''Mycroft and Sherlock'' is a mystery novel by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse. It is the second novel in their "Mycroft Holmes" series utilizing Sir

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

's characters of Mycroft and

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

. Having focused solely on Mycroft in the first novel, Abdul-Jabbar and Waterhouse were curious about the relationship between Mycroft and his brother and recognized that the sequel would need the introduction of Sherlock. In an interview with

Lyndsay Faye Lindsay or Lindsey () is an English surname and given name. The given name comes from the Scottish surname and clan name, which comes from the toponym Lindsey, which in turn comes from the Old English toponym ''Lindesege'' ("Island of Lind") fo ...

, Abdul-Jabbar described the writing process noting that he is a "history aficionado" while Waterhouse is more interested in research. Abdul-Jabbar also stated that plot was more of interest to him while Waterhouse was more drawn to dialogue.

Plot

Mycroft Holmes and Cyrus Douglas, of whom the latter now runs a school for boys, are joined by Mycroft's younger brother Sherlock to investigate a series of killings dubbed "the Savage Gardens murders."

Reception

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' was positive about the novel while conceding "The mystery, as so often in Conan Doyle, is less interesting than the Holmes-ian byplay." Michael Dirda of '' The Washington Post'' praised the book saying the story moves "briskly" and calling it "diverting, light entertainment" while noting "Enjoyable as the book is, a purist will nonetheless fault its loose construction." Both ''BookPage'' and ''New York Journal of Books'' gave positive notices of the book.

References

External links

''Mycroft and Sherlock''
at Titan Books
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's websiteKareem Abdul-Jabbar Dives Back Into Mystery with MYCROFT AND SHERLOCK
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mycroft Holmes 2018 American novels American detective novels American mystery novels Sherlock Holmes novels Sherlock Holmes pastiches Novels set in Victorian England Titan Books titles