Sherlock Holmes is one of the greatest creations in literature and more recently, television. Check out the five novels below that feature or reference Sherlock in some way. The novels are for various age groups, but there is something for every Sherlockian.
The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
This was the first novel authorized by the Sherlock Holmes Estate in 125 years. Anthony Horowitz was chosen to write the novel because of his proven ability to tell a transfixing story and for his passion for all things Holmes.
Synopsis:
London, 1890. 221B Baker St. A fine art dealer named Edmund Carstairs visits Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson to beg for their help. He is being menaced by a strange man in a flat cap – a wanted criminal who seems to have followed him all the way from America. In the days that follow, his home is robbed, his family is threatened. And then the first murder takes place.
Almost unwillingly, Holmes and Watson find themselves being drawn ever deeper into an international conspiracy connected to the teeming criminal underworld of Boston, the gaslit streets of London, opium dens and much, much more. And as they dig, they begin to hear the whispered phrase – the House of Silk – a mysterious entity that connects the highest levels of government to the deepest depths of criminality. Holmes begins to fear that he has uncovered a conspiracy that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of society.
Death Cloud by Andrew Lane (Young Sherlock Holmes series)
Much like Anthony Horowitz, Andrew Lane was approved by the Sherlock Holmes Estate to write a new series about the young Sherlock Holmes. Lane was a devout Holmes fan long before he ever imagined writing a book about him.
Synopsis:
The year is 1868, and Sherlock Holmes is fourteen. His life is that of a perfectly ordinary army officer’s son: boarding school, good manners, a classical education – the backbone of the British Empire. But all that is about to change. With his father suddenly posted to India, and his mother mysteriously “unwell,” Sherlock is sent to stay with his eccentric uncle and aunt in their vast house in Hampshire. So begins a summer that leads Sherlock to uncover his first murder, a kidnap, corruption and a brilliantly sinister villain of exquisitely malign intent . . . The Death Cloud is the first in a series of novels in which the iconic detective is reimagined as a brilliant, troubled and engaging teenager – creating unputdownable detective adventures that remain true to the spirit of the original books.
Eye of the Crow by Shane Peacock
This novel is the first in the Boy Sherlock Holmes series. This is possibly the youngest incarnation of Holmes. If you are a purist you may not find this novel as appealing as others, but it definitely gets the characterization of Sherlock right.
Synopsis:
Sherlock Holmes, just thirteen, is a misfit. His highborn mother is the daughter of an aristocratic family, his father a poor Jew. Their marriage flouts tradition and makes them social pariahs in the London of the 1860s; and their son, Sherlock, bears the burden of their rebellion. Friendless, bullied at school, he belongs nowhere and has only his wits to help him make his way.
But what wits they are! His keen powers of observation are already apparent, though he is still a boy. He loves to amuse himself by constructing histories from the smallest detail for everyone he meets. Partly for fun, he focuses his attention on a sensational murder to see if he can solve it. But his game turns deadly serious when he finds himself the accused — and in London, they hang boys of thirteen.
Secret Letters by Leah Scheier
This novel isn’t so much about Sherlock Holmes as it is about the idea of a witty heroine who think she is related to Holmes. Steeped in Victorian atmosphere and intrigue, this gripping novel is sure to please those who love a good mystery.
Synopsis:
Inquisitive and observant, Dora dreams of escaping her aristocratic country life to solve mysteries alongside Sherlock Holmes. So when she learns that the legendary detective might be her biological father, Dora jumps on the opportunity to travel to London and enlist his help in solving the mystery of her cousin’s ransomed love letters. But Dora arrives in London to devastating news: Sherlock Holmes is dead. Her dreams dashed, Dora is left to rely on her wits – and the assistance of an attractive yet enigmatic young detective – to save her cousin’s reputation and help rescue a kidnapped heiress along the way.
The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
This novel is about the Sherlock Holmes society, a group of intellectuals known as The Baker Street Irregulars. It follows one member on his hunt for the missing Conan Doyle journal that he hopes explains why Conan Doyle killed off Holmes and then had a change of heart.
Synopsis:
When literary researcher Harold White is inducted into the preeminent Sherlock Holmes enthusiast society, The Baker Street Irregulars, he never imagines he’s about to be thrust onto the hunt for the holy grail of Holmes-ophiles: the missing diary. But when the world’s leading Doylean scholar is found murdered in his hotel room, it is Harold – using wisdom and methods gleaned from countless detective stories – who takes up the search, both for the diary and for the killer.
What are some of your favorite novels related to Sherlock Holmes?
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