Imagine: Holmes and Watson had doubles. Just as insightful, resourceful and courageous. But they did not devote their talents to serving the law, but quite deliberately, one might even say, with special cynicism, they chose the criminal path. The ingenious, insidious and unpredictable Professor Moriarty - and the seasoned warrior and hunter Sebastian Moran, nicknamed the Butcher. Together they take control of all the criminal power in London, sparing no money on bribes and mercilessly dealing with competitors. These two also conduct investigations and solve puzzling riddles, but they are not driven by a thirst for justice. It was very difficult to take breaks from reading... Looks like for me this is the best book of the year. Fandontariia An excellent reason to once again visit the world of Sherlock Holmes and see it from a new perspective. Hitfix Exciting plots, good content, excellent mind games. Neil Gaiman Newman's prose is delightful, his attention to detail is simply captivating. Time Out One of the most original novels of the year. Seattle Times