In this witty series launch set in Victorian London from Castle (the Francis Bacon mysteries), Professor James Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes’s nemesis, is no criminal mastermind. Rather, he’s an assistant examiner at the Patent Office, with a firm and fierce sense of justice. At the vast and hugely popular International Inventions Exhibition, Moriarty is on hand to unmask the anomalies in a newly designed steam engine. When the engine explodes, killing a man, Moriarty realizes that he must find out who tampered with the device or risk being blamed for the death. Shortly before this tragedy, Moriarty meets a beautiful American widow, Angelina Gould, who has come to London, ostensibly for the 1885 social season. As the mutual attraction between Moriarty and Angelina blossoms, the cunning lady introduces the professor to both love and larceny. As the subtitle suggests, the pair eventually wed. Readers will look forward to the couple’s further adventures. (BookLife)