It is 1873, and Mycroft Holmes is in service to the Crown once again. A distant relative of Queen Victoria has been slain by the Fire Four Eleven killer, a serial murderer who leaves no mark upon his victims.
Mycroft allows Sherlock to take the case, as he has been asked to find a missing person the fiancé of the woman he loves. As Sherlock travels the country on the hunt for a murderer, both he and Mycroft will discover that the greed of others is at the root of the evil they are trying to unearth…
About the Authors
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a huge Holmesian - 7'2", NBA's all-time leading scorer, six-time MVP, Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom as well as a New York Times bestselling author, and a regular contributor to the Guardian and the Hollywood Reporter. He has written fifteen books, including children's stories, three autobiographies, several historical works, and essays.
His recent titles are Becoming Kareem (2017) and Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court (2016). His first novel, Mycroft Holmes starring Sherlock Holmes's less well known but more talented older brother, was published in 2015 (Titan Books).
Anna Waterhouse has sold and/or optioned several scripts, consulted on a feature-length doc for HBO, was supervising producer/co-writer of Netflix/Showtime's On the Shoulders of Giants which won an NAACP Image Award for best documentary, has taught screenwriting at both Chapman University and at U.S.C., and is currently working on a limited series with acclaimed writer Robert Towne.
Industry Reviews
'Abdul-Jabbar — N.B.A. champion, cultural ambassador, author rivals Conan Doyle himself.'
New York Times
"Abdul-Jabbar and Waterhouse's third pastiche (after 2018's Mycroft and Sherlock), their best yet, provides intriguing challenges for both Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes while continuing to present plausible backstories for the brothers....The authors do a stellar job of illuminating the siblings' developing relationship while concocting a clever and twisty plot. Sherlockians will be enthralled."
Publishers Weekly Starred Review
"All the usual pleasures blood and thunder, sibling rivalry, historical walk-ons..."
Kirkus Reviews
"The third Mycroft tale is another winner. The Victorian setting is well drawn, the dialog rings true, the period details, both factual and fictive, support a labyrinthine plot including race and class distinctions...Highly recommended, as are its two predecessors."
Library Journal Starred Review
"The Mycroft books are notable for...creating deep characters who would have been largely ignored or nonexistent in the actual literature of the age: characters of color"
CrimeReads
"The third novel in this cunning series...just might be its best...This fast-paced installment is filled with rich and intriguing character backstories and period details that Sherlocks fans will love."
Barnes & Noble Best New Mysteries
"Abdul-Jabbar and Waterhouse capture the flavor of Arthur Conan Doyle's Victorian London and his characters to a tee."
BookPage
"Thoroughly entertaining mystery, with great appeal for Holmesians, in particular, and fans of Victorian mysteries, in general."
Booklist
