What do you think?
Rate this book
The House of Smoke
Big Ben chimes in the first seconds of the first day of 1900, the start of a fresh century. Inside London's oldest gaol, preparations are afoot to hang Victorian England's deadliest assassin, a man wanted for two decades' worth of murders.
Cold-blooded killer Simeon Lynch has lived a brutal and glorious life in the employ of the House of Moriarty - the most feared criminal enterprise in the world. Now, as he faces the noose, Simeon learns dark truths about his master, about Sherlock Holmes and about his own past. Truths that make him determined to escape and kill again...
Follow Simeon's bloody footsteps through the capital's cobbled alleyways, wretched workhouses and flash taverns as he crosses swords with Sherlock Holmes and the villainous characters of Victorian London.
453 pages, Paperback
First published November 19, 2015
10 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 29, 2015
Sometimes it happens that books surprise me in a positive way and the book I review today belongs to this category.
The 341 pages of the book are divided into five consecutively numbered parts which are subdivided into 31 named chapters which are subdivided too.
The story is told from first person point-of-view and switch between to time lines which meet at the end of the story.
The House of Moriarty surprised me in several ways.
The story is completely told from the point of view of cold-blooded killer Simeon Lynchon and he is the main character and not Professor James Moriarty.
In fact Professor James Moriarty appears less than ten times. Simeon worked for Brogan Moriarty who is a brother of James. Brogan is a devilish character and has a great impact on Simeon's life. Following persons belong to the inner circle of Brogan Moriarty and have also an impact on Simon's life: Lady Elizabeth Audsley, Mr. Michael Brannigan, Miss Surrey Breed, Sirius Gunn and Mr. Alexander Rathbone. Each of them has her/his own fate.
What about the great detective? He plays a certain role but he does appear even less than Professor James Moriarty. Dr. Watson is only mentioned and Mycroft Holmes appears only once.
All the listed characters are well enough described to build up your mind on each.
Simeon is a violent character and to be honest he is not a character to fall in love with.
Nevertheless it is absolutely fascinating to follow him and his development. Not to forget some unexpected revelations which gave the story more depth.
The story telling switches between two time lines which meet at the end of the book.
On the one hand is Simeon's life in the last 18 days in Newgate prison before his execution.
On the other hand we get to know Simon's life from the beginning. This is done with highlighting important events in his life.
This is a book full of violence spiced with heartfelt moments. Nevertheless the described violence serves a purpose because it supports one of the main questions I discovered and did not expect to find:
Where does violence derive from? What is the impact of our surrounding on human development? What is the impact of undeveloped social competence?
Is there a difference between "good" and "bad" violence? Who defines what is right or wrong?
Don't get me wrong. The House of Moriarty is far beyond to be a psychological study. Nevertheless there is no way out that this compelling story lead to all these questions I listed above. It is a story which delivers an insight to the "dark" side of human beings or as Simeon wanted to write on his prison cell wall:
"Though I walk through the valley of shadow and death I fear no evil.
For I am evil" (p. 235)
Are we really the most advanced species on this planet? I have more doubts than I had before reading the book.
Of course I know the story of Simeon Lynch is fiction. He did not exist in real life but the description of life in Victorian era especially for kids sounds really serious.This was a time where lower class children have been nothing more than cheap work force. Furthermore several real people are mentioned and have an impact on Simon like Charles Darwin or the first person to be hanged in 1900 Louise Masset.
This is the place to open the cornucopia of praising words like
irresistible, intelligent, fascinating, awesome, impressive, intense, intoxicating, intriguing, mesmerising, excellent ....
Yes, The House of Moriarty deserve them all.
For me The House of Moriarty is one of the best books I read in 2015.
I'm still impressed by what has delivered within this crime story.
This review has been posted on Amazon by using the nickname brienneselwyn.
This review has been posted on my blog.
The 341 pages of the book are divided into five consecutively numbered parts which are subdivided into 31 named chapters which are subdivided too.
The story is told from first person point-of-view and switch between to time lines which meet at the end of the story.
The House of Moriarty surprised me in several ways.
The story is completely told from the point of view of cold-blooded killer Simeon Lynchon and he is the main character and not Professor James Moriarty.
