The Fifth Heart

By: Dan Simmons

Narrated by: David Pittu

In 1893, Sherlock Holmes and Henry James come to America together to solve the mystery of the 1885 death of Clover Adams, wife of the esteemed historian Henry Adams -- member of the Adams family that has given the United States two Presidents. Clover's suicide appears to be more than it at first seemed; the suspected foul play may involve matters of national importance.

Holmes is currently on his Great Hiatus -- his three-year absence after Reichenbach Falls during which time the people of London believe him to be deceased. Holmes has faked his own death because, through his powers of ratiocination, the great detective has come to the conclusion that he is a fictional character.

This leads to serious complications for James -- for if his esteemed fellow investigator is merely a work of fiction, what does that make him? And what can the master storyteller do to fight against the sinister power -- possibly named Moriarty -- that may or may not be controlling them from the shadows?

Strength is in the characters, not the story

Simmons plays with historic people, fictional and real, as a child plays with superhero action figures. The result is similar to the conversation game of imagining having dinner with your favorite famous figures, living or dead.

I enjoyed the mix of history and fiction, but the sheer number of cameo appearances was dizzying.

The question regarding the reality of the characters was intriguing and I laugh/groaned at the literary jokes - "I hate change of perspective, but I'm doing it anyway," and "I hate epilogues, but here it is."

Overall, a fun adventure. It is easy to compare it to Simmons' "Drood." In that comparison, however, the mystery in "Drood" is more heart stopping than in "The Fifth Heart."

Good but odd

This is a Sherlock Holmes novel I assume to be set after the Conan Doyle stories. I liked the book though I thought it a bit over long and unnecessary in a couple spots. The book is very interesting as it as much historical fiction as it is a Holmes story. I looked up at least a half dozen things concerning this book. Starting with the 5 of Hearts. There are a few spots in which the story flow is broken and we the reader are surprised by the "you don't do this in a novel" moments. I found the book to be odd and worth my time. I find myself wondering if Simmons decided to break as many rules of writing as he thought he could. Wondering also if I was being tested and found wanting because I like the book anyway, or if Simmons tried a grand literary experiment and it worked for me. There are a couple main mysteries. A number of surprises. Plenty of history. Plenty of historical characters who were used within the fiction, which I found distracting, and I trust that Simmons was careful in this use. 1 is a terrible book. 2 is a book that really bothered me but maybe your tastes would allow you to enjoy it. 3 is a good book that is mundane, or in this case a book above the common that is not for everyone. 4 is a book I really enjoyed that I believe to be above common goodness in quality. 5 is a truly fine or great work and I seldom give 5's.

Most Satisfying

I loved the combined characters and history. I look forward to additional novels like this!

Engrossing

I’ve read and/or listened to many of Simmons’ novels, and I believe this may be one of the finest.

Definitely different

I am a big Dan Simmons fan and I gotta say this was a different book from his others. But though parts were slower than his usual breakneck adventures, he is still the master of historical information and literature and unlikely adventure.
This book features one of my favorite fictional characters (Sherlock Holmes) with a real author (Henry James) who I've never actually read. Of course now I'm going to find some James literature to check out.
It's quite a mystery and some exciting escapades. it's a bit slow in parts but very interesting nonetheless. I feel like I know a lot more about 1893 than I did before. I also quite enjoyed meeting one of my favorites, Samuel Clemens.