The Italian Secretary
By Caleb Carr
(St. Martin's Paperbacks, Mass Market Paperback, 9780312939137, 352pp.)
Publication Date: May 2, 2006
Categories: Mystery & Detective - Sherlock Holmes
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Mycroft Holmes's encoded message to his brother, Sherlock, is unsubtle enough even for Dr. Watson to decipher: a matter concerning the safety of Queen Victoria herself calls them to Edinburgh's Holyrood House to investigate the confounding and gruesome deaths of two young men--horrific incidents that took place with her highness in residence. The victims were crushed in a manner surpassing human power. And while recent attempts on her majesty's life raise a number of possibilities, these intrigues also seem strangely connected to an act of evil that took place centuries earlier…
For indeed, the slaying of David Rizzio, music master and friend to Mary Queen of Scots, was an extraordinarily brutal and treacherous act--even for a time when brutality and treachery were the order of the day. Now, the ghosts of Holyrood House are being reawakened by someone with a diabolical agenda of greed, madness, and terror as Holmes and Watson set out to trap a killer who is eager to rewrite history in blood...
CALEB CARR is the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of The Alienist series, The Lessons of Terror, Killing Time, and The Devil Soldier. His books have been translated into over twenty languages worldwide. He is also a contributing editor to MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History, and the other series editor of the Modern Library War Series. He was educated at Kenyon College and New York University, and currently lives in upstate New York, where he teaches military and diplomatic studies at Bard College.
JON LELLENBERG, author of the afterword, is the U.S. agent for the Conan Doyle Estate, co-editor of a number of anthologies of new Sherlock Holmes stories written by mystery writers, and the historian of The Baker Street Irregulars.
"A fleet-footed, atmospherically gothic, and often amusing Holmes tale…Carr displays a gift for adopting another author's literary techniques."--Amazon.com
"Carr acquits himself with honor…the novel captivates."--Publishers Weekly
"Fans of The Alienist will eagerly read The Italian Secretary…aficionados of Conan Doyle…are apt to be…satisfied…Carr has always brought a sense of authenticity to the time periods and locales about which he writes. Here, he effectively evokes the dark, dank atmosphere of rain-soaked Scotland. The similarly bleak and dismal palace, with its hidden stairway and "the blood that never dries," is a perfect setting for a Holmes tale…Carr is astute and unerring in his portrayal of Holmes and his techniques."--USA Today
"[Carr's] canonical characters are briskly brought back to life."--The New York Times Book Review
"[Carr] uses his considerable talents as a re-creator of historic period detail to provide an entertaining continuation of the Conan Doyle canon.--Chicago Tribune
"[Carr] has crafted a straightforward story."--Los Angeles Times
"Caleb Carr gets every possible atom of excitement and intrigue out of the traditional Sherlock Holmes format. Seemingly without effort, Caleb Carr deftly weaves accepted elements from the Sherlock Holmes canon with new suppositions and plotlines expertly adding new spice to a familiar favorite old stem and the results are delicious."--Times Leader
"Holmes' intelligence activities…grounds the novel. Much of the authenticity of The Italian Secretary has to do with its author."--Newsday (Long Island/Queens)
"Sherlock Homes and Dr. Watson live!"--Richmond Times Dispatch
"Placing these famous characters into Carr's capable hands is a gift to anyone who enjoys mysteries, historical fiction, or just a great read."--Library Journal
"The book is exciting and the plot holds the reader's interest."--DarkTales.com
"Both Sherlockians and fans of Carr's Alienist series will enjoy this re-creation…a strong addition to the Holmes oeuvres…crisp narration."--Audiofile
"Great setting, intriguing history."--Booklist
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