In Progress: Moriarty

While recently trolling my local library, I stumbled across a book by Anthony Horowitz.  Now, normally, I don't read much by Horowitz.  I wasn't attracted to his Alex Rider series and I haven't come across one of his novels that's just hit me in a way that makes me want to read his books, that makes me want to sit down and devour a story.

HarperCollins

However, I was pleasantly surprised when I found Moriarty, a brand new mystery for Sherlock Holmes authorized by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's estate.  A modern twist on the Sherlock who readers have come to know and love with the added bonus of discovering what happens to our favorite detective after Reichenbach Falls.  To say the least, I was pleased to find such an unexpected gem.

I've only read about a small handful of Sherlock Holmes' cases; however, I jumped at the chance of reading a modern novel.  And, so far, I haven't been disappointed.

Moriarty takes place after Sherlock Holmes and Professor James Moriarty meet at Reichenbach Falls.  In some small measure, it focuses on what happens to the world's favorite detective and his arch nemesis.  Horowitz, however, takes a surprising turn and introduces a new character:  Frederick Chase, an investigator with the Pinkerton Detective Agency of New York.

And Frederick Chase isn't alone.  Horowitz also introduces a new villain, a man who rivals James Moriarty in his duplicity and his invisibility, a man who may very well be seeking to extend his criminal empire over the sea to fill the shoes of Europe's "Napoleon of Crime."

I was intrigued by the premise, especially since Horowitz decided to recycle characters from Conan Doyle's mysteries, like Inspector Athelney Jones.  Jones appears to take the place of our beloved Sherlock.  As a student of Holmes's methods and his own skill at deductive reasoning, Jones takes center stage, pinpointing unexpected clues, making great leaps of logic with inexplicable ease, and cornering criminals.

Personally, I find Jones to be an intriguing character and, thus far, a fine detective.  I like the way that Horowitz takes Watson's unfavorable view of him and introduces a new, improved detective.  It's fascinating, to say the least, but I'm curious to see where his character development will lead.  After finishing several chapters in the book, I'm uncertain as to where Athelney Jones will take the story.  I mean, he has the potential to become a great detective, but I wonder if his obsession with Sherlock Holmes - with becoming a successful detective - will not be his undoing.

Additionally, I love the narrator.  Frederick Chase, like Dr. John Watson, documents events and procedures surrounding the case, providing a candid and detailed account for readers that's predictably intriguing.  I find I like Detective Chase for his candor and his ability to pen a riveting story, but I'm a little alarmed by his allusions to the future.

You see, in writing his story in the aftermath of events, he refers to developments that I've yet to witness.  I'm justifiably worried about these characters:  what will happen to Athelney Jones and Frederick Chase?  Will they find Clarence Devereux before he has an opportunity to seize Moriarty's criminal empire?  And, most importantly, where is Sherlock Holmes?