In this thrilling new crime novel that ingeniously bridges Laurie R. King's Edgar and Creasey Awards-winning Kate Martinelli series and her bestselling series starring Mary Russell, San Francisco homicide detective Kate Martinelli crosses paths with Sherlock Holmes - in a spellbinding dual mystery that could come only from the intelligent, witty, and complex - mind of New York Times bestselling author Laurie R. King. Kate Martinelli has seen her share of peculiar things as a San Francisco cop, but never anything quite like this: an ornate Victorian sitting room straight out of a Sherlock Holmes story - complete with violin, tobacco-filled Persian slipper, and gunshots in the wallpaper that spell out the initials of the late queen. Philip Gilbert was a true Holmes fanatic, from his antiquated de;cor to his vintage wardrobe. And no mere fan of fiction's great detective, but a leading expert with a collection of priceless memorabilia - a collection some would kill for. And perhaps someone did: In his collection is a century-old manuscript purportedly written by Holmes himself, a manuscript that eerily echoes details of Gilbert's own murder. Now, with the help of her partner, Al Hawkin, Kate must follow the convoluted trail of a killer - one who may have trained at the feet of the greatest mind of all times.