Sherlockian Interview - Will Murray

I live in Quincy, Massachusetts, and spend nearly all of my time writing novels, short stories and articles. Hobbies? Who has time for such things….

What’s the name of your story in this collection, and what is it about (with no spoilers)?

I have three stories in this latest MX collection, but the one I want to spotlight is called “The Weird Adventure of the Particular Phantom."

"A London particular" is a Victorian term for a certain kind of thick London fog. In this story, Inspector Lestrade comes to Sherlock Holmes with a vexing problem. During recent foggy nights, a towering man-like figure was seen striding about, nearly invisible in the fog, stealing men's hats and women's purses.

From witness descriptions, it sounds almost as if someone has attempted to emulate Dr. Victor Frankenstein and assembled an ambulatory jigsaw corpse from unusual parts, including a pig's snout!

While intrigued, Holmes is skeptical about these reports.

In the subsequent fogs, the apparition reappears, and with each succeeding fog becomes increasingly violent and dangerous. Holmes braves the fog in an effort to confront the ghostly apparition.

I like this story because it’s perfect for the time period in which fogs rolled through the city, and virtually smothered everything. Strange things can happen when you can’t see a foot in front of you…. 

What other projects have you recently completed that we can check out?

My most recent release was The Wild Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 4. Volume 5 is quickly coming together for 2025….