I've always enjoyed stories starring the iconic Sherlock Holmes. I don't mind if they're set in the same time period or in the modern day; I just like reading as many different takes on the character as possible.
Now, obviously, none can come close to the classics by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; after all, they're timeless for a reason, but some superb authors, such as George Mann, have taken up the mantle and written their own.
After years of reading Sherlock Holmes novels and short story collections, there had always been that voice at the back of my mind wondering whether or not I could write one myself.
I'd written Time to Burn, alongside my partner, Golda Evans, which was a time travel and sci-fi adventure, and I'd written Mother, Dearest, the series that combined psychological thriller with the world of dark urban fantasy, but I'd never had the confidence to write something involving such a well-known and well-loved character.
The Case of the Morbid Detection was inspired by that little voice that told me to write one.
It is the story of a serial killer stalking the streets of London, leaving bodies cut with strange symbols next to a handmade Jack-in-the-Box toy.
While Inspector Lestrade and Doctor John Watson investigate the murders, Sherlock Holmes has retreated to London. His previous cases have worn him ragged, leaving him doubting his own abilities and even second-guessing whether or not he can keep those closest to him safe, but when Lestrade and Watson bring him back to London, the murders grow more vicious.
It's a simple story, in the grand scheme of things, but it's one that I found interesting. I didn't want to just copy what other authors had done while still keeping the things readers enjoyed about the character.
With that in mind, I wanted to present a version of the character who was struggling with the world around him, the toll the cases had taken on him, and even the heavy weight of expectation that his abilities had placed on him.
On the one hand, people seem to have enjoyed the fact that I took a new slant on the characters, giving them a bit more of a voice in my own style. On the other hand, the purists out there didn't like that I'd made changes like that, and that's okay. Each reader is different, and they all have different tastes. I, personally, am proud of the fact that I didn't go down the same route as the other Sherlock Holmes writers. But, as the hardest critic of my own work, I know it's not my strongest novel, but I am proud of the story that I put out into the world.
All in all, The Case of the Morbid Detection is a novel of which I am proud. I'd always wanted to write a Sherlock Holmes novel, and I did. Will I write another one? Perhaps not, but if I do, I hope I enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing this one.
The Case of the Morbid Detection is available from
Amazon (in both Kindle and Paperback form)
Before I go, remember one thing for me.
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