Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle face ecstasy and
madness in 1903 London.
Writing as Harry R. Squires, originally published by Warner
Books in August 2001.
SummaryIt's 1903 and Harry Houdini (the great escape artist) seeks
the help of Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes.)
Houdini wants to discredit Maximillian Cairo—an
infamous Occultist and the most debauched man in London. But
the two men get more than they bargained for when they
interrupt a magic ritual.
What Rough Beast by Harry Squires
That night they set something loose—something that no
one can face and stay sane. Something that runs
amok—spreading death and madness throughout an
unsuspecting Edwardian London.
Both men are tortured by self-doubt for the first time in
their lives. Have their logical minds been tainted by this
brush with frenzy?
Moreover, Conan Doyle is increasingly drawn to Justine Luce,
a young suffragette with startlingly progressive ideas.
Houdini, too, finds himself tempted by desires he may not be
able to resist.
Their sole hope to understand what is happening to them lies
with the only witness to the first murder. But the man
refuses to reveal what he's seen—even to save his life.
All of Houdini's street smarts and all of Conan Doyle's
powers of deduction combined may not be enough to prevent
madness from overwhelming the world.
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