SHERLOCK HOLMES & THE SILVER CORD

In Wiseman’s third series installment, Sherlock Holmes delves into a baffling case of apparent death by magician.

In 1894, three years after his confrontation with Professor Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls, the famed sleuth of London’s 221B Baker St. is tackling a new case—a highly peculiar one involving apparent blackmail. Someone has been sending wealthy widow Margaret Jones what appear to be diary entries in her own handwriting that allude to her brief extramarital affair. However, she swears she didn’t write them, and oddly, the sender has made no demands or threats of any kind. Meanwhile, magician Percy Simmons, who had the affair with Jones, has his own troubles: He believes that another unknown conjurer is somehow sickening and killing people connected to Simmons’ secret theosophy order. Soon, the ever dependable Dr. John Watson lends his expertise and social graces to becoming a prospective member of Simmons’ group. Meanwhile, Simmons’ talk of “evil” unsettles Holmes, who seems particularly distraught over the fact that he’s at least partially responsible for Moriarty’s demise. Wiseman’s latest series installment is a worthwhile, intricate whodunit. Holmes investigates dual cases with an “unseen enemy” or two and varied crimes, including murder and burglary. The mystery deepens as the body count rises and alleged feats of magic, like astral travel, seem to defy Holmes’ cherished logic. Readers will likely predict some of the final-act events, but there’s more than one turn they may not expect. The sleuth’s mental turmoil in this story is convincing and effectively shows his humanity; it also coincides with his typical, familiar anti-social behavior. Watson, although he doesn’t fill a more familiar role as narrator, is an endearing counterpart to Holmes, and he meticulously relays to the detective his own experiences and observations. Throughout, the author’s measured prose is comparable to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s literary style: “Cooing and consolation might have tipped my client over into hysterics, whereas my uncompassionate question had a sobering effect.”

A smartly written and riveting detective story.