In fact Professor James Moriarty appears less than ten times. Simeon worked for Brogan Moriarty who is a brother of James. Brogan is a devilish character and has a great impact on Simeon's life. Following persons belong to the inner circle of Brogan Moriarty and have also an impact on Simon's life: Lady Elizabeth Audsley, Mr. Michael Brannigan, Miss Surrey Breed, Sirius Gunn and Mr. Alexander Rathbone. Each of them has her/his own fate.
What about the great detective? He plays a certain role but he does appear even less than Professor James Moriarty. Dr. Watson is only mentioned and Mycroft Holmes appears only once.
All the listed characters are well enough described to build up your mind on each.
Simeon is a violent character and to be honest he is not a character to fall in love with.
Nevertheless it is absolutely fascinating to follow him and his development. Not to forget some unexpected revelations which gave the story more depth.
The story telling switches between two time lines which meet at the end of the book.
On the one hand is Simeon's life in the last 18 days in Newgate prison before his execution.
On the other hand we get to know Simon's life from the beginning. This is done with highlighting important events in his life.
This is a book full of violence spiced with heartfelt moments. Nevertheless the described violence serves a purpose because it supports one of the main questions I discovered and did not expect to find:
Where does violence derive from? What is the impact of our surrounding on human development? What is the impact of undeveloped social competence?
Is there a difference between "good" and "bad" violence? Who defines what is right or wrong?
Don't get me wrong. The House of Moriarty is far beyond to be a psychological study. Nevertheless there is no way out that this compelling story lead to all these questions I listed above. It is a story which delivers an insight to the "dark" side of human beings or as Simeon wanted to write on his prison cell wall:
"Though I walk through the valley of shadow and death I fear no evil.
For I am evil" (p. 235)
Are we really the most advanced species on this planet? I have more doubts than I had before reading the book.
Of course I know the story of Simeon Lynch is fiction. He did not exist in real life but the description of life in Victorian era especially for kids sounds really serious.This was a time where lower class children have been nothing more than cheap work force. Furthermore several real people are mentioned and have an impact on Simon like Charles Darwin or the first person to be hanged in 1900 Louise Masset.
This is the place to open the cornucopia of praising words like
irresistible, intelligent, fascinating, awesome, impressive, intense, intoxicating, intriguing, mesmerising, excellent ....
Yes, The House of Moriarty deserve them all.
For me The House of Moriarty is one of the best books I read in 2015.
I'm still impressed by what has delivered within this crime story.
This review has been posted on Amazon by using the nickname brienneselwyn.
This review has been posted on my blog.
January 3, 2018
With every kill I lost a piece of my humanity. I had become two people living in one skin: an increasingly cultured, educated and kindly Simeon along with a savage and ruthless Simeon.
I read this mostly because it said Sherlock Holmes and more importantly implied Moriarty, but this was… disappointing.
The House of Smoke tells the story of Simeon Lynch, who spent years of his life working for Moriarty, 'Sherlock Holmes’ greatest nemesis', and is now paying for it in jail, awaiting his execution. The book goes back and forth between Simeon’s past in the employ of Moriarty and his present in jail, where he still hopes he will manage to escape before it’s too late.
It was like Christer looked at all the parts of this story that I’d find interesting and decided to completely ignore all of them. James Moriarty wasn’t interesting enough for him, so he decided the Moriarty from the original stories needed to have an even smarter and more important brother – Brogan Moriarty – who is actually behind everything. James Moriarty is working for his brother, and he does actually show up in the story for all of 10 pages or so, but he is of no importance whatsoever. Brogan Moriarty is supposed to be dangerous and evil and ruthless etc., but we see hardly any of that in the story.
The whole part of Simeon working as an assassin is skipped almost completely and summed up in a couple of pages. We never find out what he actually does for Moriarty. The other important characters (and employees of Moriarty) – Surrey, Elisabeth, Alex, Sirius – get almost no characterization at all. Sherlock Holmes is barely even there.
And instead we get: an unnecessary and completely pointless romance, people constantly getting angry and punching each other, at least 10 descriptions of Simeon getting beaten up in jail, and this passage that almost made me laugh out loud on the bus because I found it so ridiculous:
'That is it? Your fleeting visit is over?' My temper boiled. 'You must work harder and get me out of here, sir!' I banged a fist on the table out of frustration. 'These hands must close around the throat of my nemesis!'
