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Professor Moriarty #2
Death by Gaslight
Blue blood is flowing in London as a killer slits the throats of the cream of England's aristocracy. Naturally Scotland Yard enlists the great Sherlock Holmes himself. Only when this ultimate weapon of the law failed to stem the deaths are they forced to play a last desperate card - Professor James Moriarty, the Napoleon of Crime.
279 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 7, 1982
About the author
Michael Kurland
94 books47 followersaka Jennifer Plum
Michael Kurland has written many non-fiction books on a vast array of topics, including How to Solve a Murder, as well as many novels. Twice a finalist for the Edgar Award (once for The Infernal Device) given by the Mystery Writers of America, Kurland is perhaps best known for his novels about Professor Moriarty. He lives in Petaluma, California.
Michael Kurland has written many non-fiction books on a vast array of topics, including How to Solve a Murder, as well as many novels. Twice a finalist for the Edgar Award (once for The Infernal Device) given by the Mystery Writers of America, Kurland is perhaps best known for his novels about Professor Moriarty. He lives in Petaluma, California.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 17, 2020
Well now I have been able to correct the error of reading this series out of sequence and I must admit things start to make a little more sense.
I have to say that by reading The Great Game I did wonder what had happened - now I have completed Death by Gaslight I am a little more enlightened. I have to say that the story is not a unique one - strange I can think of a very similar case which in fact involves nearly the same characters written in recent years - however how it was approach and executed is still and interesting twist - which I think the whole Professor Moriarty series has created perfectly.
The book as with the others I have read from the series is to me a slow burn. I have to get in to the pace of the story, the prose and imagery but once alight the book is additive and expertly paced.
I cannot imagine the amount of Sherlock Holmes related fiction that is out there but I can imagine it varies greatly in quality - this series at least in my opinion is of much greater quality and I am looking forwards to picking up the next book (in the correct order) to read.
I have to say that by reading The Great Game I did wonder what had happened - now I have completed Death by Gaslight I am a little more enlightened. I have to say that the story is not a unique one - strange I can think of a very similar case which in fact involves nearly the same characters written in recent years - however how it was approach and executed is still and interesting twist - which I think the whole Professor Moriarty series has created perfectly.
The book as with the others I have read from the series is to me a slow burn. I have to get in to the pace of the story, the prose and imagery but once alight the book is additive and expertly paced.
I cannot imagine the amount of Sherlock Holmes related fiction that is out there but I can imagine it varies greatly in quality - this series at least in my opinion is of much greater quality and I am looking forwards to picking up the next book (in the correct order) to read.
November 16, 2020
Una perspectiva muy interesante y muy bien lograda para quienes nos consideramos fans del mundo de Sherlock Holmes.
February 4, 2020
There is still no central character. Not Holmes, not Moriarty, not Moriarty's assistant. There's no one for the reader to hook on to and feel led through the story. Moriarty is thinly drawn in the background, Holmes is daubed with heavy handed clumsy brush strokes, and Moriarty's assistant is there to fill in the blanks with no real personality.
The plot meanders with entire chapters passing with no information passed on. My interest was high when I started the book but as I progressed I cared less and less about who, how and why.
A real shame as the concept sounded engaging and fun. I might try one of the others as they seem higher rated than this book, but only I think if I see them in a charity shop.
The plot meanders with entire chapters passing with no information passed on. My interest was high when I started the book but as I progressed I cared less and less about who, how and why.
A real shame as the concept sounded engaging and fun. I might try one of the others as they seem higher rated than this book, but only I think if I see them in a charity shop.
May 21, 2019
Broke my golden rule with this book.... don't read a series out of sequence, however the offer in Forbidden Planet, 3 books in the series for £3.00 was impossible to resist, even if they didn't have the first book in the series. Took 'Death by Gaslight' with me on holiday to read by the pool....What a fantastic book...I loved the thought of the concept when I first read the blurb, and it didn't disappoint. I'm a bigger fan of Holmes on film,(Rathbone, Cushing and Downey Jr) , than I"m in print....but Michael Kurland's writing is interesting, exciting and humorous. Moriarty, Barnett and Perrine are wonderful characters and I can't wait to start the series properly by reading 'The Infernal Device'.
April 26, 2015
There are books, and there are Books, with a capital B. Such books suck you into a vortex, where you remain the unblinking eye while cyclones may wreck havoc elsewhere. The book under review is a classic example. Once I began reading, I simply couldn't stop until it was over. This novel has a mix of everything that one conjures up while thinking about Victorian adventures, with the added advantage of being free from Sir Arthur's stiff attitudes. I am really in love with this series. Highly Recommended.
June 9, 2016
More like 3.75 stars. Twas enjoyable.
March 12, 2023
Historische thriller over Engeland ca 1890, met zowel Sherlock Holmes als Moriarty als de betrokken detectives.
