Probably the most infamous story in the Sherlock Holmes canon is “The Final Problem” as it relates the facts of the death/murder of the master detective at Reichenbach Falls. On May 4, 1891, the detective met his archenemy Professor Moriarty on a ledge above the falls; the two became locked in a titanic hand-to-hand struggle before both tumbled over the precipice, presumably to their deaths, as witnessed afar by Dr.Watson. The outcry against the death of such a popular character was so great that in 1901 Conan Doyle was forced to give in to the pressure of his fan mail. He resurrected the detective by claiming that Holmes had managed to grab a tuft of grass during the fall into the “dreadful cauldron” and so had lived to solve another mystery.
But what really happened that infamous day at Reichenbach Falls and why did Holmes disappear in the aftermath? And what of the infamous Moriarty? How did a noble mathematician become the Napoleon of Crime?
The Shadow of Reichenbach Fallsprovides these answers and more. It turns out that the events were not just witnessed by Watson but by another young detective of the Victorian era—Carnacki the Ghost Finder. Carnacki rescues an amnesiac gentleman from the base of the falls only to find himself and his companion doggedly pursued by an evil mastermind whose shadowy powers may reach from the bloody crime scenes of White Chapel to far beyond the grave.
Filled with Holmesian lore and thrilling encounters evocative of Doyle’s work in the Strand magazine, The Shadow of Reichenbach Fallswill undoubtedly join the ranks of such successful Holmesian pastiches as The Seven Percent Solution, The West End Horror, and Murder by Decree.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Sherlock meats Carnacki, the ghost finder
This book presents a revised version of the events in "The Final Problem." It begins beside a rubbish heap in Meiringen with a young Thomas Carnacki, William Hope Hodgson's "Ghost Finder," negotiating with a fat old rat for a lump of moldy Gruyère cheese. Later in the day Thomas is piknicing near the Reichenbach Falls with one "Anna Schmidt" when they witness a struggle atop the Falls and rescue a fallen combatent.
The other combatent pursues them in an effort to shoot his rival ... Read More
Rating: - As Good a Holmes Story as Can be Got
This should be subtitled "The Reichenbach Incident." Involving Sherlock Holmes, Prof Moriarity, and Dr. Watson, it tells the story of the space between the moment Sherlock Holmes fell over the Falls and he appeared again in London, and introduces another character who will later become a well-known fictitious detective in his own right, Thomas Carnacki. A devil-may-care girl-chasing student at this time, with little money but a taste for adventure, Thomas Carnacki--on holiday in Switzerland--invites ... Read More
Rating: - The explanation of Holmes' disappearance at last!
King does an amazing job here of perfectly capturing the essence of a Sherlock Holmes story while not getting bogged down with out-of-date language or scenery. The story begins at the "final" confrontation between Holmes and Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls (thus the name of the book) and carries us on from there.
One thing this author does so well is finally giving us a reason to sympathize with Moriarty! We are given what could technically be called Moriarty's origin story here, and it's a ... Read More
Rating: - Great read and connects the dots in the saga of Holmes..
Prof Moriarty has been an enigma so far for intelligent mystery readers worldwide and this book makes a very clever attempt at unravelling this mystery and I must add, quite successfully !!
The book has a very clever premise set in the matters of heart, passion, history and ties several historical and fictional events of the era and that of the Holmes saga. The use and recent scientific theories ( such as Chaos ) help the story, which probably was difficult to imagine about 100 years ago. ... Read More
Rating: - The Shadow of Greatness
Exactly how many times will Professor Moriarity and Sherlock Holmes rattle literaty sabres?
John R King writes an interesting book that centres around the question...what if Holmes survived the fall from the Falls and lost his memory?
Mr King postulates that the daughter of Professor Moriarity found him (along with Thomas Carnacki) and in their escape from Moriarity, we learn about the 'real' Professor and his twisted life. A professor of mathematics at Jesus College, he descended ... Read More