Millett tells two interwoven tales: Holmes, Watson, and Thomas's investigation of Rafferty's death, and Rafferty's investigation, leading up to that death. This is a riveting plot structure that never reveals too much and gives the novel an epic feel. Millett clearly has Victor Hugo or Eugene Sue's sense of when to stop the chapter and what makes a great cliffhanger--a talent that Doyle didn't possess himself, actually. When the tales converge with Rafferty's last goodbye, it's poignant but not maudlin--and it doesn't resolve all the loose ends, so you'll want to keep reading. A trenchant critique of the kinds of delusion and hatred that the Midwest has yet to eradicate and a love letter to St. Paul, Rafferty's Last Case is a must-read for Sherlockians, Minnesotans, and a lot of other readers.

Review at Reviewing the Evidence.