- Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon.
- James Lovegrove.
- 384 pages.
- Thriller / Mystery / Fiction.
- My Rating: Hell Yeah Book Review.
Book Blurb.
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.
Book Review.
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
It is late December 1890, Eve’s Allerthorpe’s birthday is fast approaching and on Christmas eve she will turn twenty-one-years-old. On her birthday she will inherit a sizeable fortune left to her by her aunt…but only if she is found to be of sound mind. If, however, Eve is found to not be of sound mind then the inheritance will be divided and spread equally between other family members.
Every year for Christmas the Allerthorpe’s host a gathering with their extended family coming from far and wide to celebrate the festive season at their family home of Fellscar Keep, an isolated castle located in East Riding, Yorkshire.
Fellscar Keep has a history and the local area is steeped in folklore, myth and local legend. One such local legend is that of the ‘Black Thurrick’ an evil entity, the dark to the light and an anti-father Christmas. The Black Thurrick replaces the benevolence and goodwill of Father Christmas with malevolence and ill will. The Black Thurrick removes the toys of those children who have been bad and exchanges them with bundles of birch twigs. And, if an offering isn’t left out for the Black Thurrick then, the Black Thurrick will steal the children of the household, take them back to its underground lair and eat them.
When she was a child, alongside her younger brother, Eve’s mother used to regale the two children with tales of the Black Thurrick, a tale told to scare the children into being good and one that has been etched in Eve’s memory. Now, nearing Christmas and Eve’s birthday bundles of birch twigs are being left around Fellscar Keep. In the dark of the night, mysterious noises are being heard emanating from the east wing of the castle. And Eve, herself, by the glow of moonlight has glimpsed a figure resembling the countenance of the sinister Black Thurrick walking across the frozen lake late at night.
With no-one else to turn to, Eve travels to London where she asks Holmes and Watson for aid, for their help in the hope that they will be able to uncover the truth behind the strange occurrences that are plaguing both her and Fellscar keep. To add to matters, while Holmes and Watson are at Fellscar Keep investigating the tale of the Black Thurrick things take on a more serious tone when one of the household is found dead under suspicious circumstances.
The folklore is well incorporated and adds an ominous air to the story. Deep in winter Fellscar Keep is gripped by the coldness of the season with snow blanketing the area and the setting is very atmospheric. The gloomy, expansive and secluded Fellscar Keep, a castle on an island in the middle of a lake, joined to the land by a causeway, surrounded by a forest and miles away from the nearest village.
There’s a vigour to the storytelling, a zeal to the writing and you can tell that Lovegrove has a genuine love for the iconic duo in his work. The mystery doesn’t disappoint, neither does the setting, the characters, the deductions, the twists or the denouement of the investigation. It is all cleverly plotted, honours and serves to pay homage to the characters of Holmes and Watson by once more bringing them to life in a gripping and highly entertaining mystery that captures the era perfectly and feels deeply reminiscent of a classic Holmes tale.
I really liked the actual ending with Lovegrove ending things with some festive cheer done in a very Holmesesque way. It felt like a fitting end and leaves you with a smile upon your face.
Simply, Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon was an absolute joy to read.
Pre-order Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon released on October 22nd, 2019.
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Can’t wait for this book. Great review. I love Sherlock and have read each and every story that was ever written with his name in it. Thank you for such a great piece of information. 🙂✌ looking forward to more great reviews.
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Thank you. I hope you enjoy it.👍📚 I’ve read all of the Conan Doyle stories, the couple by Horowitz and the Cthulu Casebooks trilogy by this author. Enjoyed them all and this is a great new story featuring the classic duo.
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I know right. I love Sherlock Holmes. My first review on my site started with that handsomely arrogant detective. Thank you so much for sharing this news. Jumping with excitement. 🤩🤩
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I love the cover! Great review, Drew!
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Thank you.
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I am about a hundred pages into this so far. Really enjoying it. Will never replace my love of Conan Doyle, but he’s not amazingly far off.
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Conan Doyle is the original, always have love for him. You were the one who got me into Holmes years ago.👍 I think Lovegrove does a great job. He did in the Cthulu Casebooks too but damn, trying to figure out how to pronounce some of the names, crazy.😂
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I’m glad to have had a lasting effect. I just wish I had tried the cthulu case book ones. I’ll most likely pick them up when I work through my immediate pile. As I’m a firm believer that, although Lovecraft had as much writing skill as a blind chimp, a good writer can make his great ideas something special.
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Love the cover, love the concept of this book and love your review! I’m adding this to my wish list right now, a perfect read for December!
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Thank you.👍📚
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That’s an awesome cover. And the story sounds pretty cool too!
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It is.👍📚
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I love James Lovegrove’s writing, so I will look out for this one. Thank you for your review, Drew:)
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Simply, your review was an absolute joy to read, Drew. 🙂 I haven’t heard of this author before, but I’ll definitely look out for this Sherlock Homes reprisal. Thanks for the recommendation.
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Thank you.😀📚
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i had to shut my eyes when this post popped up in my reader – it mentions THE event that I refuse to talk about/refer to/allow in the house until Dec 1. I know I might stand accused of being a misery but all the hype being forced on us earlier and earlier in the years makes me annoyed…..There, got that off my chest!
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I agree, it is a Sherlock Holmes book though so I let go off my distaste for that event to read it.😂
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My father doesn’t read much – at all. But the one thing he has read nearly all of are the Sherlock Holmes book. This seems like an appropriate Christmas gift for him this year to get him back into books ;P
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