Moriarty Meets His Match - Anna Castle

   2016; 290 pages.  Book 1 (out of 4) in the “Professor & Mrs. Moriarty Mystery” series.  New Author? : No.  Genres : Historical British Mysteries; Sherlock Holmes.  Overall Rating : 8½*/10.

 

    You could call it “Professional Jealousy”.  Professor James Moriarty admits that.

 

    But he has a degree in mathematics.  And a job as an assistant patent examiner.  And he’s frankly convinced that Teaberry & Company’s new-fangled, recently patented “Compact Spherical Engine” has some serious flaws, particularly as far as fuel efficiency goes.

 

    So when it’s announced the engine will be showcased at the 1885 London International Inventions Exhibition, Moriarty sneaks in the night before and secretly “adds” a little fuel gauge to it.

 

    Unfortunately for him, the next day, when the Compact Spherical Engine is fired up, it explodes, killing its operator.  Was that due to a design flaw, or did someone sabotage it?  Unfortunately for Moriarty, Scotland Yard is bringing in a consulting specialist to investigate.

 

    Whose name is Sherlock Holmes.

 

What’s To Like...

    Moriarty Meets His Match is a reimagining of two of the main characters in Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series, but this time around, top billing is given to Moriarty.  Holmes still plays a prominent role, and there are at least three others that reprise their roles here: Dr. Watson, Mrs. Hudson, and Inspector Gregson.  Both Moriarty and Holmes are still incredibly brilliant, and I liked that Anna Castle makes both of their characters a bit more “gray.”

 

    There are three main storylines.  First and foremost is the parallel investigations by the two protagonists into the exploding spherical engine.  The second involves a new character, Angelina Gould, and her efforts to find and recover some incriminating letters penned by her brother, Sebastian.  Those sound like very disparate plot threads, but the author manages to deftly make them converge.

 

    The third plotline is hinted at in the series title.  There is no “Mrs. Moriarty” at the start of the story, and it is quite entertaining to watch as the super-nerd Professor Moriarty struggles to cope with his own feelings and the delightful attentions of a attractive woman.  We won’t reveal who she is, but it doesn't take very long to figure it out.

 

    I thought the world-building was expertly done.  Like a Conan Doyle episode, I got a great “feel” for London in the 1880s.  The “musical jump-rope” was a fascinating (and presumably factual) recreation, and I had to look up who “Sheridan La Fanu” was.  I learned the correct pronunciation of “Miswell” (it rhymes with ‘drizzle’) and am still trying to figure out what a “front-sheeter” is.

 

    The ending is suitably logical, which I expected since two geniuses are investigating.  Holmes and Moriarty still don’t like each other, but at least they respect each other’s sleuthing.  A couple of dei ex machina provide key breaks, but it’s still a challenge to properly evaluate them.  Things close with a crafty impersonation plot twist.

 

Ratings…
    Amazon: 4.2*/5, based on 1,640 ratings and 211 reviews.

    Goodreads: 3.95*/5, based on 1,034 ratings and 115 reviews.

 

Kewlest New Word ...

Grizzled (adj.) : having or streaked with gray hair.

Others: Moil (n.); Delimited (adj.); Spunks (n.); Frowsty (adj.).

 

Excerpts...

    “Why the deuce did you let Hainstone trick me into judging that plump baby contest, Ramsay?  Can’t abide the little buggers!  How am I to tell one from the other?”

    The secretary answered him in soothing tones.  “The name of both mother and baby are right here in this envelope, my lord.  You need only read them off.  The village doctor selects them in advance.  Part of the British Mothers Health and Wellness Program.  It’s good for you, politically, my lord.  It shows your concern for the people.”

    Nettlefield snorted.  (pg. 196)

 

    Moriarty kissed the little curl on her temple.  He worshipped that curl.  “You should marry me because without you my life can never again have a meaning.  You are more beautiful than the arrangement of binomial coefficients in Pascal’s triangle.  You mean more to me than Euclid’s postulates of plane geometry.”

    She frowned.  He loved it when she frowned.  She licked her rosy lips and said, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

    “It’s the highest praise I have to offer.”   (pg. 261)

 

Kindle Details…

    Moriarty Meets His Match sells for $4.99 right now at Amazon, as do the other three books in the series.  Anna Castle’s “Francis Bacon Mystery” series has eight volumes with prices ranging from free to $4.99.

 

“A secret can only be kept by two people if one of them is dead.”  (pg. 145)

    There’s very little profanity in Moriarty Meets His Match; I noted only four instances in the first 33% of the book, and all of them were of the milder eschatological ilk.  One adult situation is mentioned later on.  I noted just one typo: entrée/entry, so kudos to whoever did the editing.

 

    Some reviewers didn’t like that Sherlock Holmes is cast in a somewhat unfavorable light, but I thought it was a refreshingly new angle.  At one point in the story, Holmes admits that Dr. Watson has a habit of portraying his detective prowess far more brilliantly that it actually is.  To boot, this is a four-book (and presumably completed) series, and I'm anticipating that Moriarty and Holmes will develop a closer professional relationship as the series progresses.

 

    I’ve read two of Anna Castle’s “Francis Bacon Mysteries” series; and liked them both.  I was curious to see how her “Professor and Mrs. Moriarty” books would measure up against Sir Francis Bacon’s endeavors, and I’m happy to report that both series are page-turners for anyone who, like me, loves to read Historical Mysteries.

 

    8½ Stars.  One last quibble.  While I loved the inclusion of several characters from the Arthur Conan Doyle series, there was one glaring omission.  There’s no Mycroft Holmes!  He's Sherlock’s brother and makes his sibling look like an observational amateur.  Here’s hoping he shows up at some point in the next three books, even if it’s just a cameo appearance.