Dust and Shadow

An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson

By: Lyndsay Faye

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Breathless and painstakingly researched, this is a stunning debut mystery in which Sherlock Holmes unmasks Jack the Ripper. Lyndsay Faye perfectly captures all the color and syntax of Conan Doyle’s distinctive 19th-century London.

In Dust and Shadow, Sherlock Holmes hunts down Jack the Ripper—the world’s first serial killer—with impeccably accurate historical detail and without the advantage of modern forensics or profiling. Sherlock’s desire to stop the killer who is terrifying the East End of London is unwavering from the start, and in an effort to do so he hires an “unfortunate” known as Mary Ann Monk, the friend of a fellow streetwalker who was one of the Ripper’s earliest victims. However, when Holmes himself is wounded in Whitechapel attempting to catch the villain and a series of articles in the popular press question his role in the crimes, he must use all his resources in a desperate race to find the man known as “The Knife” before it is too late.

Penned as a pastiche by the loyal and courageous Dr. Watson, this debut signals the arrival of a tremendous talent in the mystery and historical fiction genres.

©2009 Lyndsay Faye (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Impressive…Sherlockians will hope to see further pastiches of this quality from Faye.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“An exciting and grimly vivid tale that confronts the murderous Jack the Ripper with A. Conan Doyle’s immortal detective better than ever before.” (Conan Doyle Estate)

“At long last, an author of rare talent combines a thorough, enthusiastic knowledge of the Sherlock Holmes canon with truly rigorous research into, and respect for, the Jack the Ripper killings.” (Caleb Carr, New York Times best-selling author)

wonderful

hope to read more sherlock stories from this author. very well written and the narration was the best !!

As soon wonderful as Conan DOYLE

Exciting original and as much fun as Conan Doyle. How lucky we are. Just terrific.

Mystery Maven

Excellent author and outstanding narrator. Although a well know mystery, the twists and turns capture your imagination and treat it anew. Highly recommend.

Except for that "fictional character" thing...

I appreciated this for its respectful adherence to the Conan Doyle tradition. For me, the success of any attempt by one author to 'adopt' another's style rests on whether or not the reader/listener can immediately recognize and accept the familiar characters as real.

Faye accomplishes this - and all while creating an exciting and interesting variation of the Jack the Ripper case. It is odd to be contemplating the investigation of a historical, actual (if, by now, largely mythologized) case by a fictional character. Kind of mind-bending when you think about it.

Great job by narrator Simon Vance. A bit graphic (one of the major updates and differences from Doyle and his Victorian sensibilities), but a lot of fun!

Sherlock Holmes meets Jack-the-Ripper!

Very accomplished novel by a young writer. She evokes perfectly the sights and smells of turn of the century London and humanizes the Ripper's victims. Told from the perspective of Dr. Watson, this is an enjoyable, well-paced read. Highly recommended to Holmes fans and general crime fiction readers alike.

Nicely done Sherlock tale

Well written in the Doyle style. Good mystery and plausible solution. Amusing tossed off line to start one of the most popular conspiracy theories about the Ripper's identity

Narrator unbelievable; story very well-written

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book. The narrator does a wonderful job and makes you feel like you are right there, standing alongside Holmes and Watson. The writing is so meticulous, you have a hard time believing it was not written by Doyle. The story was very interesting -- and plenty of SH deduction to keep you impressed. I thought the ending was a little rushed -- but please do not let that stop you from giving this a listen!

The Game is Afoot

Would you listen to Dust and Shadow again? Why?

No. I listen to books only once.

What did you like best about this story?

I thought this book was very close to the original Arthur Conan Doyle books. I enjoyed the story, it was very entertaining and kept my interest. And Simon Vance has a fantastic voice and command of language.

Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favorite?

Watson

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

I would like to listen to another story like this one.

Good Story and Great Read !

I really enjoyed this audio book.

Lindsay Faye also does an admirable job of extending the Sherlock Holmes narrative as well as expanding on things such as the relationship between Holmes and Inspector Lestrade.

Simon Vance delivers a perfectly nuanced narration that pulls the entire audiobook together in great fashion.

Simply put, this is a great listen !

Excellent Book. Don't Listen After Dark.

If you could sum up Dust and Shadow in three words, what would they be?

Engrossing. Unnerving. Addicting.

What did you like best about this story?

As a lover of the original Holmes stories, I approach 'new' Holmes with suspicion, but was pleasantly surprised here. Lyndsay Faye betrays her love for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in every paragraph; her characters remained consistently and reliably Holmesian all the way through, even when pushed outside of the sort of case and circumstances Doyle would have provided. The research was meticulous, and the blending of historical fact with historical fiction was admirably done. Edu-tainment at its best.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I buy Audible books to listen to as I ride my bike to work across a very urban area in the dead of night. In retrospect, Dust and Shadow was not the best choice for this . . . a young woman alone in the dark on a bicycle should probably be thinking about something other than Jack the Ripper. This was deliciously creepy and gave me the shivers . . . but next time I'll listen to it at home, with the lights on!