For the reader this extraordinary adventure means a journey back in time to the fog-bound streets of London, where Sherlock Holmes and the faithful Dr Watson stalk the minions of evil- and to the romantic, decadent world of 19th-century Vienna, where the remarkable Dr. Sigmund Freud must try to cure Holmes of his shocking addiction to cocaine, and unlock the terrible secret hidden in the dark depths of his brilliant mind. It means an astounding revelation about the great detective's past- and a new revelation of Holmes' genius as he undertakes to solve a mystery that involves the crowned heads of Europe and the peace of the entire world. It means a rediscovery of what excitement and suspense and sheer reading pleasure are all about as we plunge into the most devilish challenge that either Holmes or Freud have ever faced, in a case that only these two together can hope to solve.

Strange things are happening in London, 1895. Someone kills a theater critic. There's a throat-slashing at the Savoy. A police surgeon disappears, taking two corpses with him. Then it gets really bizarre.Some of the theater's most fashionable and creative names are Bernard Shaw, a struggling writer; Bram Stoker, a shady box office clerk; Henry Irving, an aging star; and Oscar Wilde, a controversial wit. Scotland Yard is baffled by what appears to be a string of unrelated cases. But to Sherlock Holmes, it's elementary, a maniac is on the loose. And his name is Jack."Sherlock Holmes didn't die with Conan Doyle. He lives on through the pen of Nicholas Meyer." (B-O-T Editorial Review Board)