Waiting On Wednesday #111 - The Fifth Heart

Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week's choice is -

The Fifth Heart - Dan Simmons

ISBN - 9780316198820

Publisher - Little Brown & Company

Release date - March 24 2015

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

In the tradition of Drood, a historical mystery in which Sherlock Holmes and Henry James team up to solve a literary puzzle.

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 - a 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?

I used to be a bit of a snob as far as anything Sherlock Holmes was connected. There was only one actor that could play him on television - Jeremy Brett, and forget the idea of other people using Sherlock in their books. I even threw my arms up in disgust at Sherlock with the fantabulous Benedict Cumberbatch. I remember watching the very first episode with my mom and both of us being horrified although I know better now and Sherlock has a special place in my heart. I've been a fan of Dan Simmons for a long time now and there are books he's written that I haven't liked and books that I've loved. The Fifth Heart is, I've no doubt, going to be a book I either love or hate but I am looking forward to reading it. Out at the end of this month in the US or tomorrow in the UK the cover above is the US version, the one below is the UK cover!