MORIARTY – THE HOUND OF THE D’URBERVILLES

The product description for this book states; Imagine the twisted evil twins of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson and you have the dangerous duo of Professor James Moriarty - wily, snake-like, fiercely intelligent, terrifyingly unpredictable - and Colonel Sebastian Basher Moran - violent, politically incorrect, debauched. Together they run London crime, owning police and criminals alike. It is correct.

Colonel Moran (Basher) takes on the Dr Watson role of narrating the various escapades journal style, talking through the various adventures with a witty and sardonic style, often patronising his arrogant employer and commenting on his appearance of madness. He is, however, scared of him and realist enough to know that he has a job he enjoys – killing people – under the protection of the master of criminals.

Basher narrates various short stories in his diary that, for those of you who have read Sherlock Holmes, appear to be the opposite of those told by Watson – but there is a twist. Rather than just making Moriarty the main character, they are not direct mimics but a re-write based on how Moriarty, as the King of the Criminal Underworld, would have approached to undertake a criminal action rather than Holmes being approached for help. Imagine, the new Lord of Baskerville Hall being a tyrant and despot determined to get rid of a ghost dog having ‘inherited’ the title through purchase after the previous one was murdered by his new wife from next door.

I really wanted to start going back over my Holmes books after reading this and really enjoyed the twisted tales imparted with a tongue in cheek humour. It’s an easy, fun read that has you thinking all the time trying to fully remember the ‘original’ story.