Professor Moriarty: The Hound of the D'Urbervilles (Professor Moriarty Novels)

Much as the character of Moriarty can be taken at face value as a mathematician by society and the Napoleon of Crime when one looks deeper, so does this book work on two levels that make it a good read not just once, but over and over again. On it's surface, Moriarty is the flip side of the coin: Many of the stories serve as mirror images of Sherlock stories, told from a darker point of view and by a different hand. There are obvious examples of reflections: Moriarty and Sherlock (the eccentric masters of their field), Watson and Moran (the injured soldiers and biographers), Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. H (the kidnly land lady and the landlady...who runs a brothel), and even minor characters, like Stamford (Watson's boyhood friend and the criminal Moran knows and dislikes, both of whom introduce the pairs). But there is more to it than that when it comes to the reflections and different outlooks. While Watson sought to bring out the best in people, Moran brings out the worst, focusing on their faults. For example, while Watson writes that Irene Adler was a cunning woman and an accomplished singer, Moran reveals she sang very poorly, was kicked out of her theater troupe, purposely used her...assets...for her gain...and most amusing, actually had a 'Noo Joosey' accent (and not the proper English accent Watson seemingly gives her). And that is where the second layer comes in. This book will force the reader to ask themselves a simple, yet complex, question: Who was being honest? Whose word should we take as truth? Could it be that Moran is the honest writer, not having to alter characters like Watson does (and admits too)? Where Watson creates a world where even murder was a gentlemen affair settled in parlors with smoking jackets, Moran presents a more realistic, more truthful view of the world, making us question everything Watson writes. And yet, Moran is a killer, a cutthroat willing to murder a feeble minded teen and idly comments that if he forced himself on Irene when he first met her, she would have been broken like a horse and come to heel. Can we honestly believe a word a man who looks at the world so darkly says? That is where the fun of this book is revealed. You will find yourself flipping back through the famous Sherlock stories, wondering just whose side to believe, how much each is hiding and just what the truth might me.

Colonel Sebastian "Basher" Moran- a cheat at cards, an expert shot with a rifle, and Moriarty's right-hand man. He's a colorful narrator who stands starkly in contrast to Watson's careful sentences, but the services he provides for the so-called Napoleon of Crime are strikingly similar to the good doctor. And so, as Watson wrote down so many adventures of Sherlock Holmes, here Moran has written his memoirs of his time in the Moriarty Firm. The stories are fantastic. All of them are titled after stories from the original Sherlock canon (A Volume in Vermillion, A Shambles in Belgravia, etc), and frequently open with similar situations. The Professor, however, is in a different business than Mr. Holmes, and so he employs different methods. He is terrifying, but not without flaws. The ways in which Moriarty's life mirrors Holmes's are sometimes cheesy- his hostess Mrs. Halifax, his breeding of wasps, the ragged gang of street thieves called the Conduit Street Commanche- but all in all, Moriarty is his own character, and not just Sherlock's shadow. I only wish I was better-read in Victorian literature. Newman has peppered the book with references to dozens of characters and events, whether real or fictional. Obviously, it's useful if you're familiar with the Sherlock canon, but it looks like any work that's set in the appropriate time period is fair game. Mercifully, there are footnotes, for folks like me who would otherwise miss the joke.

If you are expecting a book where Moriarty pulls off some amazingly clever crimes and does battle with Sherlock Holmes, you are going to be disappointed. Newman writes this book as a pulpy action adventure with some hilarious jokes, tons of literary references, and entertaining prose, and succeeds most of the way through. Hound of the D'Urbervilles follows Colonel Moran and his time working for professor James Moriarty. He's brash, witty, and even when the plot fails his writing keeps the story entertaining. There are seven stories of varying lenghts, each one parodying a different Holmes story. Unfortunately, two of the stories put this book dangerously close to 3-star territory. The Irene Adler story is just plain bad and nonsensical, and The Final Adventure ends the book in a fairly unsatisfying way. It could have been better, but this is still a fun read.