This might actually deserve two stars, but I’m too angry about the fact that James Moriarty wasn’t interesting enough for this story to give it anything more than one star.
August 1, 2017
Slecht zeker niet, maar ik werd er ook niet echt in meegesleept...
March 30, 2018
With that ending I'm assuming there might be a book 2?
I listened to the audio version of this book, which is the only reason I made it to the end. The way the write up for this book was written I was expecting a book about Sherlock and Moriaty instead it's about Simeone who ends up working for James Moriatys brother. While he is waiting to be hanged for murder he recounts his life.
Maybe because I went in to this assuming there was more Sherlock than there was but I found it to be lacking. I felt like there was this barrier between me and the main character. like the author didn't really want to share him.
I just didn't gel with this book.
I listened to the audio version of this book, which is the only reason I made it to the end. The way the write up for this book was written I was expecting a book about Sherlock and Moriaty instead it's about Simeone who ends up working for James Moriatys brother. While he is waiting to be hanged for murder he recounts his life.
Maybe because I went in to this assuming there was more Sherlock than there was but I found it to be lacking. I felt like there was this barrier between me and the main character. like the author didn't really want to share him.
I just didn't gel with this book.
June 7, 2019
Zajímavé dobové vyprávění z pohledu zločince. O jeho životě dětství, o tom, jaká budoucnost ho čeká a mnoho dalšího. Čtivé, poutavé, napínavé. Výborné čtení na odpoledne...
https://lucy-lillianne.blogspot.com/2...
https://lucy-lillianne.blogspot.com/2...
January 3, 2018
Cold and clever, but ultimately not enormously engaging, account of the life - and imminent death at the end of a rope - of Moriarty's killer Simeon Lynch.
December 28, 2024
CAWPILE 7.00
4 STARS
Read this in one sitting, it's a chunky book but very dark and beguiling.
I loved the dual timelines, the time spent in prison and the life leading up to it.
I wish that this had been continued into a series as I think the ending sets up a brilliant sequel.
So pleased I finally read this one as it's been on my shelves for a little while.
4 STARS
Read this in one sitting, it's a chunky book but very dark and beguiling.
I loved the dual timelines, the time spent in prison and the life leading up to it.
I wish that this had been continued into a series as I think the ending sets up a brilliant sequel.
So pleased I finally read this one as it's been on my shelves for a little while.
March 26, 2016
Didn't think much of this and gave up about three quarters of the way through. It's competently written, but no more than that. It rarely gripped me and Simeon Lynch, the central character, lacks, well, character and really failed to engage me in any way. The connections to Sherlock Holmes are tenuous at best; three quarters into the book he has appeared twice for a total of approximately a page or less and his nemesis Moriarty has not appeared at all, although Moriarty's brother (?), Brogan, is a central, but largely uninteresting, character. Famous names are thrown in now and again but without much reason or point and there's not much effort made to recreate period dialogue so despite plenty of descriptive passages I never really got a sense of the times. The plot essentially hangs on whether professional assassin Lynch can escape being hanged, but by the time I gave up I had so little interest in him I really didn't care whether he lived or died. Overall, it's readable, just not very interesting or exciting.
September 7, 2016
The story of a man hired by the House of Moriarty as an assassin and his crossings with Sherlock Holmes. The book intertwines the assasin's time in prison before his execution with his life before and during his life with the Moriartys.
It should have been a good plot but it wasn't it just lack interesting characters and simply wasn't engaging; for all it could have had nothing was 'chilling and clever'. The inclusion of Moriaty and Sherlock Holmes was a mistake as both characters are very well know and gave the whole book a feel that it could have been written as decent fan fiction.
It ended up taking me a long time to finish because pretty much anything else distracted me from reading it.
It should have been a good plot but it wasn't it just lack interesting characters and simply wasn't engaging; for all it could have had nothing was 'chilling and clever'. The inclusion of Moriaty and Sherlock Holmes was a mistake as both characters are very well know and gave the whole book a feel that it could have been written as decent fan fiction.
It ended up taking me a long time to finish because pretty much anything else distracted me from reading it.
April 18, 2016
Loved it!!!
Absolutely devoured this book. Brilliant storyline, excellently executed. I'll shall look forward to more books from Mr Christer!
