San Francisco Chronicle
"Compelling . . . bizarre."
Denver Post
"Plenty of detail and fast-paced action."
Orlando Sentinel
"Hair-raising."
Washington Post Book World
"A ripping good tale. It effervesces like champagne."
Booklist
"A knockout . . . remarkable . . . engrossing . . . strange and terrifying."
Los Angeles Times
"Takes off like a runaway brougham . . . a compulsive puzzler."
Buffalo News
"Dark, brooding . . . a heart-thumping, bizarre tale."
Clive Barker
"Dark and compelling entertainment . . . an irresistible page turner."
People Magazine
A spooky page-turner . . . barrels through Victorian England with the narrative drive of a runaway train."
Orlando Sentinel
“Hair-raising.”
Los Angeles Times
“Takes off like a runaway brougham . . . a compulsive puzzler.”
Booklist
“A knockout . . . remarkable . . . engrossing . . . strange and terrifying.”
San Francisco Chronicle
“Compelling . . . bizarre.”
Denver Post
“Plenty of detail and fast-paced action.”
Buffalo News
“Dark, brooding . . . a heart-thumping, bizarre tale.”
Washington Post Book World
“A ripping good tale. It effervesces like champagne.”
Jewish Book World
While not exactly a sequel to The List of 7, this novel again employes Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, as the protagonist. Famous for his fictional detective, Doyle is en route to a book tour in America, along with his brother, an Irish priest, when they become involved with thieves who are attempting to steal a valuable piece of the ship's cargo, the Book of Zohar. Solving the mystery will bring Doyle into contact with all sorts of characters while at the same time confronting the issues of turn-of-the-century American life. For those interested in the Kabbalah, this novel should be especially fascinating.
Publishers Weekly
In the first book of this clever series, The List of 7, Arthur Conan Doyle met the enigmatic Jack Sparks, a secret agent of sorts who inspired him to create the immortal Sherlock Holmes. Now, 10 years after his presumed death, a greatly changed Sparks reappears-just in time to save Doyle from assassins during a steamship crossing of the Atlantic. Bound for America on a celebrity author tour, Doyle has accidentally become involved in a terrifying scheme, which centers around the theft of great holy books from all over the world and the birth of an unspeakable menace in the Arizona desert. Several others are drawn to a new city outside Phoenix, where an old enemy awaits: Eileen Temple, Doyle's lover from the first book; as do an embittered Native American woman, a Chinese assassin, and a gentle and inquisitive rabbi. Several historical figures, too, make cameo appearances; a chance meeting with Teddy Roosevelt is pure delight, and a visit with Thomas Edison reveals an important plot point. Holmes devotees will be delighted by the way Frost alludes to familiar tales from the Sherlockian canon, and all readers should appreciate the wry contemporary touches that spice up this classical-style, slam-bang adventure. (July)
Library Journal
In this follow-up to The List of Seven (Audio Reviews, LJ 10/15/93), author Frost has created an intrigue- and action-oriented work that includes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a principal character. The audio, given an excellent reading by David Warner, lacks the ability to sustain listener interest even with Doyle, other interesting characters, descriptions of turn-of-the-century America, and nearly nonstop action. The abridgment fails to propose a believable theory for the common dream that links the six religious sensitives in search of stolen scriptures that may either yield the secrets of God's "breath of life" for Adam or implement the end of the world. Worse, the profusion of characters fighting Golem, mind-controlled cultists, and each other makes for considerable confusion. Recommended only for comprehensive fantasy collections.-Cliff Glaviano, Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., Ohio
Emily Melton
Frost's debut novel, the popular "List of 7" (1993), introduced Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a sleuth. This time Conan Doyle is off to America for a whirlwind tour to meet his huge contingent of U.S. fans. Aboard ship, Doyle senses something's afoot when he's asked to help shepherd a priceless manuscript across the ocean. Things turn even more sinister once he reaches America. Six strangers are drawn to the Wild West, dreaming of a dark tower where their destiny awaits them. Doyle, attracted by the mesmerizing power emanating from the six, follows them into a nightmare that ends in shocking revelations, bloody violence, and a most surprising climax. Frost, cocreator of the popular "Twin Peaks", is a compelling writer who could do with a little editing to tighten and tone his work. Overall, though, this eerie thriller is entertaining, gripping, and sure to win him new fans, especially those who like their thrillers tinged with the occult.
