I really enjoyed his first book, House of Silk, so I had really high expectations for this book. First, it needs to be noted that neither Sherlock nor Watson are actually in this story. They are referred to, but never make an appearance. However, the reader is exposed to the Sherlock/Watson relationship via the characters Scotland Yard Inspector Athelney Jones and Pikerton detective Frederick Chase. Jones is depicted as a little Sherlock in-training, as he was bested twice by Holmes, and wishes to learn from his mistakes. Chase takes on the Watson role as the storyteller. While I enjoyed parts of the book, the ending and plot twist that occurs, for me, was too obvious and misleading. It took the fun out of reading it, as it author tried to seem as though he pulled off some great scheme. Overall, this book made me miss Sherlock.