Absolutely devoured this book. Brilliant storyline, excellently executed. I'll shall look forward to more books from Mr Christer!
January 21, 2017
'Sherlock Holmes' greatest nemesis unleashes Victorian London's deadliest assassin...'
I'm going to have to be honest here...until about 1/2 way through this book I wasn't sure I liked it. It's not that I found it heavy going (it's not), it's not that it doesn't immediately grab your attention (I mean, holy smokes, it begins by the aforementioned assassin honestly describing himself as 'the manservant of Death' and beginning the countdown to his execution!) it's just, well, something wasn't sitting right with me.
The author does a great job of evoking Newgate Gaol at the turn of the 19th into the 20th century. I could really sense the damp, cold, dark and stench of the gaol.
Simeon Lynch, the novel's central character, is also effectively portrayed and I think this is part of the problem I initially had with this book. By this I mean that I think I was having a hard time dredging up empathy for a self-confessed murderer and this was perhaps colouring my 'enjoyment' of the novel. Having said that, as the plot progresses we do indeed learn more about Simeon's background (the story is told in flashbacks - not necessarily in chronological order) and are able to build up a fuller picture of this 'manservant of Death' and are able to understand how he ended up on a path to become an assassin. We can, at times, sympathise with him and, at other times, be disgusted with him.
I do not want to give away too much of the plot here so will attempt to give you some of the basics. We start the novel knowing Simeon has a murder conviction and is to hang for it in 17 days time...but we do not know, until a good way into the story, who he is convicted of killing. We then, in flashbacks, follow Simeon's path from workhouse child, through his recruitment by Brogan Moriarty (brother of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, James Moriarty) to his career as Moriarty's 'protector' and assassin. The flashbacks are interspersed with Simeon's narrative of his final days in Newgate Gaol, including a couple of visits by the great detective himself, Sherlock Holmes.
All in all I did enjoy this book (if enjoy is the right word when reading about a trained assassin!), in particular the last third of the book when things seemed to rev up speed towards the conclusion. Definitely worth a read if you like fiction with a Victorian-era crime theme.
I would probably award this book 3/5.
I'm going to have to be honest here...until about 1/2 way through this book I wasn't sure I liked it. It's not that I found it heavy going (it's not), it's not that it doesn't immediately grab your attention (I mean, holy smokes, it begins by the aforementioned assassin honestly describing himself as 'the manservant of Death' and beginning the countdown to his execution!) it's just, well, something wasn't sitting right with me.
The author does a great job of evoking Newgate Gaol at the turn of the 19th into the 20th century. I could really sense the damp, cold, dark and stench of the gaol.
Simeon Lynch, the novel's central character, is also effectively portrayed and I think this is part of the problem I initially had with this book. By this I mean that I think I was having a hard time dredging up empathy for a self-confessed murderer and this was perhaps colouring my 'enjoyment' of the novel. Having said that, as the plot progresses we do indeed learn more about Simeon's background (the story is told in flashbacks - not necessarily in chronological order) and are able to build up a fuller picture of this 'manservant of Death' and are able to understand how he ended up on a path to become an assassin. We can, at times, sympathise with him and, at other times, be disgusted with him.
I do not want to give away too much of the plot here so will attempt to give you some of the basics. We start the novel knowing Simeon has a murder conviction and is to hang for it in 17 days time...but we do not know, until a good way into the story, who he is convicted of killing. We then, in flashbacks, follow Simeon's path from workhouse child, through his recruitment by Brogan Moriarty (brother of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, James Moriarty) to his career as Moriarty's 'protector' and assassin. The flashbacks are interspersed with Simeon's narrative of his final days in Newgate Gaol, including a couple of visits by the great detective himself, Sherlock Holmes.
All in all I did enjoy this book (if enjoy is the right word when reading about a trained assassin!), in particular the last third of the book when things seemed to rev up speed towards the conclusion. Definitely worth a read if you like fiction with a Victorian-era crime theme.
I would probably award this book 3/5.
November 17, 2024
Considering the book says it features Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty, they don’t feature predominantly in the story and to be honest this did make the book enjoyable as it meant as a reader I could really delve into Simeon’s story.
Simeon is a killer, in prison and facing the noose for crimes he committed. It seems open and shut and that’s that but as his story progresses we discover more about him and the work he did while employed in the house of Moriarty.
