Faction Paradox: Erasing Sherlock

Note: The second edition of this novel, published in 2010, eliminates references to Faction Paradox. Overall, however, the change is minor.

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Seeking: Maid of all Work. Master of Arts required.
She thought she was there to observe and document the methods of the twenty-five-year-old Sherlock Holmes before he gained notoriety—
Rooftop Robber Strikes Again!
A barely noticed automaton; quiet, efficient, and unobtrusive—
The partially clad body of a young girl was found Sunday morning at the London Dock.
A remarkable opportunity for research in the field—
Gilbert & Sullivan's comic opera, Perola, premieres at the Savoy Theatre.
Bestowed upon her by a benefactor who has sold his soul—
American Oil Tycoon, Henry Barstow, has begun annulment proceedings on behalf of his daughter Lady Henrietta Holbrook. Lord Merrill Holbrook's whereabouts still unknown.
For a technology that only works if the devil he sold it to is sufficiently entertained.
Dr Grimsley Roylott of Stoke Moran arrested in connection with suspicious deaths of his stepdaughters, Julia and Helen Stoner.
The life of Sherlock Holmes is being written by another hand—
Woman held captive for forty days, rescued. White slave gang suspected.
And maid must become master if she wants to survive—
Krakatoa explodes with a force of 1,300 megatons. Thousands perish.
Because the devil loves a spectacle. The more blood, the better.