’s be honest he handled his archnemisis Professor James Moriarty weirdly. He appears as Holmes’s equal in the Final Problem and is soon despatched in their ‘joint deaths’ at a waterfall and after Holmes’ resurrection we get the odd reference back to him. No arcs, no early run ins and that’s instead been left to films, tv shows and other novelists to help fill in the blanks. Now Gareth Rubin in the enjoyable Holmsian adventure novel Holmes and Moriarty envisages an early encounter where detective and criminal mastermind need to join forces and save the world.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson have an intriguing new case. An unaccomplished actor is hired for a Shakespearean tour with the worst actors and strangely the audience always appear to be comprising the same people every performance . Professor Moriarty and his number one henchman Colonel Moran find themselves unexpectedly having to settle a looking gang war in London. Both of these adventures get more complicated and unknown forces urgent Moriarty and Holmes to join forces. Can these mighty adversaries put their differences to one side to save the world?

It’s always worth remembering that the Holmes stories had unusual murders needing a forensic mind but could also include what are more big adventure stories. Doyle wrote the tales of Professor Challenger and Rubin has opted for an adventure story rather than a fiendish battle of criminal mastermind versus Best Detective. So Holmes and Watson start off with a mystery more in the style of the Red Headed league. With Moriarty we get to see what his day to day life involved and that’s a lot of scheming and criminal consultation but here the very dangerous world of criminal gangs comes to the fore. Both cases run up against each other and then we merge into one plot. At this point it’s more the quartet get into a more global adventure travelling Europe and finding a fiendish plot to stop. Rubin throws in ancient legends, deadly creatures and spy craft for good measure to test the skills of the four.

Narratively as you’d expect Holmes elements are captained by Dr Watson. Rubin gives his Watson a more introspective and rational spin than you usually expect as he is starting online for his lost love. The Holmes we see is steely but fair with the usual eye for detail and Watson adds practicality and humanity to their part of the adventure.

More unusually for the Moriarty scenes we have a unique take on Colonel Moran. The Eton and Oxford educated Colonel writes his side of the story in cockney slang mixed with hints Moran is far smarter than he likes to let on - for me my head canon is that Moran is therefore upper class pretending to be working class. Rubin’s Moriarty likes to pretend he is harmless but is horribly ruthless, always scheming and comes across dangerous so a fine match for Holmes. While for Holmes and Watson it’s friendship is a key element this feels more business - Moran like the violence and wealth Moriarty provides and Moriarty enjoys Moran as the heavy he can rely on but is often scolding and critical. It’s interesting to see these four run against each other and their views of each other and very much a marriage of convenience that could go very wrong emerges.

Holmes and Moriarty is a fun adventure story that fills in an interesting gap in the canon. More of a jape than a tough case it is also casting a new spotlight on famous characters. Holmes fans with that in mind should enjoy themselves.