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Raven Books has scooped the Moriarty Mystery series by Jack Anderson.
Publishing director Alison Hennessey acquired UK and Commonwealth rights – excluding Canada – in the first two books on exclusive submission from Marilia Savvides at The Plot Agency. Anderson’s debut novel The Grief Doctor, will be published by Raven Books in June 2024, while the first book in this new series, The Peculiar Case at House Aber, will be published in autumn 2025.
"Set just after Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty disappear at the bottom of the Reichenbach Falls, the Moriarty Mystery series reimagines that it was Moriarty who survived not Sherlock," the synopsis says. "In this first book, in order to protect his real identity, with his criminal empire shattered, and his greatest adversary and intellectual equal gone, Moriarty takes on an alias. Upon receiving a posthumous challenge from Holmes, who baits him into taking on the role of detective to solve a case, he cons his way into the House of Aber, where a dysfunctional, noble family is thrown into chaos, as a series of crimes threaten to unravel everything they hold dear."
Hennessey commented: "This is a brilliantly fiendish, clever and imaginative new series. I loved how Jack has taken on the infamous villain and taken him in a completely fresh direction. Whether you’re a Sherlock fan or have never read a single one of his stories before, this is the kind of mind-bending mystery with truly demonic plotting that I know readers will adore. I can’t wait to see just where Jack takes Moriarty in their future adventures."
Anderson added: "It’s such a tremendous honour to be able to write this story. To tangle with the characters that made me love mysteries, and hopefully build something that will do justice to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s world. For Moriarty, dying at the hands of his nemesis would be a supremely elegant end. Far more open-ended, messy and daunting is the question of what might come next."
Savvides said: "Jack Anderson has surpassed all expectations, and delivered an ingenious and superb story that will satisfy even the most die-hard fans. I can’t wait for readers to discover The Peculiar Case at House Aber, and meet not only a Moriarty struggling under new pressures, but other phenomenal characters that will feel just as crucial to the series."