Bestselling author Caleb Carr reaches back to the age of opium dens and Jack the Ripper, when fictional detective Sherlock Holmes made the science of murder as real as the gore on a killer's hands.
"Fans of The Alienist will eagerly read The Italian Secretary. He effectively evokes the dark, dank atmosphere. Carr is astute and unerring in his portrayal of Holmes and his techniques."--USA Today
FOUL WHISPERINGS...
Mycroft Holmes's encoded message to his brother, Sherlock, is unsubtle enough even for Dr. Watson to decipher: a matter concerning the safety of Queen Victoria herself calls them to Edinburgh's Holyroodhouse to investigate the confounding and gruesome deaths of two young men--horrific incidents that took place with Her Highness in residence. The victims were crushed in a manner surpassing human power. And while recent attempts on Her Majesty's life raise a number of possibilities, these intrigues also seem strangely connected to an act of evil that took place centuries earlier...
...UNNATURAL DEEDS
For indeed, the slaying of David Rizzio, music master and friend to Mary, Queen of Scots, was an extraordinarily brutal and treacherous act--even for a time when brutality and treachery were the order of the day. Now, the ghosts of Holyroodhouse are being reawakened by someone with a diabolical agenda of greed, madness, and terror as Holmes and Watson set out to trap a killer who is eager to rewrite history in blood.
Industry Reviews
"Intriguing!" --Booklist"The Italian Secretary captivates." --Publishers Weekly Intriguing! Booklist The Italian Secretary captivates. Publishers Weekly" Intriguing! "Booklist" The Italian Secretary captivates. "Publishers Weekly"" "Intriguing!" -"Booklist""The Italian Secretary captivates." -"Publishers Weekly" "Intriguing!" -"Booklist""The Italian Secretary captivates." -"Publishers Weekly" " A fleet-footed, atmospherically gothic, and often amusing Holmes tale... Carr displays a gift for adopting another author's literary techniques." -- Amazon.com " Carr acquits himself with honor... the novel captivates." -- "Publishers Weekly"""" Fans of "The Alienist" will eagerly read "The Italian Secretary.".. aficionados of Conan Doyle... are apt to be... satisfied... Carr has always brought a sense of authenticity to the time periods and locales about which he writes. Here, he effectively evokes the dark, dank atmosphere of rain-soaked Scotland. The similarly bleak and dismal palace, with its hidden stairway and " the blood that never dries, " is a perfect setting for a Holmes tale... Carr is astute and unerring in his portrayal of Holmes and his techniques." -- "USA"" Today"""" [Carr' s] canonical characters are briskly brought back to life." -- "The New York Times Book Review" " [Carr] uses his considerable talents as a re-creator of historic period detail to provide an entertaining continuation of the Conan Doyle canon.--"Chicago"" Tribune" " [Carr] has crafted a straightforward story." -- "Los Angeles"" Times" " Caleb Carr gets every possible atom of excitement and intrigue out of the traditional Sherlock Holmes format. Seemingly without effort, Caleb Carr deftly weaves accepted elements from the Sherlock Holmes canon with new suppositions and plotlines expertly adding new spice to a familiar favorite old stem and the results are delicious." --"Times Leader" " Holmes' intelligenceactivities... grounds the novel. Much of the authenticity of "The Italian Secretary" has to do with its author." -- "Newsday" (Long Island/Queens) " Sherlock Homes and Dr. Watson live!" --"Richmond"" Times Dispatch" " Placing these famous characters into Carr' s capable hands is a gift to anyone who enjoys mysteries, historical fiction, or just a great read." --"Library Journal" " The book is exciting and the plot holds the reader' s interest." --DarkTales.com" Both Sherlockians and fans of Carr's "Alienist" series will enjoy this re-creation... a strong addition to the Holmes oeuvres... crisp narration." -- Audiofile " Great setting, intriguing history." -- "Booklist" "A fleet-footed, atmospherically gothic, and often amusing Holmes tale...Carr displays a gift for adopting another author's literary techniques."--Amazon.com "Carr acquits himself with honor...the novel captivates."--"Publishers Weekly""""Fans of "The Alienist" will eagerly read "The Italian Secretary..".aficionados of Conan Doyle...are apt to be...satisfied...Carr has always brought a sense of authenticity to the time periods and locales about which he writes. Here, he effectively evokes the dark, dank atmosphere of rain-soaked Scotland. The similarly bleak and dismal palace, with its hidden stairway and "the blood that never dries," is a perfect setting for a Holmes tale...Carr is astute and unerring in his portrayal of Holmes and his techniques."--"USA"" Today""""[Carr's] canonical characters are briskly brought back to life."--"The New York Times Book Review" "[Carr] uses his considerable talents as a re-creator of historic period detail to provide an entertaining continuation of the Conan Doyle canon.--"Chicago"" Tribune" "[Carr] has crafted a straightforward story."--"Los Angeles"" Times" "Caleb Carr gets every possible atom of excitement and intrigue out of the traditional Sherlock Holmes format. Seemingly without effort, Caleb Carr deftly weaves accepted elements from the Sherlock Holmes canon with new suppositions and plotlines expertly adding new spice to a familiar favorite old stem and the results are delicious."--"Times Leader" "Holmes' intelligence activities...grounds the novel. Much of the authenticity of "The Italian Secretary" has to do with its author."--"Newsday" (Long Island/Queens) "Sherlock Homes and Dr. Watsonlive!"--"Richmond"" Times Dispatch" "Placing these famous characters into Carr's capable hands is a gift to anyone who enjoys mysteries, historical fiction, or just a great read."--"Library Journal" "The book is exciting and the plot holds the reader's interest."--DarkTales.com"Both Sherlockians and fans of Carr's "Alienist" series will enjoy this re-creation...a strong addition to the Holmes oeuvres...crisp narration."--Audiofile "Great setting, intriguing history."--"Booklist"
