Who Thinks Evil: A Moriarty Novel

An implausible motive for a series of savage crimes in 1890 London detracts from the virtues of Edgar-finalist Kurland’s fifth Moriarty novel (after 2006’s The Empress of India). Professor Moriarty finds himself in the dock on murder charges stemming from a jewel robbery gone wrong, but the trial ends in a hung jury, affording him a reprieve. The highest in the land are in a panic over the whereabouts of Baron Renfrew, whose disappearance from a brothel coincides with the discovery of the corpse of a savagely mutilated woman. The wounds are eerily reminiscent of Jack the Ripper’s m.o., and the authorities spring Moriarty to locate the missing nobleman. The professor can be as astute a detective as his nemesis, Sherlock Holmes, but the secret behind the killer’s identity and the motive are revealed before the end, making this more a suspense novel than a whodunit. Those seeking alternate portrayals of Conan Doyle’s archetypical criminal genius may find John Gardner’s Moriarty trilogy more engaging. (Feb.)