Sherlock Holmes - Masters of Lies

by Philip Purser-Hallard

Overview

A brand-new, brilliantly twisty Sherlock Holmes mystery from 'best kept secret of British genre writing' - British Fantasy Society



When investigating what seems to be a suicide, Holmes and Watson uncover a murderous forgery ring with ties to the British government. As the web of blackmail, threats and violence draws around them, they are forced to consider who they can really trust…

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781789099249
Publisher:	Titan
Publication date:	05/17/2022
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	620,865
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Philip Purser-Hallard is the author of the trilogy of urban fantasy thrillers beginning with The Pendragon Protocol, and the editor of a series of anthologies about the City of the Saved. As well as writing various other books and short stories, Phil edits The Black Archive, a series of monographs about individual Doctor Who stories published by Obverse Books.

Editorial Reviews

★ 06/13/2022

In 1898, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are summoned by Mycroft Holmes following the apparent suicide of Christopher Bastion, one of the Foreign Office’s most trusted—and most valuable—civil servants, in Purser-Hallard’s stellar third pastiche (after 2020’s Sherlock Holmes: The Spider’s Web). Bastion, who died at home of prussic acid poisoning, left behind a suicide note. The motive for his fatal act seems clear, as evidence suggests that Bastion was recently preparing to sell government secrets to a foreign spy. Mycroft asks his brother to find out to whom Bastion may have leaked sensitive information and the substance of those leaks. But the inquiry takes a different path when Holmes’s inspection of the crime scene points to Bastion’s having been murdered, which in turns leads to his suspicion that a master forger faked the suicide note and possibly the evidence indicating the dead man had betrayed his country. Purser-Hallard’s unusual fair-play puzzle will remind many of the sleight-of-hand novels of Anthony Horowitz. Fans of traditional Holmes stories will hope for more from this versatile author. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Purser-Hallard’s unusual fair-play puzzle will remind many of the sleight-of-hand novels of Anthony Horowitz. Fans of traditional Holmes stories will hope for more from this versatile author." Publishers Weekly Starred review 

"Complicated and entertaining" - Peter E. Blau, Sherlockians and Doyleans

Prsise for Sherlock Holmes The Spider's Web:

"Displays the author’s remarkable facility at conjuring the spirit of Conan Doyle’s originals. Sherlockians and Wildeans alike will embrace Purser-Hallard."  -Publishers Weekly starred review


Praise for the author:

"A very good locked-room puzzle" Morning Star

"One of the cleverest locked room mysteries ever tackled by Sherlock Holmes... John Dickson Carr and Anthony Boucher fans will be gratified at the logical explanation the master rationalist devises. This ranks among the top novel-length Sherlock Holmes pastiches." Publishers Weekly

“The best kept secret in British genre writing”
the British Fantasy Society

“[Purser-Hallard’s] writing is crisp and clever… the cast of characters appealing, interesting and consistent”
the British Fantasy Society on The Pendragon Protocol

From the Publisher