When San Francisco detective Kate Martinelli arrives at a murder scene, she discovers a shocking tableau: the dead man may have been killed for the century-old manuscript he had recently acquired--a manuscript purportedly written by Sherlock Holmes.

When San Francisco detective Kate Martinelli arrives at a murder scene, she discovers a shocking tableau: the dead man may have been killed for the century-old manuscript he had recently acquired--a manuscript purportedly written by Sherlock Holmes.

In this thrilling new crime novel that ingeniously bridges Laurie R. King's Edgar and Creasey Awards--winning Kate Martinelli series and her bestselling series starring Mary Russell, San Francisco homicide detective Kate Martinelli crosses paths with Sherlock Holmes-in a spellbinding dual mystery that could come only from the "intelligent, witty, and complex" mind of New York Times bestselling author Laurie R. King....

Kate Martinelli has seen her share of peculiar things as a San Francisco cop, but never anything quite like this: an ornate Victorian sitting room straight out of a Sherlock Holmes story-complete with violin, tobacco-filled Persian slipper, and gunshots in the wallpaper that spell out the initials of the late queen. Philip Gilbert was a true Holmes fanatic, from his antiquated décor to his vintage wardrobe. And no mere fan of fiction's great detective, but a leading expert with a collection of priceless memorabilia-a collection some would kill for. And perhaps someone did: In his collection is a century-old manuscript purportedly written by Holmes himself-a manuscript that eerily echoes details of Gilbert's own murder. Now, with the help of her partner, Al Hawkin, Kate must follow the convoluted trail of a killer-one who may have trained at the feet of the greatest mind of all times.