The Lantern's Dance

About the book

Following their recent adventures in Transylvania, Russell and Holmes are excited about spending time with Holmes' son, the renowned artist Damian Adler, and his family. However, upon their arrival at Damian's residence, they learn that the Adlers have fled due to an unknown danger.

Holmes quickly pursues Damian, while Russell, hindered by a recent injury, stays back to explore the deserted house. In Damian's studio, she uncovers four crates filled with memorabilia linked to Holmes' great-uncle, the artist Horace Vernet. Among the assortment of items is a weathered silver lamp with a revolving shade - an antique zoetrope device adorned with strips of paper displaying images that whirl as the lamp spins.

Nestled within a crate is an ancient journal inscribed in an intricate code that baffles Russell. Intrigued, she begins unraveling the complex cryptograph and gradually realizes that each entry centers around an illustration - the initial one depicting a child being abducted in a carriage, while her mother fades into the distance.

As Russell delves deeper, she becomes both troubled and fascinated by the intriguing journal. Each decoded entry raises new queries: Who is the enigmatic young Indian woman behind this elaborate puzzle? What connection does she have to Damian, the Vernets, or the looming threat over the household?

The mysteries of the past seem to be intertwining with the present, prompting Russell to determine the link between the journal, the lantern, Damian, and perhaps even Sherlock Holmes himself.

Could there be aspects of his own past that elude even the keen instincts of the legendary detective?