Bond and Blofeld. Eve and Villanelle. Tom and Jerry. Every hero needs a supervillain. Only by butting heads with an evenly-matched nemesis can they win the day and prove their genius. In Gareth Rubin’s new Sherlock novel, Holmes And Moriarty, the urbane, cerebral archenemies are as diametrically opposed as ever, but what if their working together is the only way to save the world from certain destruction?
Removing Sherlock from Benedict Cumberbatch’s modern-day setting and dropping him back amongst the seething, crime-infested streets of Victorian London, Rubin introduces readers to a colourful cast of characters, ranging from New York gangsters and amateur thespians to a thrilling cameo from old ‘we are not amused’ herself. Centring on four hardy explorers who develop a nasty case of being murdered once they return home, the tale expands to take in everything from poison-spitting spiders to a hotel in the Swiss Alps so sinister it makes the one from The Shining look like your local Premier Inn.
Aiming to slot seamlessly into Conan Doyle’s existing canon rather than upend it, Rubin constructs a tightly plotted, slightly fantastical mystery that is so far up the street of traditional Holmes fans it’s practically knocking down the front door of 221B.
Holmes And Moriarty, Gareth Rubin (Simon & Schuster)
Price: £18.99. Info: here
words RACHEL REES