The Infernal Device and Others
Ratings1
Average rating3
15
Ratings1
Average rating3
Since their original appearanc more than two decades ago, Michael Kurland's two novels feature Professor James Moriarty--The Infernal Device and Death by Gaslight--have been among the most acclaimed of the works based on the characters first introduced by Authur Conan Doyle. In Doyle's original stories, Professor Moriarty is the bete noire of Sherlock Holmes, who deems the professor his mental equivalent and ethical opposite, declares him "the Napoleon of Crime, " and wrestles him seemingly to their mutual deaths at Reichenbach Falls. But indeed there are two sides to every story, and while Moriarty may not always tread strictly on the side of the law, he is also, in these novels, not quite about the person that Holmes and Watson made him out to be. In Kurland's fictions about Moriarty, the truth is finally revealed: The Infernal Device--A dangerous adversary seeking to topple the British monarchy places Moriarty in mortal jeopardy, forcing him to collaborate with his nemesis Sherlock Holmes. Death by Gaslight--A serial killer is stalking the cream o England's aristocracy, baffling both the police and Sherlock Holmes and leaving the powers in charge to play one last desperate card: Professor Moriarty. The Paradol Paradox--The first new Moriarty story in almost twenty years, it has never before appeared in print. Brilliantly and vividly evoking late Victorian England in all its facets, this first-ever omnibus of the adventures of Proefssor James Moriarty will delight longtime fans as well as readers new to the milieu.
Reviews with the most likes.
This volume contains two novels and a novelette, all of which are readable, entertaining, and seem thoroughly researched—I appreciate the details.
I'd say the second novel, “Death by Gaslight”, is the best of them, being a particularly complex and exciting story. It includes a revival of the Hellfire Club, which also featured in a 1966 television episode of “The Avengers”. And, come to think of it, the style of these stories is not too far removed from that of “The Avengers”: improbable villains commit improbable crimes, tackled by eccentric investigators in a rather light-hearted manner.
I admit that I haven't read the original Sherlock Holmes stories (perhaps I'll get around to them someday?), and it's not at all essential to have done so: these stories can be read and enjoyed on their own. Furthermore, as I'm not a Holmes devotee, it doesn't particularly bother me that Kurland makes Moriarty the hero, frequently outwitting Holmes, who suffers from an anti-Moriarty obsession.
I might give a higher rating if I were a particular fan of this kind of fiction. But I mostly read sf and fantasy, so this is not exactly my kind of thing.
