Behind the pages look at Sherlock Holmes – The Golden Years

Holmesian author Derrick Belanger has been conducting a wonderful series of author interviews with writers of Sherlock Holmes pastiches. So, I was pleased when Derrick asked for an interview to learn more about what lay “behind the pages” of Sherlock Holmes – The Golden Years. You can find the interview at: I Hear ofSherlock Everywhere

  Also, check out some of Derrick’s books – including A Study in Terror, and his fun series for kids featuring the MacDougal Twins with Sherlock Holmes.

One thing that may have sparked Derrick’s recent interest may be that Sherlock Holmes – The Golden Years has “gone global” in that it has been picked up by Jaico Publishing in India. So, in addition to buying it ON AMAZON, you can find it in India.

Holmes and Watson in Africa!

Many Sherlock Holmes tales begin with a person knocking on the door and presenting the dynamic duo a mystery. Such is the case of the Kongo Nkisi Spirit Train – the fifth and last story in the new collection of pastiches entitled: Sherlock Holmes- The Golden Years.

On a lovely summer morning in 1913, Leander Starr Jameson was ushered into the parlour of Watson’s London flat. What brought him there was an African mystery involving the Cape to Cairo Railway project. As Jameson put it:

“The Cape to Cairo Railway has faced, and overcome, many obstacles over the last fifteen years—swamps, impenetrable jungle, the ravages of the white ants and termites, encounters with lions, elephants and other beasts, disease and unfriendly natives, to name a few. All of these have been overcome . . . until now.”

      I (Watson) leaned forward in my chair. “What has put a stop to the progress now, Mr. Jameson?”

      “The Kongo Nkisi. A native spirit-god.”

That was the start of one of Sherlock Holmes’s greatest adventures – one that took Watson and him into the heart of the Dark Continent, and a confrontation with “the spiritless people.”

Leander Starr Jameson, also call "Doctor Jim” or "Lanner," was a British colonial politician and doctor. He created a successful medical practice in London, but his health broke down. Soon after, Jameson went out to South Africa and settled down in Kimberley. It was there he met Cecil Rhodes who, with some help from Jameson, formed the British South Africa Company, and began the monumental Cape to Cairo Railway project – the goal being to bisect Africa, north to south, with 5,700 miles of rail track.

Jameson returned to London in his later years and became of the most liked and beloved persons in Britain at the time. Indeed, Rudyard Kipling wrote the poem If with Leander Starr Jameson in mind. Jameson’s alluring personality is apparent as he guides Holmes and Watson into the jungle and, unknowingly, into the lair of the Kongo Nkisi spirit.

This tale is a fitting end to the five-part series of stories written in the style and voice of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. If you’re seeking more authentic Sherlock Holmes stories – check out Sherlock Holmes – The Golden Years.  You can find it ON AMAZON and all on-line and main-street bookstores.

Always “the women”

“To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman.  I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name.  In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex.”

Irene Adler has remained a central character in the Holmes canon despite the fact that she appeared in only one Sherlock Holmes story – A Scandal in Bohemia. She is mentioned, in passing, in only three other stories. Nonetheless, she continues to capture the interest and imagination of Sherlock Holmes fans new and old. This may be because she is only one of four people, and the only women, to have ever outwitted the sleuth of Baker Street. But more likely, it is because she represents an elusive love interest for the stoical Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes's seeming lack of interest in romance seems to be too tempting for writers, as well as film and television dramatists. Irene Adler has been portrayed as everything from vamp to Holmes’s arch-villain. I have yet to see a characterization of Irene Adler on the silver screen that echoes with the character Doyle created.

Fortunately, as a writer of Holmes pastiches, I am able to explore and address the Holmes–Adler relationship in the manner I felt it deserved.  I wanted Irene Adler to show up in Holmes’s life in a exciting, believable and satisfying manner.

In Sherlock Holmes – The Golden Years, Irene Adler is reprised – and not simply as a character in the background. Her presence and spirit find their way into all five of the tales in my book – although not always in a way you might suppose. I endeavored to remain true the Irene Adler Doyle created. Likewise, I wanted Holmes to be true to himself. Nonetheless, my treatment of Irene Adler Norton, and her relationship with Sherlock Holmes, has become one of the most controversial aspects witin my collection.