I enjoyed the Victorian setting of the prison and the flashbacks to his life before he was arrested. It’s quite a tough read in places due to the brutality of the prison and the murders.
However, it was well researched for the time period and the author gave the main character a really interesting voice. It showed that criminals can be eloquent and not all of them come from the streets- Simeon did but Moriarty didn’t.
The only problem I had was the ending.
It was obvious from the way Simeon was talking was that he didn’t want to keep killing after the dramatic events before his arrest.
So with Mycroft coming in and hiring him as an assassin I was a bit perplexed. Why would he want an assassin? The man worked for his brother’s nemesis.
Overall a good piece of gothic literature.
4/5 stars
Simeon is a killer, in prison and facing the noose for crimes he committed. It seems open and shut and that’s that but as his story progresses we discover more about him and the work he did while employed in the house of Moriarty.
I enjoyed the Victorian setting of the prison and the flashbacks to his life before he was arrested. It’s quite a tough read in places due to the brutality of the prison and the murders.
However, it was well researched for the time period and the author gave the main character a really interesting voice. It showed that criminals can be eloquent and not all of them come from the streets- Simeon did but Moriarty didn’t.
The only problem I had was the ending.
It was obvious from the way Simeon was talking was that he didn’t want to keep killing after the dramatic events before his arrest.
So with Mycroft coming in and hiring him as an assassin I was a bit perplexed. Why would he want an assassin? The man worked for his brother’s nemesis.
Overall a good piece of gothic literature.
4/5 stars
August 27, 2019
An interesting book. Was unsure if I would finish it, as the story seemed to be a series of 'flashbacks' in the life of a condemned man.
Simeon Lynch is in Newgate Prison awaiting the hangman's noose for two murders. He looks back over a life of crime, as he performed many murders for his mentor, Brogan Moriarty, brother of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, James Moriarty. Lynch tries to escape from his cell, but fails when his means of egress is discovered.
Simeon Lynch was of lowly origins and taken in by a baker and his wife. They die and Simeon and Philomena enter the workhouse. From there, Simeon, having started to box, leaves and learns more of boxing. He then graduates to murder. During Lynch's tenure with Brogan Moriarty, he falls in love with Elizabeth and they have a child together.
Simeon is eventually caught and convicted of killing two people, although the body count is far higher, both in England and abroad. Lynch is eventually hanged on January 18th 1900. His remains were removed from the place of execution and never discovered.
Simeon Lynch is in Newgate Prison awaiting the hangman's noose for two murders. He looks back over a life of crime, as he performed many murders for his mentor, Brogan Moriarty, brother of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, James Moriarty. Lynch tries to escape from his cell, but fails when his means of egress is discovered.
Simeon Lynch was of lowly origins and taken in by a baker and his wife. They die and Simeon and Philomena enter the workhouse. From there, Simeon, having started to box, leaves and learns more of boxing. He then graduates to murder. During Lynch's tenure with Brogan Moriarty, he falls in love with Elizabeth and they have a child together.
Simeon is eventually caught and convicted of killing two people, although the body count is far higher, both in England and abroad. Lynch is eventually hanged on January 18th 1900. His remains were removed from the place of execution and never discovered.
May 26, 2024
Uwielbiam Sherlocka Holmesa i mam do tej postaci ogromny sentyment.
Kiedy w opisie tej książki zobaczyłam to nazwisko pomyślałam, że to coś dla mnie.
Zapowiadało się mega ciekawie. Cieszyłam się na powrót do tych czasów i klimatów. Słuchałam z żywym zaintersowaniem.
Niestety im dalej, tym było gorzej. Główny bohater coraz częściej mnie irytował. Samego Sherlocka jest tu bardzo mało, a gdy się już pojawiał nie podobało mi sie to, jak została ukazana jego postać.
Ostatecznie dość przeciętna i raczej szybko o niej zapomnę.
Jeden plus, że zeczęłam zastanaiwać się nad powrotem do książek o Sherlocku :)
Kiedy w opisie tej książki zobaczyłam to nazwisko pomyślałam, że to coś dla mnie.
Zapowiadało się mega ciekawie. Cieszyłam się na powrót do tych czasów i klimatów. Słuchałam z żywym zaintersowaniem.
