The Return of Moriarty

Sherlock Holmes Is Dead but his Nemesis Is Not

Jack Anderson

$44.95

Paperback

In stock
Ready to ship

QTY:

English

Crooked Lane Books
07 October 2025

Classic crime; Historical mysteries; Sherlock Holmes

After Professor Moriarty survives Reichenbach Falls and Sherlock Holmes dies, Moriarty finds himself caught up in a locked-room mystery Holmes couldn’t solve.

This time, it’s up to Moriarty to crack the mystery, perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes ingenious retellings like the ones by Anthony Horowitz and Laurie R. King.

Upon escaping from Reichenbach Falls, his empire in ruins, criminal

mastermind James Moriarty takes the identity of wealthy inventor Hugo

Strahm and embarks on a dark pilgrimage to the cliffside manor of

Schloss Alber in Bavaria.

When medical student Clara

Mendel returns to Schloss Alber, she finds her childhood home on the

verge of ruin. A deadly feud over a priceless heirloom has thrown the

Alber family into chaos while its walls play host to an unusual cast of

characters–the obstinate Lord Alber, his strange and beleaguered

children, their cantankerous butler, and of course, their mysterious new

guest, ""Hugo Strahm."" When one of them is poisoned at dinner, it’s the

first act in a spiraling criminal conspiracy, in which any and all of

them are suspects.

Working with the sharp and

inquisitive Clara, the former crime lord attempts to solve the mystery

whilst trying to keep his true identity concealed. Yet despite taking on

the role of detective, Moriarty does not share Sherlock Holmes’s

methods, nor his interest in justice. Only one thing is certain, for

James Moriarty, dying at the hands of Sherlock Holmes would have been an

elegant end… The question of what comes next is far more complicated.

This

cleverly plotted mystery is a faithful and inventive take on the

Sherlock Holmes legacy, paying homage to Arthur Conan Doyle’s signature

style while adding its own devious tricks to the story that is destined

to become a must-read classic for Sherlock Holmes fans.

By: Jack Anderson
Imprint: Crooked Lane Books
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 209mm, Width: 139mm, Spine: 22mm
Weight: 329g
ISBN: 9798892422826
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 07 October 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Jack Anderson is a UK-based writer of horror and mystery fiction. Jack got his start writing for the internet, penning the viral serial ""Has Anyone Heard of the Left/Right Game?"", which he wrote in a caffeine-fueled haze. It has since been adapted into a hit QCode podcast starring Tessa Thompson in the leading role of Alice. His debut thriller, The Grief Doctor, was published by Raven Books in June 2024. He is currently working on his new Moriarty Mystery series, with the first novel, The Return of Moriarty, scheduled to be published in Autumn 2025. Jack is also developing a number of original television and film ideas across the horror genre. Jack lives with his wife in Sheffield. Lifelong fans of games and puzzles, together they’re burning through every escape room in the North of England.

Reviews for The Return of Moriarty: Sherlock Holmes Is Dead but his Nemesis Is Not

Praise for The Return of Moriarty: “The book does slot nicely into the voluminous Holmes literature produced by Gardner, Nicholas Meyer, Laurie R. King, and numerous other writers. Fans should welcome it with open arms.” —Booklist “Anderson provides one fascinating puzzle after another and a superb sense of time and place. He delivers a great villain, a great (if unexpected) protagonist, and a great read.” —Michael Robertson, author of The Baker Street mysteries “It shouldn’t be possible: To find a completely original spin on one of crime fiction’s most famous villains while also staying true to Conan Doyle’s legacy. And yet Jack Anderson has done exactly that in this brilliantly clever, historically vivid, and wildly entertaining adventure. Complex and resourceful, Moriarty and Clara Mendel make for a formidable crime-fighting team–and thank god, because the baffling crimes and ingenious twists in every chapter would defeat any lesser duo.” —Paul Bradley Carr, author of The Confessions