I am pleased that Sherlockian scholar Philip K. Jones, as heartily endorsed my book, and my stories have received a nod from the Sherlock Holmes Society of London. A quick glance at on-line bookstores reveal that my book has garnered a majority of 5-star reviews.  However, as is to be expected, there are a few readers who find it difficult to believe that Holmes’s relationship with Irene Adler could be anything beyond Platonic, collegial, and distant.

If you are an avid fan, you know that Holmes has a wonderful heart. Sherlock Holmes – The Golden Years gives him an opportunity to reveal a, hereto hidden, part of his inner-life.  I wish I could share details, but anything more would be a “spoiler” for my readers. If you are curious, you may wish to pick up a copy – or download one.

The book Sherlock Holmes – The Golden Years is AVAILABLE ON AMAZON and most on-line and main-street bookstores.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson: Partners, friends and . . .

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson hold an honored place among the ranks of famous male duos such as Laurel and Hardy, Cheech and Chong, and Han Solo and Chewbacca. Indeed, today it’s hard to believe that, in the early drafts of Doyle’s stories, Holmes’s sidekick was named Ormand Sacker. I suspect Sir Arthur must have realized that, since Watson represented “everyman,” he required a more down-to-earth name – John Watson. And with that, it is interesting to note that Watson’s first name is used only three times within the 60 Holmes stories.

All, but four, of the Sherlock Holmes tales are narrated by Watson. But, the character Watson not only serves as a chronicler, but also as a story telling device. Watson often makes his own observations and offers his own theories, which throw the reader off track a bit, and thus make Holmes’s deductions and solutions all the more surprising.

If you have enjoyed any of the many Sherlock Holmes movies and television programs, you may have noticed that writers and actors interpret the character of John Watson in wide-ranging ways. In some adaptations, Watson is a bumbling fool, in others he is a wise and invaluable ally. So, two of the most important decisions I had to make, as I was writing a new collection of Holmes pastiches, were:

“What kind of man was Dr. John Watson?

And, “What was the nature of Sherlock’s and John’s relationship?

To some extent, I drew upon my own experience, as an older man, with long-time male friends. What kind of relationship do I have with some of my better male friends?

You will be able to see how I answered that question if you read my new collection of Holmes adventures – Sherlock Holmes – The Golden Years.  Indeed, in one of the stories in this collection, The Kongo Nkisi Spirit Train, a character chats with Dr. Watson about what he sees as the role Watson plays in Holmes’s life and work.

The five new tales in this collection take place when Holmes and Watson are “retired” – 1912 to 1913. So, I felt it was important to show how their relationship had evolved, mellowed, and become deeper and richer in the decade following their supposed retirement in 1903.

I feel my treatment of Holmes’s and Watson’s relationship does not “violate” The Canon, but rather builds upon it in a believable, logical manner -- given their longevity of Holmes and Watson as colleagues. I would be curious to know what you think.

The book Sherlock Holmes – The Golden Years is AVAILABLE ON AMAZON and most on-line and main-street bookstores.

BOOK GIVEAWAY ON GOODREADS!

Here’s a chance to win a copy of Sherlock Holmes the Golden Years for yourself or a Sherlockian friend. This blog has offered some sneak peeks of this collection of five new Sherlock Holmes adventures, and now you can enter to win a copy of your own.

CLICK HERE   to get to the the Goodreads giveaway page. (You must be a Goodreads member (or become one).

The contest ends January 27, so hurry!

There is also an excerpt you can read and/or download on Goodreads also.

THANKS for following this blog - more to come.

Spiritualism: Holmes vs. Doyle vs. Houdini

 

The book Sherlock Holmes — The Golden Years may seem easy to categorize because it is a collection of five new Sherlock Holmes detective mysteries. However, an even richer reader experience awaits because of the subtle way in which these stories explore other subjects such as Spiritualism.