I found this novel while wandering through Barnes and Noble one day, and immediately purchased it on Amazon for the discount. I was overjoyed to read this since I love the world of Sherlock Holmes. Moriarty and the Hound of the D'urbervilles is an excellent counter to the typical Holmes story, and Moran is a wonderful mirror for Watson. Where Watson was precise, detailed and reverential in his retellings, Moran is reckless, ambiguous and down right egotistical. - This is a collection of short stories(longest is around 100 pages) as well as an appendix of notes and associated works - Moran acts as narrator and main protagonist, describing a handful of jobs as well as providing how he and Moriarty came to work together(all told in the past tense after his capture) - The stories are often mirrors of famous Holmes tales, as the title suggests, or they involve/mention characters from those tales To me this books is very similar to a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and weaves in and out of the famous stories so many of us are familiar with. They poke fun at the classics, and often provide counter solutions. Moran is every bit the villain and isn't shy about enjoying it. His narrative often drifts off into self-reflection and day dreaming, which lends even more character to the stories since the whole book is meant to have been a retelling of his past. If you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes then I highly suggest this book. It is a very quick read. It has great character, and the appendix is filled with other great novels and collections that make these stories even more enjoyable if you're familiar with them.

Not a bad read clever in some ways although disjointed enough to warrant some little irritation. The chapters and stories hardly seemed part of the same book and despite it being a decent behind the scenes look at the workings of the 'Firm' it fell flat in that regard for me. It lacked continuity or something. The language was something that just doesn't fit for me. I'm not sure if the Author tried to hard or too little but it stank of America which personally I dislike to no end. Perhaps it's just the modern turn of phrase used in concert with the occasional original style that annoys me. I do absolutely hate American writers in a Sherlock Holmes book and now apparently in a book related to him. The bringing together of so many great characters annoyed me I'm a big fan of Arsenne Lupin and I'm surprised Hitler or Dracula or perhaps Spring Heeled Jack didn't show up. So while I moan I feel this review could do with some kind words I enjoyed the absurd meeting of the three brothers James. Amusing. Ok that's as positive as I'm feeling. This was never going to satisfy just like the millions of second rate Sherlock books that litter the landscape and while it was a strange book the only one of all these re-releases I really enjoyed was written by the genius pen of Phillip Jose Farmer. But don't mind me go nuts and read this account from the apparent pen of the Basher Moran it's better than most just not as good as it might have been. Fan Fiction does have that quality. If indeed it is just that. I'm certainly no writer myself so it's only a personal opinion which quite frankly I would not have even bothered reading. Shame on you for wanting a decent account from an average reader and poor writer. Haha. J x

I first got into Kim Newman through his Warhammer Fantasy and Dark Future books (written under the pen name Jack Yeovil) where he seamlessly mixed fictional characters and historical ones to create fun books packed with Easter eggs. His Anno Dracula books, set in a world where Dracula succeeded and became regent of the British Empire, followed a similar path and were just as much fun. With the Hound of the D'Ubervilles Newman takes this to a new level with a series of adventures told from Professor Moriarty's point of view. Narrated by Moriarty's right hand man Colonel 'Basher' Moran each one is filled with references to 19th century literature and pulp/penny dreadful characters. A few have to be lightly concealed due to copyright reasons -- including Sherlock Holmes himself, apparently Arthur Conan Doyle's estate continues to fight against him being in the public domain even after 120 years -- but Newman does a fantastic job of introducing them and slotting them in. He even provides footnotes to save us all the trouble of looking them up. While the obscure references are pretty thick, I never felt I was being left out. Simply put if you've liked Newman/Yeovil's earlier works you'll love this. If you like Victorian fiction you'll love this. It's a fun read and worth picking up.

An outrageous re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, Professor Moriarty, as told by his faithful Boswell, Col. Sebastian Moran. Bits and pieces (plot elements and characters) from Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories (often in an inverted [Holmes purists might say perverted] form) are liberally blended with elements from writers as diverse as Zane Gray, Thomas Hardy, Sax Rohmer, and Dashiell Hammett. The result is reminiscent of the fabulous "Flashman Papers". This is grand stuff. Laugh out loud funny. Sure to insult the sensitive and the overly serious. Highly recommended.

Professor Moriarty is one of the most interesting villiains every created in fiction and his portrayal here is even more sinister. Possessing a keen intelligence and seemingly devoid of emotion, he is the ideal criminal mastermind. Enjoyable reading.