Why Meiringen? Sherlock Holmes fans have always asked why did Holmes go to Meiringen? And did Moriarty follow him there? And if Holmes did not die in the Falls, what happened next? The familiar stories tell us little. For the first time, this book gives us the answers we've always wanted.

Johanna Rieke's careful and detailed research and understanding of the region show what really happened and how Holmes escaped, only to reappear three years later in London. If Moriarty is now dead, however, his evil work goes on.

In London, Holmes and Watson, drawn into an apparently meaningless murder in the Crystal Palace in South London, soon recognise that much more is at stake. How are a greengrocer's shop, a dockyard pub in East London, a tattooed seaman, and a mysterious German all involved, and who is Moriarty’s shadowy successor?

Only Holmes and Watson, in a desperate search and by sharp deduction, can hope at the last moment to foil a disaster. Can they prevent many innocent deaths and protect Britain’s standing in the world? Even as the story ends, they know that their fight against evil will go on, and that Moriarty’s successors are always alert, a constant threat. As this exciting book makes clear, Holmes’ task never ends.