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.
Title: Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon | Author: James Lovegrove | Publisher: Titan Books | Pub. Date: 22 October 2019 | Pages: 384| ISBN: 9781785658020 | Genre: Mystery/Thriller | Language: English | Triggers: None | Rating: 4 out of 5 | Source: Review copy provided by the publisher
Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon Review
I’ve discovered recently that I’m more of a fan of Sherlock Holmes tribute bands than I am the real thing. In these hipster days, when authenticity is everything and being able to say that you prefer the “original” is the only way to assure your critical opinion is taking seriously, it feels like a strange thing to say. It’s true though, and ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon’ has proved it to me beyond all shadow of a doubt.
I think the problem may be that the original Holmes mysteries penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are so well known and oft-repeated that they have lost their mystery. I recently read the first two, ‘A Study in Scarlet’ and ‘The Sign of the Four’ and quickly realised that I enjoyed Holmes as a character far more than I did the stories, especially as both rely so heavily on Holmes-free back story. The famous detective is such a great creation that he tends to overshadow the plots and leaves the books feeling empty when he is not on the page. In both of those books, I quickly realised that my favourite scenes were the incidental ones where Sherlock bemuses some random character by deducing what they had for breakfast, the name and breed of their childhood dog and the last time they visited their mother.
Which brings us to ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon’ by James Lovegrove, an author who has made his name by penning Holmes tributes, including some that weave in HP Lovecraft’s Cthulu mythos. This particular adventure lacks the terrible old gods, but makes up for it with some entertaining hints of the supernatural, a dysfunctional aristocratic family and a crumbling remote mansion. None of it is desperately original, but then I didn’t expect (or want) that from a book featuring a character who was created over 130 years ago.
Instead we get a solid mystery with an entertaining cast of suspects and victims and lots of twists. There is also an abundance of atmosphere, a lot of it coming from the creepy local folklore surrounding the “Christmas Demon”, Black Thurrick. And then of course there is Holmes himself who is a delight. Acerbic, self-centred and utterly brilliant, he strides through the book like the great creation he is, adding value on every page. The result is a novel that’s as much puzzling fun as you could hope for and the perfect addition to any mystery-lover’s Christmas stocking, especially as the hardcover edition is so beautiful.
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Olly joined the team in August 2018. He is our first non-American team member, and lives in the UK. He is the head of our UK team. Olly reviews both science fiction and horror books and movies for the site. He also enjoys writing articles when time allows.
I like your take on appreciation of the older stories. Aristotle would say that the plot is the important thing and I would agree, but with Holmes, it is his character that holds our interest. I would normally be a snob about such things, but I find that I enjoy all things Holmes based, whether penned by Doyle or not. I have my own Holmes adventure with ‘A Study in Temperance’. Happy Trails!
Yes. There is something about him that’s so irresistible he overwhelms the books he is in
Glad to see others enjoying Lovegrove’s take on Sherlock. Not long finished this one myself.
I noticed you listed two of Conan-Doyle’s novella’s as reasons you perhaps prefer newer takes rather than his. Have you ever tried any short stories Conan-Doyle wrote? He did four novellas and a plethora of shorts. The shorts are infinitely better than the novellas. I had the thought that I may not enjoy the world of Sherlock after reading the Sign of the Four, but was turned around by the short stories 🙂
Also, if newer takes it is that light your Sherlock fire, the ones by Anthony Horowitz are well worth a read.
I haven’t tried any of Conan Doyle’s other stories yet, am working through them in order so it’s good to hear the shorts are better than the novellas. I loved the first of the Horowitz ones, but thought Moriarty was a bit of a let down.
Agree with you on that. There just didn’t seem to be the same X-Factor with the Moriarty book.