The year is 1896, and St. Paul’s magnificent Winter Carnival is under way when Holmes and Watson are summoned by the city’s most powerful man, railroad magnate James J. Hill. A wealthy young man disappears on the eve of his wedding—and his fiancée suspiciously discards her wedding dress. After a grisly discovery in the carnival’s Ice Palace leads to a flurry of clues, Holmes is on the case. His pursuit of the murderer takes him through the highest echelons of St. Paul society and into cahoots with Shadwell Rafferty, a gregarious saloonkeeper and part-time private investigator. Soon Holmes, Watson, and Rafferty are embroiled in a perilous adventure that takes them from one frozen corner of the city to another and out onto the treacherous ice of the Mississippi River as they trail a cruel and ruthless killer.
Anonymous
Posted January 23, 2006
After Red Demon I had to give this story a try. There were things I enjoyed. The story plot was action filled. The American characters realistic. Raffety, my goodness if the author does an off shot of him I'll buy that detective series too. Things I did not like was the lack of 'feel good' feelings one experiences with the Sherlock Holmes originals. This was a definate step up and evolution for the author.
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Posted April 22, 2000
but especially anyone who grew up or lived near St. Paul, MN. Sherlock and Watson (re)visit James J. Hill in Minnesota, and solve crimes. References include the winter carnival, complete with Vulcanus Rex and King Borealis, F. Scott Fitzgerald's parents, the red light district that has become the respectable Kellogg Ave. (hello, MHS), and many other things anyone can remember. If you ever saw a St. Paul winter carnival, you owe it to yourself to read this book. the mystery itself is pretty good as well, and the author is faithful to Conan Doyle's characters and their lives and histories.
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Overview
The year is 1896, and St. Paul’s magnificent Winter Carnival is under way when Holmes and Watson are summoned by the city’s most powerful man, railroad magnate James J. Hill. A wealthy young man disappears on the eve of his wedding—and his fiancée suspiciously discards her wedding dress. After a grisly discovery in the carnival’s Ice Palace leads to a flurry of clues, Holmes is on the case. His pursuit of the murderer takes him through the highest echelons of St. Paul society and into cahoots with Shadwell ...