Niestety im dalej, tym było gorzej. Główny bohater coraz częściej mnie irytował. Samego Sherlocka jest tu bardzo mało, a gdy się już pojawiał nie podobało mi sie to, jak została ukazana jego postać.
Ostatecznie dość przeciętna i raczej szybko o niej zapomnę.
Jeden plus, że zeczęłam zastanaiwać się nad powrotem do książek o Sherlocku :)
July 15, 2019
Twists and turns and gritty realism
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the house of Smoke. There are many twists and turns and unexpected revelations in the book. The book centres on an Asssasin in the employ of Moriarity and how he became a murderer and his time in goal waiting the hangman’s noose. I enjoyed it so much I do hope there will be a sequel. The book is written to garner our sympathy and compassion for the Assasin in the book. In the end of the book we are rooting for a man we should abhor.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the house of Smoke. There are many twists and turns and unexpected revelations in the book. The book centres on an Asssasin in the employ of Moriarity and how he became a murderer and his time in goal waiting the hangman’s noose. I enjoyed it so much I do hope there will be a sequel. The book is written to garner our sympathy and compassion for the Assasin in the book. In the end of the book we are rooting for a man we should abhor.
August 19, 2021
This is not really a Sherlock Holmes book, nor a Professor James Moriarty's one. This is the story of Simeon Lynch, an assassin working for Moriarty's brother, recounts by him in the hours before his execution.
It's an interesting idea but Simeon didn't really engaged me as character. That's not a good sign when the whole book is his story :P
The writing is good but... I never really got me fully invested.
I'm curious about one thing, though: it was supposed to be a second book? Because the ending seems to be pointing to it.
It's an interesting idea but Simeon didn't really engaged me as character. That's not a good sign when the whole book is his story :P
The writing is good but... I never really got me fully invested.
I'm curious about one thing, though: it was supposed to be a second book? Because the ending seems to be pointing to it.
October 8, 2019
No.... z knihy mám rozporuplné pocity. Nijak zvlášť mne nechytla. Dočetla jsem ji, ale rozhodně to není kniha, ke které bych se vracela. To ne. A jestli ji doporučím? Ani nevím... myslím, že znám lepší knihy, které bych doporučila. Ale zkuste, třeba se vám bude líbit. Znáte to... vždy je lepší si na věci udělat vlastní názor :)
November 20, 2019
Z této knihy mám rozporuplné pocity. Nemůžu říct, že by mne kniha zaujala. Přestože jsem knihu přečetla, pak nebude patřit k těm, ke kterým bych se v budoucnu vracela. Ani nevím, jestli bych vám knížku měla doporučit. Přijde mi, že knih je tolik, že se určitě najdou lepší knihy. Ale tak je to na vás :) Klidně do ni běžte.
November 1, 2021
I was disappointed that Sherlock Holmes did not feature more prominently in House of Smoke. I think Christer was 'twinning' Sherlock and Mycroft with Brogan and James Moriarty but that is where I have a problem with the novel. The concept of there being two Moriartys just doesn't work for me.
April 13, 2022
Not my typical read. More Jason Bourne than Sherlock Holmes (not that I've read the Bourne novels, I'm just guessing).
I enjoyed it anyway. Strong characters, lots of time spent "training" which could have felt like filler but didn't.
I enjoyed it anyway. Strong characters, lots of time spent "training" which could have felt like filler but didn't.
July 5, 2019
Had to work to finish this book. Not particularly engaging.
March 14, 2020
A really enjoyable read. Two stories running in parallel, that join up right at the end with a fantastic plot twist I didn't see coming!
March 21, 2021
Great story telling. A few surprising twist and turn. And what an ending!
December 2, 2023
Niesamowity klimat dokładnie to czego potrzebowałam
July 8, 2016
The realistic fiction, “The House of Smoke”, written by Sam Christer, is one of the most peculiar “Sherlock Holmes – influenced” novels I have read. The story was based on how a Victorian London assassin, Simeon Lynch, spent time in Newgate Prison as he waited out his 18 days to execution. Every day, he was brutally tortured and abused by the prison warden, Johncock, and his devilish cronies. When alone, Simeon pondered on the events that had led him to jail, such as murdering a police cop, joining Brogan Moriarty’s criminal empire, slaying Brogan’s enemies, and… being wrongly accused of his wife’s death. The last event provoked London’s coppers to throw Simeon in jail. Mr. Reader, you might now be asking: How does Simeon have anything to deal with Sherlock Holmes, the world-famous detective of Baker Street? Well, Holmes had fought Simeon before... and knew what the latter was capable of. Holmes decided to grant Simeon an offer: Simeon could expose Brogan Moriarty’s criminal empire to the Court and be released from jail, or he could just stay in jail and hang 18 days later. Simeon chose the latter, defending himself by stating that he was the ‘manservant of Death’ and was loyal to the Moriarty family. Simeon learns tons of dark secrets about not only his past, but also who really killed his wife. Read on to find out where Simeon ends up.
