Editorial Content for The Final Problem
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In 1893, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote “The Final Problem,” a short story that not only introduced the world to the criminal mastermind Moriarty but also purported to be the last Sherlock Holmes adventure.
Arturo Pérez-Reverte has now taken this title for his latest book, THE FINAL PROBLEM, which features a killer who leaves clues that can be traced back to Doyle’s fictional work. What transpires in this wondrous novel, which is translated by Frances Riddle, is a setting straight out of Dame Agatha Christie and a mystery that is pure Sherlock Holmes. There are only a handful of characters, giving readers plenty of opportunity to make their own assumptions when it comes time to point the finger of guilt.
"I confess to being incorrect in my initial suspicion as I marveled at Pérez-Reverte’s denouement. I loved the many meta moments throughout the novel as he boldly put the facts in our face about the role that readers play in a murder mystery..."
Ormond “Hopalong” Basil is an out-of-work actor who became famous for his multiple portrayals of Sherlock Holmes on the big screen. The year is 1960, and he is traveling with Italian movie producer Pietro Malerba and celebrated soprano Najat Farjallah. They are on a boat heading to the small Greek island of Utakos, where they will remain trapped for several days due to a mighty storm.
They’re staying at the grand Hotel Auslander, a 19th-century villa now run by Raquel Auslander, a Holocaust survivor. One of the first guests Basil meets is Paco Foxa, a Spanish mystery writer of minor renown. Foxa is a huge fan of Basil’s film work, as well as an expert on Holmes’ literary catalogue and the mystery genre as a whole.
The “fun” begins once the storm intensifies to the point where they lose communication with the outside world. When one of the guests, Edith Mander, is found in a cabana off the beach with a rope around her neck, the initial thought is suicide. But thanks to the astute eye of Basil and Foxa, it appears that it may have been an extremely clever locked-room homicide meant to taunt those who found the body. They agree that they need to work together to try to out the killer, so Basil once again will transform into Sherlock Holmes.
Even though Basil continues to remind everyone that he is “just an actor,” he has the uncanny ability to step into the investigation and uncover clues in the same manner as Holmes. Foxa serves as Basil’s Dr. Watson, and they make for an interesting pair. When the rope that Edith allegedly used to hang herself disappears, it becomes evident that someone is seeking to cover their tracks. In addition, a note is found that speaks directly to the text of a Sherlock Holmes mystery, making it clear that the killer is attempting to take on the role of Moriarty by challenging the great detective to a battle of wits.
When a second body turns up, the potential suspects dwindle in size while the complexity of the crimes widens. I confess to being incorrect in my initial suspicion as I marveled at Pérez-Reverte’s denouement. I loved the many meta moments throughout the novel as he boldly put the facts in our face about the role that readers play in a murder mystery: “It’s not about illuminating the reader but about dazzling them. To make them so focused on figuring out how it happened that they cannot discover who did it.” Well, consider myself dazzled!
Teaser
June 1960. Rough weather at sea leaves a group of strangers stranded on the idyllic Greek island of Utakos, all guests of the only local hotel. Edith Mander, a quiet British tourist, is found dead inside a beach cabana. What appears at first glance to be a clear suicide reveals possible signs of foul play to Ormond Basil, an out-of-work but still well-known actor who in his glory days portrayed the most celebrated detective of all time. Accustomed to seeing him display Sherlock Holmes’ amazing powers of deduction on the big screen, the other guests believe that the actor is the best equipped to uncover the truth. But when a second body is discovered, there is not a doubt in Basil’s mind: a murderer walks among them. What’s more, the killer is staging each crime as a performance, leaving complex clues that bear an eerie resemblance to those found in the pages of Arthur Conan Doyle stories.
Promo
June 1960. Rough weather at sea leaves a group of strangers stranded on the idyllic Greek island of Utakos, all guests of the only local hotel. Edith Mander, a quiet British tourist, is found dead inside a beach cabana. What appears at first glance to be a clear suicide reveals possible signs of foul play to Ormond Basil, an out-of-work but still well-known actor who in his glory days portrayed the most celebrated detective of all time. Accustomed to seeing him display Sherlock Holmes’ amazing powers of deduction on the big screen, the other guests believe that the actor is the best equipped to uncover the truth. But when a second body is discovered, there is not a doubt in Basil’s mind: a murderer walks among them. What’s more, the killer is staging each crime as a performance, leaving complex clues that bear an eerie resemblance to those found in the pages of Arthur Conan Doyle stories.
About the Book
In this locked-room mystery set in 1960, a washed-up actor puts his on-camera detective skills to the test when a suspicious death shatters the quiet peace for a group of strangers staying at an isolated Greek island resort. Perfect for fans of Knives Out, Benjamin Stevenson and Anthony Horowitz.
June 1960. Rough weather at sea leaves a group of strangers stranded on the idyllic Greek island of Utakos, all guests of the only local hotel. Nothing could prepare them for what happens next: Edith Mander, a quiet British tourist, is found dead inside a beach cabana. What appears at first glance to be a clear suicide reveals possible signs of foul play to Ormond Basil, an out-of-work but still well-known actor who in his glory days portrayed the most celebrated detective of all time. Accustomed to seeing him display Sherlock Holmes’ amazing powers of deduction on the big screen, the other guests believe that the actor is the best equipped to uncover the truth.
But when a second body is discovered, there is not a doubt in Basil’s mind: a murderer walks among them. What’s more, the killer is staging each crime as a performance, leaving complex clues that bear an eerie resemblance to those found in the pages of Arthur Conan Doyle stories. This is a criminal who knows every trick in the book and is playing a deadly literary game. As the storm rages, Basil must become the genius detective he has only pretended to be.
This clever, whip-smart, locked-room mystery from internationally bestselling author Arturo Pérez-Reverte is a love letter to golden-age detective novels. THE FINAL PROBLEM delights in exploring the tension between an investigator and his suspects, as well as a writer and his reader, delivering a revelatory twist that will shock even the sharpest of mystery fans.
Audiobook available, read by Derek Perkins