Er wordt een reeks moorden gepleegd op mannen van stand. De politie verdenkt gelijk de bedienden. Holmes verdenkt eerst Moriarty (bij elke misdaad verdenkt hij per definitie Moriarty), maar ontdekt ook patroon dat er bij alle mannen gezocht is naar specifiek voorwerp. Moriarty raakt betrokken doordat zijn assistent (Barnett) over de moorden schrijft voor de krant en zijn vriendin (verloofde) vermist wordt terwijl ze met reportage bezig was. Ondanks de wederzijdse antipathie weten Holmes en Moriarty er achter te komen wat er aan de hand is (zowel wie de moordenaar is als waarom). Moriarty is in dit verhaal wel een misdadiger, maar ook heel slim en in deze zaak ook good guy. Holmes is wel erg obsessief met Moriarty bezig, en komt daardoor minder slim over.
Uiteindelijk weten ze samen wel de club van mannen waar de moordenaar het op voorzien heeft te localiseren, en de vrouwen die door deze club misbruikt worden te bevrijden.
Qua Engels best lastig boek, met gebruik dialect en soms lastige woorden.
Er wordt een reeks moorden gepleegd op mannen van stand. De politie verdenkt gelijk de bedienden. Holmes verdenkt eerst Moriarty (bij elke misdaad verdenkt hij per definitie Moriarty), maar ontdekt ook patroon dat er bij alle mannen gezocht is naar specifiek voorwerp. Moriarty raakt betrokken doordat zijn assistent (Barnett) over de moorden schrijft voor de krant en zijn vriendin (verloofde) vermist wordt terwijl ze met reportage bezig was. Ondanks de wederzijdse antipathie weten Holmes en Moriarty er achter te komen wat er aan de hand is (zowel wie de moordenaar is als waarom). Moriarty is in dit verhaal wel een misdadiger, maar ook heel slim en in deze zaak ook good guy. Holmes is wel erg obsessief met Moriarty bezig, en komt daardoor minder slim over.
Uiteindelijk weten ze samen wel de club van mannen waar de moordenaar het op voorzien heeft te localiseren, en de vrouwen die door deze club misbruikt worden te bevrijden.
Qua Engels best lastig boek, met gebruik dialect en soms lastige woorden.
April 3, 2020
I enjoyed this one more than the first book in the series, but it still struggles with the same things that many 70s-80s pastiches had problems with: having to dumb Sherlock Holmes down in order to make their own character seem smarter. It also has trouble with just taking SH quotes and putting them in Moriarty's mouth, which... if you're going to do that, why not just write SH?
I still love the premise of this series, and it does have some really interesting secondary characters (love Mummer, love Cecily), so it's definitely worth reading, and I purchased the third book last night since my library didn't have it and I wanted it NOW. I'm hoping to see some changes and adjustments as those books were written much later, and so the author will have had time to change and grow.
I still love the premise of this series, and it does have some really interesting secondary characters (love Mummer, love Cecily), so it's definitely worth reading, and I purchased the third book last night since my library didn't have it and I wanted it NOW. I'm hoping to see some changes and adjustments as those books were written much later, and so the author will have had time to change and grow.
August 8, 2018
I have enjoyed these books but the language & style of writing requires more attention than a regular book. Life has not given me the time to devote my attention to this fascinating series. Once I had time, I couldn’t put it down & finished in two days. Loving this twist on my dear Holmes tales!
October 5, 2017
Not one of the better books I have read.
December 29, 2017
Enjoyable read.
July 17, 2018
Initially tricky to get started, however the pace of the story quickens as you delve further into the book making it irresistible.
June 8, 2019
One of my favourite things about this series is how having Moriarty as the main character gives a whole new spin on how Sherlock looks from an outside view.
July 13, 2020
Writing and plot are very good but I struggle with premise of Holmes dependent on Moriarity.
June 18, 2022
A modest follow-up to his first novel in the series.
March 7, 2017
I read a later instalment in this series just recently which I enjoyed far more than this one..this in itself was a good adventure within the Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes universe but I found the story a little slow and pondersome at times.
Though in some ways a pastiche of the Holmes tales this book relied little on detection and more on floor work.
I can't really go into much of it without ruining the premise but it is a story of an investigation by both Holmes and Moriarty separately (and occasionally together) into the murders of members of the upper class...people who may have some sort of links to one another.
All in all a weaker proposition than the last in this series I read but I will pick up others as and when I find them as I found this fun nonetheless.
Though in some ways a pastiche of the Holmes tales this book relied little on detection and more on floor work.
I can't really go into much of it without ruining the premise but it is a story of an investigation by both Holmes and Moriarty separately (and occasionally together) into the murders of members of the upper class...people who may have some sort of links to one another.
All in all a weaker proposition than the last in this series I read but I will pick up others as and when I find them as I found this fun nonetheless.
September 26, 2014
This is the second book of a series of Sherlock Holmes inspired novels with a difference, Professor James Moriarty is the subject here, instead of the erstwhile detective. It is shaping up to be quite an enjoyable experience, viewing the world of Sherlock Holmes through a completely different set of eyes. Death by Gaslight is far superior to the first in the series, The Infernal Device, ironing out some of the problems with that book as well.
