Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes has captivated fans of murder mystery and classic literature for well over a century. In fact, ever since entering the public domain, many other authors have expanded upon his story making him one of the most prolific characters in all of literature. Now readers can once again make the famous detective, and his assistant Dr. John Watson, a part of their holiday season with the upcoming release of a brand-new Christmas novel.
Sherlock Holmes and the Twelve Thefts of Christmas is written by Tim Major and is set to be released this October. According to the publisher, Titan Books, the official summary is as follows:
“Sherlock Holmes's discovery of a mysterious musical score initiates a devious Christmas challenge set by Irene Adler, with clues that are all variations on the theme of 'theft without theft', such as a statue missing from a museum found hidden in the room it was taken from.
In the snowy London lead-up to Christmas, Holmes's preoccupation with the Adler Variations risks him neglecting the case of his new client, Norwegian arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen, who has received a series of threats in the form of animal carcasses left on his doorstep. Could they really be gifts from a strange spirit that has pursued Nansen since the completion of his expedition to cross Greenland? And might this case somehow be related to Irene Adler's great game?”
Sherlock Holmes and Christmas
While you’d be forgiven for not associating murder mysteries with holiday cheer, Sherlock Holmes actually has more connections to Christmas than you might realize. In fact, Conan Doyle’s very first Holmes and Watson story, ‘A Study in Scarlet’ first appeared in the magazine Beeton’s Christmas Annual in November of 1887. Unfortunately, it wasn’t well-received at the time, so very few copies of it exist today. As a result, it’s now one of the rarest and most expensive collector’s items in the world and would certainly make an impressive Christmas gift for any bibliophile. After the character became more popular, Strand Magazine published ‘The Adventure of Blue Carbuncle’ in January of 1892, which was set two days after Christmas.
Although Conan Doyle never wrote an actual Christmas novel involving the famous detective, several authors have since created their own mysterious works of holiday fiction. These include several short story compilations such as Holmes for the Holidays and More Holmes for the Holidays, both edited by Martin H. Greenberg, John L. Lellenberg, and Carol-Lynn Waugh. Most recently, 2019 saw the release of Sherlock Holmes: The Christmas Demon, a full-length novel by James Lovegrove and 2021 was the off-Broadway debut of the Charles Dickens - Sherlock Holmes mash-up, A Sherlock Carol .
About Tim Major
Originally from York, England, Tim Major is a science fiction and horror writer with over a decade of publication experience. Some of his more well-known books include ‘Snakeskins,’ a dystopian thriller,’ and ‘Hope Island,’ a supernatural mystery. This also isn’t his first story involving the infamous detective, as his last work was ‘The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Back to Front Murder,’ which received many glowing reviews across the board.
Here's hoping The Twelve Thefts of Christmas is just as well-received!