A review by spygrl1
The Infernal Device and Others by Michael Kurland

2.0

The conceit of Moriarty as not simply a protagonist but as nearly a hero is intriguing, but while interesting elements are there, as a whole it's not working for me. I think "Infernal Device" is ripe for a film adaptation -- there are scads of colorful characters (a midget pickpocket! a boxer butler!), espionage, murder, balloons and fireworks. But for me there's something missing -- the characterization of Holmes as blindly bound by the strictures of law seems quite off, for one thing, and there's never a satisfying accounting for just how criminal Moriarty is willing to be for another.