Mycroft and Sherlock

Last updated
Mycroft and Sherlock
Mycroft and Sherlock.jpg
First edition
Author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Anna Waterhouse
LanguageEnglish
Genre Mystery novels
Publisher Titan Books
Publication date
2018
Media typePrint (hardback)
ISBN 978-1785659256 (first U.S. edition, hardback)
Preceded by Mycroft Holmes  
Followed by Mycroft and Sherlock: The Empty Birdcage  

Mycroft and Sherlock is a mystery novel by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse. It is the second novel in their "Mycroft Holmes" series utilizing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's characters of Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes. [1] Having focused solely on Mycroft in the first novel, Abdul-Jabbar and Waterhouse were curious about the relationship between Mycroft and his brother and recognized that the sequel would need the introduction of Sherlock. [2]

Contents

In an interview with Lyndsay Faye, Abdul-Jabbar described the writing process noting that he is a "history aficionado" while Waterhouse is more interested in research. [3] Abdul-Jabbar also stated that plot was more of interest to him while Waterhouse was more drawn to dialogue. [3]

Plot

Mycroft Holmes and Cyrus Douglas, of whom the latter now runs a school for boys, are joined by Mycroft's younger brother Sherlock to investigate a series of killings dubbed "the Savage Gardens murders."

Reception

Kirkus Reviews was positive about the novel while conceding "The mystery, as so often in Conan Doyle, is less interesting than the Holmes-ian byplay." [4] Michael Dirda of The Washington Post praised the book saying the story moves "briskly" and calling it "diverting, light entertainment" while noting "Enjoyable as the book is, a purist will nonetheless fault its loose construction." [5] Both BookPage [6] and New York Journal of Books [7] gave positive notices of the book.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sherlock Holmes</span> Fictional character (consulting detective) created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic, which he employs when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mycroft Holmes</span> Fictional character, elder brother of Sherlock Holmes

Mycroft Holmes is a fictional character appearing in stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from 1893 to 1908. The elder brother of detective Sherlock Holmes, he is a government official and a founding member of the Diogenes Club. Mycroft is described as having abilities of deduction and knowledge exceeding even those of his brother, though their practical use is limited by his dislike of fieldwork.

Mycroft may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Baker Street Irregulars</span> Literary society

The Baker Street Irregulars is an organization of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts founded in 1934 by Christopher Morley. The nonprofit organization currently numbers some 300 individuals worldwide. The group has published The Baker Street Journal — an "irregular quarterly of Sherlockiana" — since 1946.

Sherlockiana is a term which has been used to refer to various categories of materials and content related to the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, created by Arthur Conan Doyle. The word "Sherlockiana" has been used for literary studies and scholarship concerning Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes pastiches in print and other media such as films, and memorabilia associated with Sherlock Holmes. Sherlockiana may be defined as "anything about, inspired by, or tangentially concerning" Sherlock Holmes.

<i>The Italian Secretary</i>

The Italian Secretary is mystery fiction by Caleb Carr featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. This literary pastiche had the approval of the Doyle estate having originally been commissioned as a short story for the collection Ghosts of Baker Street which then expanded into a novel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sherlock Holmes pastiches</span>

Sherlock Holmes has long been a popular character for pastiche, Holmes-related work by authors and creators other than Arthur Conan Doyle. Their works can be grouped into four broad categories:

Many writers make references to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous literary creation, the detective Sherlock Holmes, and these often become embedded within popular culture. While Holmes exists predominantly in the context of Victorian-era London, he has been mentioned in such outre contexts as the 22nd century or hunting aliens or supernatural enemies. These references are in addition to the innumerable passing references to Sherlock Holmes made in many literary and cinematic works, such as the labeling of a person as a "Sherlock", whether in reference to their intelligence.

The Sherlockian game is the pastime of attempting to resolve anomalies and clarify implied details about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson from the 56 short stories and four novels that make up the Sherlock Holmes canon by Arthur Conan Doyle. It treats Holmes and Watson as real people and uses aspects of the canonical stories combined with the history of the era of the tales' settings to construct fanciful biographies of the pair.

