Blogcritics Interview with Amy Thomas, Author of The Detective and the Woman: A Novel of Sherlock Holmes

” Sherlock Holmes seems to be on everyone’s mind lately… including Amy Thomas’. She’s recently released a book entitled The Detective and the Woman, a tale of Holmes’ interactions with Irene Adler. Following my review of her novel, I got to chat with Amy, who provided some brilliant insights into Doyle’s stories. The Sherlock Holmes stories seem to be experiencing a particular boom of popularity lately, with the films and numerous TV series. Why, do you think, is Sherlock Holmes so popular, and why has he endured? Sherlock Holmes has always had a wide fanbase, even during the years when he wasn’t quite as much of a cultural trend as he is right now. I think the current boom has to do with the excellent job the BBCSherlock series and the Guy Ritchie films have done of introducing the character to a new generation. I believe one reason the Sherlock Holmes stories are enduringly popular also applies to Shakespeare, in that both contain a great deal of truth about human nature and the human condition, and that truth is timeless. In the case of Holmes, the presence of suspense, clever solutions, and humor makes the stories and characters irresistible for all time. Relating to the first question, what is it about the Holmes stories that drew you in and attracted you to writing about the detective? I re-read the Holmes canon in 2010 after having not done so for many years, and I was captivated by the detective’s character—his cerebral, logical nature that somehow coexists with a dreamy, musical side and a bitingly dry wit. I have also been a fan of Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell series for a long time, and she was my entrance into the world of pastiche and the realization that an entire genre of Holmes-based derivative fiction exists. Both of these things, my love for the character and the realization that Holmes pastiche exists as a literary genre, gave me the push I needed to write my own story about Holmes and The Woman. “ Read the full interview here. The Detective and the Woman is available from all good bookstores worldwide including in the USA Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Classic Specialities - and in all electronic formats including Amazon Kindle and Kobo.