Sherlock Holmes is not only the best known fictional detective, he’s also the most portrayed movie character in history. There are even some dedicated fan societies (believe it or not) who like to believe he was real and pretend to operate on this principle.
The great news for all Holmes enthusiasts – and fans of historical fiction or an engrossing mystery – is that Sherlock Holmes is back in a beautifully illustrated hardcover collection of short stories infused with all the intrigue and mystery of the originals.
Replicating Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s approach to the famous stories, Sherlock Holmes, The Australian Casebook mysteries are narrated from the affable Watson’s point of view. But in a new take on the famous original stories, they are written by a range of Australian Sherlockians, a mix of historians, established writers such as Kerry Greenwood, and exciting emerging talents.
It’s 1890 and in a second twist, Holmes and Watson are leaving Baker Street to travel to the unfamiliar surrounds of colonial Australia. The settings are gorgeously detailed and vivid, from early metropolitan Melbourne to the heat and dust of the outback, and of course there’s always a perplexing mystery to be solved by the astute Sherlock and his trusty companion, Dr Watson.
The first story in the collection is Meg Keneally’s witty and entertaining tale of a mysterious death at a Sydney theatre. Keneally cleverly nails Dr Watson’s astute observations of Holmes’ brilliant detective work, capturing his voice and wry sense-of-humour to perfection. In another story, on an expedition in search of a great red rock in the desert, Holmes hilariously forgoes his deerstalker and cape for a brimmed hat replete with corkscrews. There’s a mysterious death when an Aboriginal couple is accused of murdering a settler by ‘singing’ to him.
From an abduction by a demon and an inexplicable drowning of bearded bushrangers, Sherlock Holmes, The Australian Casebook is a delight from beginning to end for all Sherlockians and fans of well written crime.
Did You Know?
Sherlock Holmes never said, ‘elementary, my dear Watson.’ In the story, The Adventure of the Crooked Man, Holmes uses both the word ‘elementary’ and the phrase, ‘my dear Watson,’ in close proximity. The two, however, are not uttered together.
An English themed bar called The Sherlock Holmes on Collins Street has been a meeting place for Melbourne fans since it opened in 1985.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s old teacher, Joseph Bell, was considered the inspiration or model for Sherlock Holmes.
The first ever lines Doyle wrote of a Sherlock Holmes story were: ‘The terrified woman rushing up to the cabman.’
In the stories Holmes only wore his famous cap and cape when cases took him to the country.
About The Authors
This fabulous collection of short stories is written by: Kerry Greenwood and Lindy Cameron, Meg Keneally, Kaaron Warren, Lucy Sussex, L.J.M. Owen, T.S.P. Sweeney, J. Scherpenhuizen, Will Schaefer, Robert Veld, Doug Elliott, Philip Cornell, Raymond Gates, Jason Franks, Narrelle M. Harris, Steve Cameron, and Christopher Sequeira.
Writer and editor Christopher Sequeira has been published in Australia, Europe, the UK, Canada and the USA. He specialises in prose and graphic novel scripts in the mystery, horror, science fiction, fantasy and super-hero genres. He’s written scripts for flagship comic-book brands, such as Justice League Adventures for DC Entertainment, and Iron Man and X-Men stories for Marvel Entertainment, and he’s created original characters, and edited and published comics and short story collections in Australia.
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