<i>The Enola Holmes Mysteries</i> Young adult fiction series by Nancy Springer

The Enola Holmes Mysteries is a young adult fiction series of detective novels by American author Nancy Springer, starring Enola Holmes as the 14-year-old sister of an already famous Sherlock Holmes, twenty years her senior. There are seven books in the series, and one short story all written from 2006–2021.

Young Sherlock Holmes is a series of young adult thriller novels by British author Andrew Lane featuring Arthur Conan Doyle's detective Sherlock Holmes as a teenager in the 1860s and 70s that is faced with numerous mysteries, crimes and adventures throughout the series.

<i>Dust and Shadow</i> 2009 Sherlock Holmes book by Lyndsay Faye

Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche novel by Lyndsay Faye which pits Sherlock Holmes against Jack the Ripper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyndsay Faye</span> American author

Lyndsay Faye is an American author. Her first novel was the Sherlockian pastiche Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson and she has been nominated for the Edgar Award for The Gods of Gotham and Jane Steele. The Gods of Gotham was named "the year’s best mystery novel" by the American Library Association.

<i>The Whole Art of Detection</i> 2017 Sherlock Holmes book by Lyndsay Faye

The Whole Art of Detection: Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes is an anthology of Sherlock Holmes pastiche short stories by Lyndsay Faye. All but two of the stories have been previously published with 10 of the 15 stories were originally published in The Strand Magazine in slightly different form. The stories are divided chronologically into four sections: pre-Baker Street, the early adventures of Holmes and Watson, adventures during the "great hiatus", and the retirement years. Many of the stories are based on references in the Canon of Sherlock Holmes such as "Colonel Warburton’s Madness", a reference made in "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb".

<i>Mycroft Holmes</i> (novel) Mystery novel by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse

Mycroft Holmes is a mystery novel by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse. It involves Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character of Mycroft Holmes, the older brother of Sherlock Holmes, solving a mystery early in his career as a government official. It is Abdul-Jabbar's first adult novel.

<i>From Holmes to Sherlock</i> 2017 book by Mattias Boström

From Holmes to Sherlock: The Story of the Men and Women Who Created an Icon is a non-fiction book by Mattias Boström which explores the history of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock fandom, originally published in 2017. It was nominated for an Edgar Award in the category of "Best Critical/Biographical" by the Mystery Writers of America. It won an Agatha Award for "Best Nonfiction" in 2018.

<i>The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols</i> 2019 novel by Nicholas Meyer

The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols: Adapted from the Journals of John H. Watson, M.D. is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche novel by Nicholas Meyer, published in 2019. It takes place after Meyer's other Holmes pastiches, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, The West End Horror, and The Canary Trainer. It is Meyer's first Holmes pastiche in 26 years.

<i>Mycroft and Sherlock: The Empty Birdcage</i> Mystery novel by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse

Mycroft and Sherlock: The Empty Birdcage is a mystery novel by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse. It is the third novel in their "Mycroft Holmes" series utilizing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's characters of Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes.

<i>The Prisoner of the Devil</i>

The Prisoner of the Devil is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche novel by Michael Hardwick, originally published in 1979.

References

  1. McMillan, Graeme (April 9, 2018). "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Details Sherlock Holmes' First Case in 'Mycroft and Sherlock' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  2. Vitcavage, Adam (November 14, 2018). "How Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Is Reinventing the Sherlock Holmes Story". Electric Literature . Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Faye, Lyndsay (October 17, 2018). "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Evolving Sherlock Canon". CrimeReads . Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  4. "Mycroft and Sherlock". Kirkus Reviews . August 21, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  5. Dirda, Michael (October 3, 2018). "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar returns to his other passion: Sherlock Holmes". The Washington Post . Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  6. Frazier, G. Robert (October 9, 2018). "Mycroft and Sherlock". BookPage. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  7. Reveal, Judith. "Mycroft and Sherlock". New York Journal of Books. Retrieved December 12, 2019.