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Hello Fellow Sherlockians!
 The Sherlock Holmes Fan Wiki has gotten a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to review the book "Murder in the Vatican: The Church Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes" and get an interview with the author of the book, Ann Lewis.
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This book was rather interesting. I could tell a difference in style from Conan Doyle's original writings, but this collection of stories was just as enjoyable to read. It has three different mysteries, all of which will keep you at the edge of your seat while reading.
All three of the stories are amazing. I have to say I have never really enjoyed Sherlock Holmes stories that were not written by Conan Doyle. But this set of stories has changed my mind. The cases are interesting, engaging, and exciting. Any Sherlockian fan will enjoy these.
My favourite of the three stories was "The Vatican Cameos". Very cool story that involves many interesting characters. The other ones were great too, of course...but that one I would read all the way over again. :)
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The three stories are:
“The Case of Cardinal Tosca”
Pope Leo requests the aid of Sherlock Holmes to investigate the sudden and mysterious death of a member of his curia. Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson discover that the pen is definitely mightier than the sword in the hands of a murderous artisan whose intended victim is the Pope himself.
"The Vatican Cameos"
Sherlock Holmes helps Pope Leo XIII recover a rare collection of ancient Roman cameos that has vanished en route to Queen Victoria. A gift with political implications, their loss could cost English Catholics their much-needed cathedral in London. Holmes travels to Rome to locate the stolen baubles, but when this theft quickly turns to murder, Holmes and the Holy Father realize this case is more treacherous than they imagined. Introduced and concluded by Dr. Watson, the bulk of the tale is told in the fatherly voice of the erudite and prolific Pope Leo XIII.
“The Second Coptic Patriarch”
When the famous Father Brown is imprisoned for the murder of a Coptic clerk, Brown’s ex-criminal friend Flambeau seeks the help of Sherlock Holmes to set him free. The case is a tangled problem that spans from the hearth of a simple family to the upper-echelons of the Church of Rome.
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Bottom Line: This book is awesome, and is definately a treat that any true Sherlock Holmes fan will enjoy over and over again.
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As I mentioned earlier, we got a very special interview with the author, Ann Lewis. We asked her a few questions, and she was kind enough to give us the answers. Here is our interview we had with her.
1. What inspired you to write this book?
I fell in love with Holmes in high school. In college, in one of my re-readings of the Canon, I saw the reference to the “sudden death of Cardinal Tosca” and I wanted to write it in the worst way. However, I didn’t have the writing ability to tackle the project. I put the idea aside, then 20 years later when I was moving I found my notes and realized that I’d grown enough as a writer to give it a shot. That and the fact that Holmes is mostly public domain inspired me to give a shot now.
2. Are you a Sherlock Holmes fan yourself?
In the worst (or best?) possible way. I can’t wait to see new episodes of Sherlock from the BBC (isn’t Benedict Cumberhatch the best?) and I will definitely see the new Downey film with all my Sherlockian friends in December.
3. Are you a part of any religion?
Yeah, well, you got me there. I’m Catholic and yes, the book deals with the pope of Holmes time. It did help having that body of information in my head to start with. It certainly saved me some time doing research. However, I didn’t know everything. I actually started attending a traditional Latin Mass so I could get an idea what the Church was like in Holmes’ time. I will say that I’ve received some great comments, though, from readers who are not religious. One atheist friend of mine read it twice (of
his own volition!) and he hates pastiche. I was so complimented by that.
4. How long have you been a writer?
Will I be dating myself if I say about twenty eight years? Longer, actually - started writing little stories (radio scripts) when I was in middle school. So let’s round that up to about 30 years (eek!).
5. Do any writers or people inspire you?
Too many to mention. Jane Austin, Doyle of course, Dickins in the English area. I love the work of many fantasy/science fiction authors as well. As for people who inspire me…it would have to be my husband Joe and little boy Raymond. :-)
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Some other things (including the official video):
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Be sure to buy the book either from the publisher, or from Amazon. You can also visit the official website for Murder in the Vatican from this link.
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