Hi Holmies,
Friday 11th November 2016 saw the launch of Holmes Volume 2 by Melvyn Small, and the return of Boro's greatest detective to the streets of Teesside. (If you haven't seen it scattered across various social media, check out the launch promo video on YouTube.)
For a further six short stories, inspired by the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Baker Street's most notorious resident, Sherlock Holmes, and with his friend and associate Doctor John Watson, are embroiled in yet more of the mystery and intrigue that has the police of Middlesbrough perplexed.
Through the course of writing these stories I have tried to write them on several levels. That they worked as standalone detective stories was a given, but I also wanted to capture the wit and wisdom of Teesside. I wanted to provoke a certain amount of thought, but not to the point of Holmes looking arrogant. Arrogance and a Teesside upbringing rarely run alongside each other. Consequently, our hero exhibits a healthy level of self-depreciation. Finally, I wanted an arc that spanned the short stories, both with respect to the building of the characters and Middlesbrough itself, but also a
It's not for me to decide if I've managed to acheive the layers in the writing that I was hoping for, but well all is said an done the feedback I have achieved has been fanastic:
"One of the best takes on Sherlock Holmes I have ever encountered." - The Baker Street Society
"In the last 42 months, I've read 337 books, and let me proudly say this one is in the top 10." - Richard Lang, Mesquite, Nevada.
"Mel Small is added to the tiny list of people I trust with Holmes and Watson." - Moriarty77 (Amazon Review)
Anyway, that`s enough of me talking about me. It's horrible. Here's an extract from Volume 2 and The Orb of Ironopolis:
It was at that point a long, slender woman in a black jumpsuit introduced herself. “Katrina Spring,” she said, offering her hand to Holmes, Mary and myself. “Nice work putting Sir Slime in his place.”
“Sherlock Holmes at your service,” replied Holmes with the slightest of nods.
“What other services do you supply?” she asked.
“Consulting detective work, computer hacking, taxi driving,” I interjected, in an attempt not to be elbowed from the conversation.
“What can you detect about me?” she continued, with hardly a glance in Mary’s nor my direction.
Holmes stepped back to look her up and down, before directing his eyes to flit about unfocused in the middle distance.
“You’re married with two children, your husband works in the legal profession, and, for your sins,” he paused, “you work for the local authority in some sort of media or public relations capacity. You arrived here from Durham, on the eighteen twenty-seven train. You sat on the right-hand side of the carriage facing forwards.”
“No, I’m a school teacher, I’m unmarried, have no children, and I drove up here from Nunthorpe.”
“You drive a Mercedes.”
“I drive a Jaguar.”
“You’re a fan of David Bowie.”
“Everyone’s a fan of David Bowie.”
Holmes returned a smile contaminated with the suggestion of achievement in his eyes.
“You’re not very good at this are you, Mister Holmes?” remarked Katrina.
“I now know where you live, what you do, what you drive, and that you’re on the market,” responded Holmes. “Not bad for forty seconds work.”
Katrina smiled. Rocking her head to one side whilst biting her thumbnail, she conceded to some brief laughter. My dawning realisation was that of a seduction unravelling in front of me. It was, however, difficult to tell who was seducing who.
Holmes Volume 2 is available direct from 6e Publishing or online from Amazon in both paperback and Kindle ebook.