With The Infernal Device, although it was a very enjoyable mystery, Moriarty didn’t really have a distinctive voice to differentiate from Holmes. The plot felt as though it could have easily been just like the classic Doyle stories. This time around Kurland achieves his goal, creating a unique Sherlock Holmes pastiche that gave us a new perspective. We see striking similarities between Moriarty and his nemesis, but their world view differs considerably, each having quite a strong moral code that they live by, but their ideals clash throughout the book. The mystery itself is very well constructed and well thought out, if a little easy to solve. Benjamin Barnett, Moriarty’s answer to Dr Watson, is an engaging narrator who tells the story in electrifying fashion.
An amusing element comes into play through Moriarty and Holmes’ rivalry. The dialogue between them is almost banter like, constantly sniping and trying to get the better of each other, neither clearly coming out on top. As a result Sherlock Holmes suspects Moriarty of being involved in every crime committed in London. To that end, there is quite an amusing sequence towards the beginning of the story, where this obsession comes to a head and actually leaves the famous detective appearing very foolish, much to Inspector Lestrades, who also features, annoyance.
In conclusion, as enjoyable as the first volume was, Death by Gaslight is even better. Kurland is an accomplished writer and I look forward to further additions to what is already an excellent series. I am also keen to read some of his other works, which are hopefully just as enjoyable.
With The Infernal Device, although it was a very enjoyable mystery, Moriarty didn’t really have a distinctive voice to differentiate from Holmes. The plot felt as though it could have easily been just like the classic Doyle stories. This time around Kurland achieves his goal, creating a unique Sherlock Holmes pastiche that gave us a new perspective. We see striking similarities between Moriarty and his nemesis, but their world view differs considerably, each having quite a strong moral code that they live by, but their ideals clash throughout the book. The mystery itself is very well constructed and well thought out, if a little easy to solve. Benjamin Barnett, Moriarty’s answer to Dr Watson, is an engaging narrator who tells the story in electrifying fashion.
An amusing element comes into play through Moriarty and Holmes’ rivalry. The dialogue between them is almost banter like, constantly sniping and trying to get the better of each other, neither clearly coming out on top. As a result Sherlock Holmes suspects Moriarty of being involved in every crime committed in London. To that end, there is quite an amusing sequence towards the beginning of the story, where this obsession comes to a head and actually leaves the famous detective appearing very foolish, much to Inspector Lestrades, who also features, annoyance.
In conclusion, as enjoyable as the first volume was, Death by Gaslight is even better. Kurland is an accomplished writer and I look forward to further additions to what is already an excellent series. I am also keen to read some of his other works, which are hopefully just as enjoyable.
May 11, 2012
The second in Kurland's Moriarty series after Infernal Device. (I suppose now they'd be tarted up as steampunk mysteries) It was all right as a diversion, but I was dubious about some of the language and attitudes for the period and place. The young woman's aspirations to be a journalist were believable, and I liked the way she and her young man worked things out. Where I was dubious was the purpose of the villainous secret society, though I can't say much for fear of spoilers, other than that men who came out of the British public school system were likely to have a kink twisted in very much the opposite direction (the English vice, it was called).
There were some amusing nods to Holmesians, but I wonder if a true Baker Street denizen would tolerate the portrayal of Holmes losing his cool because of his obsession with Moriarty?
There were some amusing nods to Holmesians, but I wonder if a true Baker Street denizen would tolerate the portrayal of Holmes losing his cool because of his obsession with Moriarty?
September 2, 2022
I think this is the best of Kurland's Moriarty novels, containing various different subplots woven around each other adroitly and amusingly. I admire the skill that's gone into it.
I still give it only three stars, because I'm mainly a reader of sf and fantasy: I quite enjoy these novels but they're not exactly my kind of thing, and I don't expect to reread them more than occasionally.
I find the characters, scenes, and subplots entertaining but not fascinating. I'm more fascinated by the same author's best sf/fantasy novels, which I reread regularly and therefore rate more highly.
I still give it only three stars, because I'm mainly a reader of sf and fantasy: I quite enjoy these novels but they're not exactly my kind of thing, and I don't expect to reread them more than occasionally.
I find the characters, scenes, and subplots entertaining but not fascinating. I'm more fascinated by the same author's best sf/fantasy novels, which I reread regularly and therefore rate more highly.
Read
July 19, 2016As part of The Infernal Device and Others.
June 22, 2014
Didn't enjoy it as much as the first one. Don't think I'll bother further with the series.
July 13, 2016
The best so far in the series, but I am not enamoured enough with it to contemplate reading another; this is occasionally what happens when one buys sets from The Book People…
August 19, 2016
Engaging reading, with fascinating characters. I enjoyed the concept of seeing a mystery through Professor Moriarty's eyes. Definitely recommend this book.
February 10, 2017
Great read. Fun ending.
February 7, 2016
read SOMETIME in 2008
March 23, 2017
Better than first
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews