The Fifth Heart

Starred review from January 19, 2015
In Paris in 1893, Sherlock Holmes and Henry James join forces in this outstanding novel from Simmons, who has concocted something far from the usual pastiche, with a historical figure standing in for Dr. Watson. James, the distinguished American author, is about to kill himself by plunging into the Seine, overcome by crippling depression. Just before stepping off le pont Neuf, he notices a man with an aquiline profile standing nearby; he quickly ascertains that the man is actually Holmes, believed to have perished with Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls two years earlier. James is shocked to learn that Holmes was himself on the verge of taking his own life—because the detective has discovered that he’s merely a “literary construct.” His evidence? The same inconsistencies in the original Conan Doyle stories that have provided fodder for Sherlockians for a century. This chance meeting dissuades both men from committing suicide, and they resolve to travel to America and investigate the purported suicide of diplomat Henry Adams’s wife, Clover, in 1885. Simmons (Drood) knows the Holmes canon and uses that expertise in the service of a highly original reimagining of the beloved sleuth. Five-city author tour. Agent: Richard Curtis, Richard Curtis Associates.

January 15, 2015
"They were the footprints of a gigantic dove!" Sherlock Holmes meets the Brahmins in this lively, imaginative mashup, done in trademark Simmons (The Abominable, 2013, etc.) fashion.In 1893, writes Simmons by way of an opening, Henry James, "for reasons that no one understands (primarily because no one besides us is aware of this story)," decides to leave this cruel world, unhappy at his lack of literary success. Family members and friends have been dying all around him, so the time seems right. Meanwhile, Sherlock Holmes has plunged over the waterfalls in Switzerland, locked in mortal struggle against Professor Moriarty. Naturally-well, not at all naturally, in fact-Holmes and James connect. James even pops Holmes on his famous beaker, prompting the uncharacteristic reply, "I'm sorry, James. Especially since I've come to think of you as a friend and I really have no friends." Of the events leading up to such esprit de corps it might be observed that the more improbable, the better, though at least Simmons' yarn is generally free of the steampunk affectations of the Guy Ritchie film series. Instead, Simmons posits a deliciously political plot involving President Grover Cleveland, Irene Adler, Henry Adams, half the anarchists east of the Mississippi and an extremely well-made rifle, all calculated to combine to produce chaos. Moriarty has seldom been more evil than when he sneers, "This one hour on the first of May, starting with the public execution of the chief executive of the United States of America, will make Haymarket Square look like the tiny, insignificant rehearsal it was." Take that, Snidely Whiplash! It's up to Holmes and James to fend off mayhem at the pass. Readers without grounding in Gilded Age history may want to keep an encyclopedia nearby, and of course, though Holmes needs no introduction, most will know Henry James only as the author of books about ghosts and perhaps furniture. Still, Simmons' yarn is nicely self-contained. It's a lot of fun, too, once disbelief has been suspended and tongue tucked firmly into cheek.

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Starred review from February 1, 2015
Like several of Simmons' earlier novels, including The Abominable (2013) and Drood (2009), his latest is a riveting mixture of historical fact and fiction. The year is 1893. Henry James and Sherlock Holmes travel together to America to solve the mystery surrounding the death of socialite Clover Adams (whom, some say, James would later use as his inspiration for his novels Daisy Miller and The Portrait of a Lady). It's an unlikely pairing: the two men are quite different temperamentally. James is convinced Clover killed herself, while Holmes seems equally convinced it was murder. Oh, and there's a very good chance Holmes isn't Holmes at all but rather a fictional character adopted as a persona by the Norwegian explorer Jan Sigerson. Simmons has a lot of fun with the whole Is Holmes real? question, and fans of Conan Doyle's stories (some readers might remember that Sigerson was one of the great detective's assumed names) should have a great time. But the book isn't just for Holmes' fansit's a solidly constructed, beautifully told mystery; a portrait of one of the nineteenth century's most important writers; and an intriguing blend of fact and fantasy. Fans of Simmons' special brand of historical metafiction should seek this one out.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

February 15, 2015

Following the path laid out in Drood, Simmons brings two literary luminaries together to solve a fictional puzzle. In this case, it's Henry James and Sherlock Holmes, with Holmes acting as James's companionable foil. The DC-set mystery involves the supposed suicide of Clover Adams, wife of historian Henry Adams and good friend to James. Clover's brother, refusing to believe this was his sister's final act, has hired Holmes to investigate. Holmes must rely on James to bring him into the inner circle of Washington's political and literary elite, and their captious banter provides much of the book's amusement. Too often, however, the story strays from the central mystery with excessive historical detail and a revolving door of intriguing but peripheral notables. The most tedious device belongs to Holmes, though, who, despite eating, sleeping, and physically interacting with everyone mentioned, isn't sure whether he is a real person or a fictional character. VERDICT Simmons enthusiasts will take the journey; others may find the various conceits too frustrating.[See Prepub Alert, 9/22/14; five-city tour.]--Liza Oldham, Beverly, MA

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2014

In 1893, eight years after the suicide of Clover Adams, wife of renowned historian Henry Adams, Sherlock Holmes joins Henry James to investigate what's starting to look more like murder with national security implications. Never mind that Holmes is supposed to be dead and also a fictional character, which has James worried. Recalling Simmons's dramatic Drood, just optioned for film; a 40,000-copy first printing and a five-city tour.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 29, 2015
Reader Pittu fully realizes his role as narrator in this highly entertaining historical mystery. In 1893 Paris, a despondent Henry James is standing on a bridge overlooking the Seine, contemplating suicide, when he is detained by the legendary Sherlock Holmes. Both men are at moments of crisis in their lives, James by his lack of real artistic or financial success, and Holmes by his conclusion that he is not real at all, merely a literary construct. But the two men join forces and travel to America to investigate the purported suicide of diplomat Henry Adams’s wife, Clover, in 1885. The result is a romping good adventure, full of intrigue, narrow escapes, and murder most foul. Pittu does a wonderful job bringing this Victorian tale to life. He uses numerous voices for all the side characters, whether a two-bit New York Street tough talker or upper-crust politico. But it is his interpretations of Holmes and James that is the heart of this story. Holmes is true to form, obsessively determined and arrogant, while the poor, put-upon James is often befuddled and humorous, but never a buffoon. There is something for everyone to like in this book, Holmes fans or not. Pittu and Simmons form a dynamic duo of their own. A Little, Brown hardcover.