A knife in the fog : a mystery featuring Margaret Harkness and Arthur Conan Doyle

Format:

Book

Title:

A knife in the fog : a mystery featuring Margaret Harkness and Arthur Conan Doyle

Author:

Harper, Bradley, 1951- author

ISBN:

9781633884861

Publication:

Amherst, NY : Seventh Street Books, 2018.

Physical Description:

288 pages : portraits ; 21 cm

Number in series:

Contents:

Author's note -- Map -- The box -- Chapter one: the courier -- Chapter two: first impressions -- Chapter Three: pockets -- Chapter: welcome to the east end -- Chapter five: reinforcements.

Summary:

"Physician Arthur Conan Doyle takes a break from his practice to assist London police in tracking down Jack the Ripper. September 1888. A twenty-nine-year-old Arthur Conan Doyle practices medicine by day and writes at night. His first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet, although gaining critical and popular success, has only netted him twenty-five pounds. Embittered by the experience, he vows never to write another "crime story." Then a messenger arrives with a mysterious summons from former Prime Minister William Gladstone, asking him to come to London immediately. Once there, he is offered one month's employment to assist the Metropolitan Police as a "consultant" in their hunt for the serial killer soon to be known as Jack the Ripper. Doyle agrees on the stipulation his old professor of surgery, Professor Joseph Bell--Doyle's inspiration for Sherlock Holmes--agrees to work with him. Bell agrees, and soon the two are joined by Miss Margaret Harkness, an author residing in the East End who knows how to use a Derringer and serves as their guide and companion. Pursuing leads through the dank alleys and courtyards of Whitechapel, they come upon the body of a savagely murdered fifth victim. Soon it becomes clear that the hunters have become the hunted when a knife-wielding figure approaches"-- Provided by publisher.

"Physician Arthur Conan Doyle takes a break from his practice to assist London police in tracking down Jack the Ripper"-- Provided by publisher.

September 1888. Arthur Conan Doyle practices medicine by day and writes at night. His first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet, although gaining critical and popular success, has only netted him twenty-five pounds. He is summoned to London and offered one month's employment to assist the Metropolitan Police as a "consultant" in their hunt for the serial killer soon to be known as Jack the Ripper. Doyle agrees on the stipulation his old professor of surgery, Professor Joseph Bell-- Doyle's inspiration for Sherlock Holmes-- agrees to work with him. They are joined by Miss Margaret Harkness, an author residing in the East End. Soon it becomes clear that the hunters have become the hunted. -- adapted from publisher info

Personal Subject:

Doyle, Arthur Conan, 1859-1930-Fiction.

Jack, the Ripper-Fiction.

Doyle, Arthur Conan, 1859-1930. (OCoLC)fst01802123

Jack, the Ripper. (OCoLC)fst00319798

Subject(s):

Physicians -- Fiction.

Serial murderers -- Fiction.

Police -- Fiction.

Genre:

Detective and mystery stories.

Historical fiction.

Detective and mystery fiction.

Fiction.

Mystery fiction.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Silver Falls Library	MYS HARPER	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Winner of Killer Nashville's 2019 Silver Falchion Award for Mystery and Edgar Finalist for Best First Novel, its audiobook won Audiofile Magazine's Earphone Award for Mystery and Suspense.

This debut novel is the first in a series starring the real-life author and suffragette Margaret Harkness, continued in Queen's Gambit.

"Ardent feminism and cerebral detection face down the Ripper in the fog-shrouded streets of London: a feast for lovers of historical crime! "

--Laurie R. King, author of The Beekeeper's Apprentice and Island of the Mad

" Arthur Conan Doyle chasing after Jack the Ripper? Bradley Harper makes this irresistible pairing come alive. Ingenious in its premise and plotting, impressive in its unique forensic precision, infectious in its overflowing passion for the subject matter, A Knife in the Fog will be relished by fans of historical fiction, Sherlock Holmes, and Ripper literature. A debut novel worth falling for. "

--Matthew Pearl, author of The Dante Chamber

Physician Arthur Conan Doyle takes a break from his practice to assist London police in tracking down Jack the Ripper in this debut novel and series starter. September 1888. A twenty-nine-year-old Arthur Conan Doyle practices medicine by day and writes at night. His first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet, although gaining critical and popular success, has only netted him twenty-five pounds. Embittered by the experience, he vows never to write another "crime story." Then a messenger arrives with a mysterious summons from former Prime Minister William Gladstone, asking him to come to London immediately. Once there, he is offered one month's employment to assist the Metropolitan Police as a "consultant" in their hunt for the serial killer soon to be known as Jack the Ripper. Doyle agrees on the stipulation his old professor of surgery, Professor Joseph Bell--Doyle's inspiration for Sherlock Holmes--agrees to work with him. The two are joined by Miss Margaret Harkness, an author residing in the East End who knows how to use a Derringer and serves as their guide and companion. Pursuing leads through the dank alleys and courtyards of Whitechapel, they come upon the body of a savagely murdered fifth victim. Soon it becomes clear that the hunters have become the hunted when a knife-wielding figure approaches.

