You know how I once said in an interview that I want to take a crack at every crime/mystery subgenre? Well, folks, I was serious.Hold on to your wigs and keys, because here's a bit of news you probably didn't expect:
I've written a Sherlock Holmes novella.
Yes, that Sherlock Holmes. Deerstalker, Inverness cape, all that. It's called The Crimes of Dr. Watson, and it will be published in book form by Quirk Books (the same folks who published my Big Book O'Beer and Perfect Drink for Every Occasion). This won't be your ordinary novella, either; it will be an interactive mystery, full of cool pull-out maps and letters and clues so you can solve the mystery right along with Dr. Watson. I've just turned in the manuscript, and if all goes well, it will be available at fine bookstores everywhere this fall.
Now you may be saying to your computer screen: But Swierczy, you're like... like... a dude who writes books with profanity and bullets and exploding heads. What business do you have writing a Holmes pastiche?
And believe me, I asked myself the same question.
But when I was approached about the project, and started to think about it, I realized that within Holmes is the DNA of everything I love about crime thrillers. He's not just a man of deduction; he's a man of action, too. Go on. Re-read the canon. Holmes is the godfather of guys like Jack Reacher and Jack Bauer, adapting disguises, unafraid to mix it up with the criminal element. Plus, there's the cocaine thing. I mean, you can't get more hardcore than that.
The novella is only 15,000 words long, but it was an absolute blast to write. I don't want to reveal too much of the plot and spoil things for you, but the story is set during the "Great Hiatus," a few years after the events in "The Final Problem." Dr. Watson is in deep shit. Holmes is presumed dead. 221Baker Street is firebombed. Furry creatures are running amok in England, as well as one-eyed thugs and mute urchins. You know... the usual Swierczy madness. Only, set in Victorian London.
(And, because I can't resist, Philadelphia.)
I'll keep you posted on progress in the coming months. What's really exciting is that Quirk publishes some absolutely beautiful books; the care in design and artwork is top shelf. So even if my story is absolute crap, you can rest assured that you'll be buying something that looks like a million bucks.
Yeah, believe it. Me and Holmes. Who would have thought?
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