It began as a harmless wager. Who could solve their case first?Professor and Mrs. Moriarty have a few weeks to kill before their theater opens. Happily, two small cases drop in their respective laps. Moriarty has what looks like a scheme to swindle Army veterans out of their discharge pay. Angelina must find a missing servant by winkling her way into a circle of officers’ wives. Neither case … Neither case seems terribly challenging; just enough to provide an agreeable competition.
But as soon as they start asking questions, things take an ugly turn. Moriarty discovers an army barracks riddled with corruption. Angelina uncovers a terrible secret at the heart of the circle of officers and wives. When Sherlock Holmes returns from a mission in India, he confirms her worst fears. Then a man is murdered, and a good friend is blamed. Scotland Yard sends Holmes to catch their suspect. The Moriartys must use all their courage and ingenuity to rescue their friend, stop a series of loathsome crimes, and put a cold killer behind bars.
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“Moriarty Lifts the Veil” earns 5/5 Scams & Scamps…Engaging Entertainment!
I love any incarnation of Sir Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes from the changing of era and setting to age and gender to who takes the lead and who is peripheral. My interest piqued with Anna Castle’s idea of same era, same setting, but a twist to the characters and having Professor James Moriarty taking the lead with his wife, Angelina; it reminded me in some ways of the Nick and Nora Charles dynamic. It’s the summer of 1888, James becomes aware of three former soldiers (Fun, one named Fowler, my maiden name!) who may have been cheated out of their discharge pay, money that could have supported their dreams rather than leaving them to live rough and thieving when the opportunity arises. Angelina, James’s wife and actress aka Lina Lovington, is approached by an admirer of her theater career hoping to avail herself of the Moriarty’s consulting practice. “You solve little puzzles for people. Trouble with an employer or an employee. Lost things. Lost persons.” Her ayah, Indian maidservant, is missing, no where to be found after more than a fortnight. She doesn’t know London, has no known friends, speaks little English, and the idea she’d been “poached” by someone wanting her as their own lady’s maid is raised, but that’s usually reserved for cooks. The two issues grab their interest, and since they seem to have little overlap and renovations to their theater don’t need their attention, James will deal with the War Office, and ecstatic about her own case, Angelica will snoop among a group of officers and their wives. A fun wager between spouses? “Let the games begin! And may the best sleuth win.” Unfortunately, what seems easy turns more serious with secrets, corruption, and murder.
Rushed to the top of my “Best in Show” list! Anna Castle has penned a delightful fourth book in her A Professor and Mrs. Moriarty series with a realism that makes me wonder if she harbors a time machine. I was totally absorbed with her descriptions of the London and it’s suburbs, costumes, objects, and modes of transportation along with depicting the differences between the challenged and the privileged. Her dialogue does well to illustrate tone, mood, and personalities of the various characters to enrich my reading experience. The well-developed drama in both storylines is complex, yet easy to follow, with historical references and a reworking of Doyle’s iconic characters that I found absolutely fascinating. Along with the ups and downs and dangers and perils of the investigations that kept me turning the pages, I totally enjoyed the pre-suffrage dynamic between Moriarty and his wife, his support and her strength, the era with stark differences between class and race and the well-to-do and servants, their congenial connection to those in their employ, and even learning a bit about the military community. Newbies, like myself, can easily start here quickly becoming absorbed with the era, London, characters, and plot. I totally recommend Anna Castle’s work, including her Elizabethan era Francis Bacon Mystery series (She has to have a time machine!), and having totally enjoyed “Moriarty Lifts the Veil,” I am very eager to read more!
“It’s a fallacy to assume that correlation implies causation.”
Using the time worn trope of Sherlock Holmes, Anna Castle reworks a look at James Moriarty and his wife Angelina, both attached to a burlesque theater presently closed during the summer electrification scheme: she as a headliner, he as management. The Moriartys get involved in two mysteries, a sort of wager between the two of them as to who might solve the case first.
The actual mysteries are pretty lame but may possibly have historical accuracy. This book is character driven, and that’s its salvation. Anna Castle is a great historical fiction writer and her historical fiction is wonderful, but this storyline is tired and never really catches fire. Recommended 4/5
[disclaimer: I received this book from the author and voluntarily read and then reviewed it]
Up to the usual high standard. Even though it is written in american style (which I prefer although I am English), it is a brilliant read. I was totally gripped in the plot which encompasses two cases. The bet that Professor and Mrs. Moriarty make as to who solves their case first soon becomes insignificant in the pursuit of the truth of what exactly is going on within the army regiment and its Indian connection. This is a well thought out plot and well researched.
A “must read” for those that like Victorian whodunnits, especially Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fans. Ms. Castle has brought an intriguing twist to his characters.