Arrowood

1895. London is scared. A killer haunts the city's streets; the poor are hungry; crime bosses are taking control; the police force is stretched to the breaking point. The rich turn to Sherlock Holmes, but the celebrated private detective rarely visits the densely populated streets of South London, where the crimes are sleazier and the people are poorer. In the dark corner of Southwark, victims turn to a man who despises Holmes, his wealthy clientele and his showy forensic approach to crime: Arrowood-self-taught psychologist, occasional drunkard and private investigator. When a man mysteriously disappears and Arrowood's best lead is viciously stabbed before his eyes, he and his sidekick Barnett face their toughest quest yet: to capture the head of the most notorious gang in London… In the bestselling tradition of Anthony Horowitz and Andrew Taylor, this gloriously dark crime debut will haunt readers long after the final page has been turned.

"Enthralling . . . an alternative Sherlock Holmes, who, instead of relying on physical clues and logic, focuses on the psychology of the people involved." -Publishers Weekly (starred review) 1896: Sherlock Holmes has once again hit the headlines, solving mysteries for the cream of aristocracy. But among the workhouses and pudding shops of South London, private detective William Arrowood is presented with far grittier, more violent, and considerably less well-paid cases. Arrowood has no doubt who is the better detective, and when Mr. and Mrs. Barclay engage him to find their daughter, Birdie-who married a pig farmer and hasn't been seen since-he's sure it won't be long before he and his assistant, Barnett, have tracked her down. But this seemingly simple missing-person case soon turns into a murder investigation. Far from the comfort of Baker Street, Arrowood's London is a city of unrelenting cruelty, where evil is waiting to be uncovered . . . Praise for Arrowood "A new series that historical crime fans will be clamoring to read more of." -The Times of London "A wonderful premise: a downscale Sherlock Holmes for the rest of us." -Kirkus Reviews "Fiercely edgy . . . Finlay captures the filth, frustration, and dark humor of the Victorian-era slum . . . Doyle's fans will be entertained." -Booklist "The Victorian workingman's answer to the higher-class Sherlock Holmes-a foul-mouthed, hard-drinking, shabby detective with a seriously bad attitude toward his more famous counterpart . . . It's a terrific premise . . . Finlay has fun referencing the Holmes canon, and he gives his hero a skill that the more famous detective lacks." -The Seattle Times

William Arrowood, Victorian London's less salubrious private detective, is paid a visit by Captain Moon, the owner of a pleasure steamer moored on the Thames. He complains that someone has been damaging his boat, putting his business in jeopardy. Arrowood and his trusty sidekick Barnett suspect professional jealousy, but when a string of skulls is retrieved from the river, it seems like even fouler play is afoot. It's up to Arrowood and his trusty sidekick Barnett to solve the case, before any more corpses end up in the watery depths.