The writer’s craft and style was exceptional; he used concise, but evocative words and also included smooth transitions between flashback and present. The writer did use lots of profanity, though this was used to develop the kind of London Simeon lived in. That was truly the only con. I recommend this book to young adult readers instead of children as this story has a lot of deep ideas that a child could misinterpret for something else. Overall, I’d say this was truly a “good read”.
The writer’s craft and style was exceptional; he used concise, but evocative words and also included smooth transitions between flashback and present. The writer did use lots of profanity, though this was used to develop the kind of London Simeon lived in. That was truly the only con. I recommend this book to young adult readers instead of children as this story has a lot of deep ideas that a child could misinterpret for something else. Overall, I’d say this was truly a “good read”.
February 13, 2019
Review - I was disappointed by this book. I think I expected it to be more about Sherlock Holmes than it was, he was more a supporting character. The story struggled to grip me and I felt that Lynch wasn't a character I wanted to engage with very much. The cover is misleading in suggesting that the story is about Holmes, when it is more about those around Brogan Moriarty, the brother of Holmes's nemesis. I much prefer the novels of Anthony Horowitz for alternative Sherlock Holmes.
Genre? - Historical / Crime / Mystery
Characters? - Simeon Lynch / Brogan Moriarty / James Moriarty / Sherlock Holmes / Elizabeth /
Setting? - London (England)
Series? - N/A
Recommend? – Maybe
Rating - 15/20
For full review see my blog https://bookbloggerish.wordpress.com/...
Genre? - Historical / Crime / Mystery
Characters? - Simeon Lynch / Brogan Moriarty / James Moriarty / Sherlock Holmes / Elizabeth /
Setting? - London (England)
Series? - N/A
Recommend? – Maybe
Rating - 15/20
For full review see my blog https://bookbloggerish.wordpress.com/...
June 26, 2016
This book a lot more different than sir Arthur cannon Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories. Rather than on crimes and Holmes detective abilities, this book is more about an assassin and the first person narration of his life. A true Sherlock Holmes fan will be disappointed. Saying that, the narrative was good. Victorian English was little hard to follow. Needed the word wise service a lot more than few times to find the meaning. Definitely this would help in your vocabulary builder. Other than this is a mediocre book. Rather than saying interesting, I was pushed to see what happens in the end. Thus three stars..
July 21, 2016
This was an audible book narrated by David Thorpe. I was sorely disappointed overall, as I was expecting more Sherlock Holmes and less of the Moriarty gang. However, insight into how the gang began (this author's premise, that is), was well thought out. For me, the narrator dragged the story out and I ended up listening to it at 1.25 speed. That made the book easier to follow.
The ending was a surprise, but left me hanging, although, if there is a sequel, I won't read or listen to it. I've had enough of the Moriarty gang and their murderous, sociopathic thugs for a long, long time.
The ending was a surprise, but left me hanging, although, if there is a sequel, I won't read or listen to it. I've had enough of the Moriarty gang and their murderous, sociopathic thugs for a long, long time.
September 19, 2016
Won from goodreads
It starts with Simeon lynch cold bloodied killer on death row . The story then goes back into how he got there right from the workhouse and to meeting moriarty and becoming into his employment not knowing at first what he was getting into.
Did enjoy this read the story goes back to the past then into the present do you can understand how he got where he is and what is happening in the present
It starts with Simeon lynch cold bloodied killer on death row . The story then goes back into how he got there right from the workhouse and to meeting moriarty and becoming into his employment not knowing at first what he was getting into.
Did enjoy this read the story goes back to the past then into the present do you can understand how he got where he is and what is happening in the present
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews