Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon

by James Lovegrove

Overview

The new Sherlock Holmes novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Odin and Firefly - Big Damn Hero.

It is 1890, and in the days before Christmas Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson are visited at Baker Street by a new client. Eve Allerthorpe - eldest daughter of a grand but somewhat eccentric Yorkshire-based dynasty - is greatly distressed, as she believes she is being haunted by a demonic Christmas spirit.

Her late mother told her terrifying tales of the sinister Black Thurrick, and Eve is sure that she has seen the creature from her bedroom window. What is more, she has begun to receive mysterious parcels of birch twigs, the Black Thurrick's calling card...

Eve stands to inherit a fortune if she is sound in mind, but it seems that something - or someone - is threatening her sanity. Holmes and Watson travel to the Allerthorpe family seat at Fellscar Keep to investigate, but soon discover that there is more to the case than at first appeared. There is another spirit haunting the family, and when a member of the household is found dead, the companions realise that no one is beyond suspicion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781785658020
Publisher:	Titan
Publication date:	10/22/2019
Series:	James Lovegrove's Sherlock Holmes Series
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	417,254
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

James Lovegrove is the New York Times best-selling author of The Age of Odin. He was short-listed for the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1998 and for the John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 2004. He also reviews fiction for the Financial Times. He is the author of Sherlock Holmes: Gods of War, Sherlock Holmes: The Stuff of Nightmares, Sherlock Holmes: The Thinking Engine and Sherlock Holmes: The Labyrinth of Death for Titan Books.

Editorial Reviews

★ 12/02/2019

In December 1890, Eve Allerthorpe, the 20-year-old heroine of this stellar Sherlock Holmes pastiche from Lovegrove (Sherlock Holmes: The Labyrinth of Death), travels from her family’s estate in Yorkshire, Fellscar Keep, to London, where she has the good fortune to run into Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Eve is slated to come into a substantial financial legacy on Christmas Eve, her 21st birthday, if she is of sound mind, but her sanity is in peril, as she explains to Holmes and Watson. Eve is troubled by reported sightings of a ghost resembling her late mother, who suffered from mental illness, as well as signs that a legendary monster her mother used to tell her about, the Black Thurrick, is real. Birch twigs have been left for Eve, the very item that the Black Thurrick, a dark inversion of Father Christmas, supposedly left for bad children instead of presents. In addition, Eve has glimpsed a figure outside her home resembling the description of the Black Thurrick. Holmes and Watson travel to Fellscar Keep to investigate. Canonical characterizations complement the ingenious plot. Lovegrove joins Denis Smith and Philip Purser-Hallard in the top rank of authors of traditional Holmes pastiches. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Atmosphere, setting, plot and style combine in a compelling tale" Sherlock Holmes Journal

"Compelling and inherently fascinating" Midwest Book Review

"Lovegrove has nailed the tone and rhythm of Conan Doyle's storytelling to a tee" Starburst

"This is a wonderful, joyous Christmas treat" Starburst

"A beautiful book that you'll want to revisit year after year" Culturefly


Praise for The Thinking Engine

“An enjoyable read that respects Conan Doyle’s canon.” Crime Scene

““The plot, like the device, is ingenious, with a chilling twist… an entertaining, intelligent and pacy read.” The Sherlock Holmes Journal

“The world of 19th century academia with its snobbery, petty conflicts and student pranks is brought to life vividly.” Baker Street Babes

Praise for Gods of War
“For fans of the non-canon Holmes stories, this one’s a must-read.” Booklist
 
“This is an atmospheric mystery which shows just why Lovegrove has become a force to be reckoned with in genre fiction. More, please.” Starburst

“It’s set by the seaside and is the story of a failed holiday… but I will recommend it even if you’re not going to the sea this summer, as it is very enjoyable at any distance from the ocean.” Baker Street Babes


Praise for The Stuff of Nightmares

"Lovegrove deftly weaves social commentary on religion, family, love and war into the contest between theocracy and humanism." Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The novel is perfectly structured and characters are introduced with flair and humanity. The overall effect is of a tremendously accomplished thriller which leaves the reader in no doubt that they are in the hands of a confident and skilful craftsman.” Starburst

“This is delicious stuff, marrying the standard notions of Holmesiana with the kind of imagination and we expect from Lovegrove.” Crime Time

From the Publisher