The Devil's Promise is a new Sherlock Holmes adventure by David Stuart Davies, a name I've come to rely upon for rollicking good pastiches of the Great Detective, and this one does not disappoint.
This time we have an older Holmes and Watson, facing the imminent arrival of a new century who get drawn into a web of intrigue battling a coven of devoted Satanists led the foul Blackwood clan. Again I must be careful not to reveal too much, but suffice it to say there are twists and turns and jumps which create a proper mystery.
Some of this story is told from the novel perspective of Holmes himself though reliably the bulk of the narrative is related from the trusty viewpoint of Dr. John Watson. We have a Holmes here who is not at the height of his powers, limited by the rigors of age and without the sure-handed confidence youth brings. But he is Sherlock Holmes nonetheless.
One off note in this yarn is the reliance on Watson's physical skills which get called into play more than seems convincing. Fisticuffs and gun play are necessary to the story, but in this one perhaps are used a tad much.
But overall, this is another compelling mystery by Davies, and gets a high recommendation from me.
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