Sherlock Holmes and The Giant Rat of Sumatra

Book excerpt: Autumn 1898. London. A scandal in the making. Dockworkers are stunned by the arrival of the Matilda Briggs, a long overdue tea cutter returning from Calcutta. Abandoned by its crew, the dust-covered vessel has seems to have drifted into a vacant berth guided by an unseen hand. The only member of the crew aboard is a lone cabin boy in the throes of death, following a murderous attack. The ship's log has also vanished without a trace. All that remains is a series of indecipherable markings have been scratched into the ship's decking. Sherlock Holmes and his faithful Watson are called to divest the Matilda Briggs of its secrets, only to be subtly warned off by the ship's insurers. Then a young man appears at 122B Baker Street with a mysterious packet from his missing father - who disappeared journeying to London from Calcutta. A confounding conspiracy seems set to boil over. What was in the cargo besides innocent tea chests? Will the violence and rebellion that follow shift the tides from the favour of the Great Detective? Is the world finally ready for this tale?