Author Notes

Bradley Harper is a retired US Army Colonel and pathologist who has performed over two-hundred autopsies and some twenty forensic investigations. A life-long fan of Sherlock Holmes, he did intensive research for this debut novel, A Knife in the Fog , including a trip to London's East End with noted Jack the Ripper historian Richard Jones. Harper's first novel was published in October 2018 and was a finalist for a 2019 Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America for Best First Novel by an American Author.

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

In 1888, Jonathan Wilkins, a representative of Prime Minister William Gladstone, calls on Arthur Conan Doyle to assist in the hunt for the Whitechapel murderer, who has already slaughtered three prostitutes, in Harper's workmanlike debut. Gladstone was impressed by the recently published A Study in Scarlet, and hopes that the writer can emulate his fictional creation's methods. The reluctant Conan Doyle invites Dr. Joseph Bell, his mentor and inspiration for Sherlock Holmes, to join him. Together with real-life radical journalist Margaret Harkness, designated by Wilkins to serve as their guide to the East End, they team up with Scotland Yard to catch the killer before he strikes again. Harper is faithful to the historical record of the Ripper murders, but his solution, which combines elements of several theories, disappoints. Also, the novel suffers in comparison to David Pirie's superior The Night Calls (2002), which likewise puts Conan Doyle and Bell on the trail of Jack the Ripper. Readers will hope Harper treads less familiar ground in any sequel. Agent: Jill Marr, Sandra Dykstra Agency. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

Sherlock Holmes' creator and a crusading British journalist team up to hunt for Jack the Ripper.In September 1888, no less a personage than Prime Minister William Gladstone writes to young doctor and author Arthur Conan Doyle with a vague entreaty to save "many lives." Not surprisingly, Doyle's first-person narrative is reminiscent of Holmes-ian amanuensis Dr. Watson. When Doyle meets Gladstone's personal secretary, Jonathan Wilkins, he's surprised to learn that this is not a medical matter but a criminal one. Impressed by the astuteness of Doyle's A Study in Scarlet, Gladstone would like him to investigate the Whitechapel homicides, searching for the killer Scotland Yard calls "Leather Apron." Wilkins puts Doyle in touch with "one of the new breed of emancipated women,' " crusading journalist Margaret Harkness, who'll be his guide through the dangerous streets of Whitechapel. (Under the pen name John Law, Harkness was a real-life radical writer.) As in the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a leading feature is the vivid, thorough questioning of a colorful cross-section of Londoners, here including brash Cockney boy John Richardson, inept but loquacious Dr. Llewellyn, and beat policeman Sgt. Thicke, known on the street as "Johnny Upright." Oscar Wilde also makes a cameo appearance. At length Doyle does indeed stir the interest of the serial killer who calls himself Jack the Ripper, and he and Margaret get close enough to him to rescue an intended victim.Delightful chemistry, plummy prose, and believable period detail lift Harper's debut above the throng of forgettable Baker Street imitators. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Holmesians dream the scene. It's 1888 London, and the police beg the detective's help in ending the Jack the Ripper murders. With Holmes on the case, we'd be in for some deductive dazzlement. Instead, Harper imagines Arthur Conan Doyle himself answering the call. Doyle insists that Dr. Joseph Bell, his teacher and the model for Holmes, be called in from his hospital post in Edinburgh, and we hear a delightfully familiar voice. "We are dealing with a man . . . most likely not physically intimidating . . . probably at or below average height." They enlist another historical personage, left-wing reporter and novelist Margaret Harkness, as a guide through the reeking neighborhood. What follows is yards above the usual pastiche, told in flowing language that could almost be sung: "Her accent declared an Irish heritage, and her age appeared to be around twenty-five." Holmes' fans will appreciate the glimpses, amid the action and the examination of social mores, of the elements that formed their hero. Here's Oscar Wilde advising Doyle on what some think is the key to the Great Detective: "Write about justice."--Don Crinklaw Copyright 2018 Booklist

Library Journal Review

DEBUT In 1888, Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle has published just one story, "A Study in Scarlet," and vows never to write another crime account. Then he receives a note from former prime minister William Gladstone, asking him to come to London. All of London is concerned with the Whitechapel killer they call "Leather Apron," and Gladstone's secretary proposes that Conan Doyle consult with the Metropolitan police to help them catch the murderer. He agrees, but on the condition that his former professor, Dr. Joseph Bell, the model for Sherlock Holmes, consults as well. Margaret Harkness, a journalist who writes as John Law, acts as their guide to the East End as the three grow dangerously close to the man now known worldwide as Jack the Ripper. The richly detailed, intense debut mystery features a cast of real people who conceivably could have come together in the most intense manhunt in London up until then. The intricately plotted story is worthy of Conan Doyle himself, with language and characters reminiscent of the Holmes canon and foreshadowing of the author's future work. VERDICT This compelling debut will have wide appeal, attracting readers of Jack the Ripper fiction, Sherlock Homes fans, and anyone who appreciates real-life people as sleuths.-Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.