A recent survey in Britain found 20% of respondents identified Sherlock Holmes as an actual, historical figure. Pressed for details, most would likely describe him as wearing a deerstalker hat, smoking a pipe, and carrying a magnifying glass. What makes him so real to readers more than a hundred years since he burst onto the scene?
There were few detective stories or series prior to Holmes (think, “Murder in the Rue Morgue” by Edgar Allen Poe), but Arthur Conan Doyle took it further by creating a serialized character who solved cases in four books and fifty-six short stories. The stories applied science and logic to solve the mystery and carried the reader along to the conclusion. A clever reader could even figure it all out before Holmes brought Watson up to speed.
In more than one case, Holmes applied forensic methods only just being introduced to solve actual crimes: fingerprints, footprints, soil analysis, ink and paper characteristics—to name a few. In some cases, such as typewriter eccentricities, these were shared in a story before they even appeared in a court case. More than one historian attributes the development of real-life forensics to the methods presented by Holmes as he solved a case.
I used this information as the basis for my own Sherlock Holmes origin series. One day on the treadmill, I pondered Sherlock’s beginnings and decided I would give him one because Arthur Conan Doyle provided very little. I gave him an eccentric family with a brilliant mother, a bully of a big brother (Mycroft), a distant, but loving father, and an uncle who likes to invent things. When his mother is accused of murder, he must catch the true killer before she hangs – his first case. So far, I’ve added three more cases to the first, and have enjoyed creating this series.
In each, he develops a little more of his methods when solving the mystery.
The Early Case files of Sherlock Holmes
First Place, CIBA Mystery and Mayhem Category |
Case 1: The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife Before Sherlock Holmes became the world’s greatest consulting detective… Only weeks into his first year at Eton, Sherlock ’s father calls him and his brother back to Underbyrne, the ancestral estate. Mrs. Holmes has been accused of murder. Not only had the village midwife been found in the estate’s garden with a pitchfork in her back, Mrs. Holmes had argued with her about some of her practices just days before. The midwife’s husband demands justice and will not be satisfied until Mrs. Holmes is convicted. Can Sherlock and his family collect and unravel the evidence in the short time available to save her from the gallows? [Dr.] Sherwood-Fabre’s attention to detail and vivid prose are on full display in this delightful look at the evolution of a young Sherlock Holmes. Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple Books
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Case 2: The Adventure of the Murdered Gypsy Before Sherlock Holmes became the world’s greatest consulting detective… Murder followed the arrival of unexpected guests to the Holmes family estate. Shortly after one of Uncle Ernest’s old acquaintances joins the extended Holmes family for the holidays, a dead man is found in the barn, but this is only the beginning of the disruptions. Sherlock’s young cousin reports hearing footsteps outside the nursery, the family learns that their guests are not who they appear, and Mycroft suddenly falls head-over-heels in love. Are there more murders to come, or will Sherlock prevent them by determine how a body materialized in the barn? A multifaceted and convincing addition to Sherlock-ian lore. BUY: Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Apple Books |
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Case 3: The Adventure of the Deceased Scholar Before Sherlock Holmes became the world’s greatest consulting detective… When Mycroft Holmes identifies the body of a drowning victim, the Holmes family is drawn into a scandal that could destroy not only the deceased’s name, but their reputation as well. Sherlock and his family have only a few days before the coroner’s inquest to explain Lord Phillips’ demise. If it is ruled a suicide, the Phillips family assets will be returned to the Crown, leaving them destitute. Should that happen, Miss Phillips, the victim’s sister, has threatened to drag Mycroft’s good name through the mire as well. Will Sherlock be able determine what happened before more than one family is destroyed? This is the author’s best plot yet. BUY: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Apple | Kobo | Paperback | Other |
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Case 4: The Adventure of the Purloined Portrait Before Sherlock Holmes became the world’s greatest consulting detective… Sherlock’s mother hasn’t been herself for months, and her unrest has put the whole family on edge. The first night of a long-planned trip to Paris is shattered when they witness the death of one of Mrs. Holmes’ former suitors. As Sherlock seeks to unravel the mystery behind the murder, increasingly deadly attempts are made to stop him from uncovering the truth. Can Sherlock keep the family’s fraying ties from breaking when long buried secrets come to light? [T]he overall premise of a youthful Sherlock [was] very fresh. BUY: Kindle | Nook | Kobo | iBooks | Amazon Paperback | BN Paperback |
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