The Kongo Nkisi Spirit Train tale dips into the supernatural realm as a way to explore the curious incongruity between the highly rational Sherlock Holmes and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. You may, or may not, know that Doyle spent the latter part of his life strongly advocating for Spiritualism — the belief that it is possible to commune with the spirits of people who have died.

For nearly 30 years, Sir Arthur researched, investigated, and promoted Spiritualism in its many forms. This quest brought Houdini and Conan Doyle together in 1920. And, while they were personal friends, they were hardly allies with regard to Spiritualism. Both men trotted around the globe: Doyle advocating Spiritualism, and Houdini debunking spirit mediums, fortunetellers, and most anyone claiming supernatural powers.

Sir Arthur’s legacy includes twenty-one novels, 150 short stories, and a substantial collection of nonfiction, essays, articles, and memoirs, along with a three-volume collection of poetry. It also includes The New Revelation and The Vital Message, and Doyle’s most substantive book on Spiritualism The History of Spiritualism. Today, a plaque inside the door of the Rochester Square Spiritualist Temple in London reveals that Doyle was a major contributor the construction of the temple in the decade before his death in 1930.

Sherlock Holmes — The Golden Years explores the curious juxtaposition of logic and rationality, represented by Sherlock Holmes, and the supernatural, represented by the man who created this beloved detective. In The Kongo Nkisi Spirit Train Holmes confronts Doyle after he attends a séance at Jean and Arthur’s home. Holmes remarks:

“Like Diogenes, I am, above all, a seeker of truth. And, if it be possible to discover the truth that lies beyond the grave, I myself might expect to find it in deep reflection and lucid prayer, and not around a ill-lit table.”

Whether or not you believe in ghosts and other supernatural phenomena, you are destined to enjoy the true spirit of Sherlock Holmes as he is portrayed in Sherlock Holmes — The Golden Years.

Available on Amazon, and all good bookstores.

G. K. Chesterton and Sherlock Holmes: Two great minds

Gilbert Keith Chesterton was one of those larger than life persons whom you cannot pigeonhole. While it may seem proper to call him a writer, that description sells him short. He was more than a mere wordsmith, because of what he wrote about. The subjects of his writing were what distinguished him as one of the great minds of the 20th century.

Chesterton considered himself to be a journalist, I supposed because he spent most of his life writing for newspapers. He wrote over 4000 newspaper essays for the Illustrated London News, and 13 years of columns for the Daily News. That’s the equivalent of writing an essay a day, every day, for twelve years. He was considered absent-minded, but that was likely the result of his mind being almost continuously consumed with some new thought that was gestating and finding its way into the next day’s newspaper column or story.

Chesterton took on most of the intellectuals of his time: George Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, Bertrand Russell, and Clarence Darrow.  He tackled what might be called the “big isms” of life: materialism, determinism, moral relativism, socialism, classism, and capitalism. He honored the “common man” and common sense. But what is just as amazing, he did this in a manner that made you chuckle or laugh.

Despite his monumental body of work, Chesterton is often neglected in classrooms, and his work is unknown by many who consider themselves “well educated.” I suppose, that is why he was introduced in a fictional story, “The Curse of the Black Feather,” which is one of the five tales in the collection Sherlock Holmes – The Golden Years by Kim H Krisco. In this tale, G. K. Chesterton brings a curious case to the great detective that sends Holmes and Watson on a series of madcap adventures that reach into the underground labyrinth beneath London, and across the Atlantic to America, as the infamous duo pursue one of the most diabolical villains Holmes has ever encountered.

Hopefully, this brief introduction to Gilbert Keith Chesterton might serve to open the door to the works of this literary giant who deserves to come out of the shadows. For, Chesterton ideas and words are as relevant today as they were 100 years ago. That is something he shares with the most popular fictional character of all time – Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Like Chesterton’s, Holmes’s original stories are also 100 years old, and they too have as much relevance and appeal today, as they did when they were first published.

Keeping the spirit of Sherlock Holmes and G. K. Chesterton alive!

Check out Sherlock Holmes – The Golden Years – at AMAZON, andevery good bookstore.