Sherlock Holmes: The Monster of the Mere

Purser-Hallard burnishes his reputation as one of the finer Conan Doyle imitators in his superb fourth Holmes outing (after 2022’s Masters of Lies), a clever riff on The Hound of the Baskervilles that sees Holmes and Watson probing rumors of a water monster in England’s Lake District. A walking tour takes Watson to the town of Wermeholt, on the shores of Lake Wermewater, the supposed home of a snakelike creature known as the Hagworm. Locals believe that when the centuries-old Hagworm appears, it heralds the death of a member of the Wermeston family, who own much of the lake’s eastern shore. Soon, Watson encounters a scientific expedition pursuing a different explanation: that the monster is a surviving prehistoric reptile. After someone is found dead from apparent animal wounds, Watson summons Holmes to Wermeholt and the pair set about determining what’s really haunting the lake. Purser-Hallard captures Conan Doyle’s style and characters perfectly, forging a plot with all the pace and atmosphere of a classic horror film. Sherlockians looking for authenticity in their pastiche will hope this author delivers many more. (May)