From Publishers Weekly
Following in the footsteps of such crime writers as Ellery Queen and Michael Dibdin, Faye pits Sherlock Holmes against Jack the Ripper in her impressive if flawed debut. In the autumn of 1888, the savage slaughter of two prostitutes in London’s East End piques Holmes’s curiosity. Inspector Lestrade, no fool in Faye’s rendering, calls on the unconventional sleuth for help. As the killer continues to claim more victims, the Baker Street duo spare no effort to bring the Ripper to justice. Meanwhile, a disreputable journalist accuses Holmes of being the Ripper. The author uses a convincing Watsonian voice to present versions of Holmes and his chronicler faithful to the originals. While the paucity of suspects makes guessing the killer’s identity too easy and the motive for the crimes is less than convincing, Sherlockians will hope to see further pastiches of this quality from Faye. (Apr.)
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From Booklist
It has been more than 120 years since his last murder, so perhaps we should allow Jack the Ripper to rest in peace. Not a chance! The slashing murders and mutilations committed by perhaps history’s most notorious serial killer terrified the impoverished residents of the Whitechapel area of London’s East End in 1888. Because the killer was never caught, who better to track him down than the greatest Victorian-era sleuth, Sherlock Holmes? Faye narrates the investigation through the supposed memoir of Holmes’ constant companion, Dr. Watson. Faye displays a superb grasp of the known facts about the murders, and she effectively captures the vibrancy and squalor of the underclass in late-nineteenth-century London. Although her effort to mimic Conan Doyle’s literary style seems a bit strained, she knows how to unfold a tale of murder and mystery. Holmes, typically brilliant and relentless, unpeels layer after layer of confusion and deceit as the dramatic tension builds and bursts. Mystery aficionados, especially those with an interest in the Ripper murders, will find this work a worthy revisiting of the case. –Jay Freeman