Review: Sherlock Holmes and the Miskatonic Monstrosities by James Lovegrove

by MK French

Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. John Watson had many famous adventures, but many of them were altered to edit out the occult and eldritch phenomena they had worked with. In this particular instance, a man in Bethlehem Hospital with no memory is speaking in the language of the Old Gods. Holmes and Watson start to undertake the search for his identity and find more than they thought they would.
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November 2017; Titan Books; 9781783295951
ebook, print (352 pages); cozy mystery

Mixing the Cthulhu mythos with Sherlock Holmes might not sound like a blend that works, but it does make sense. They're similar time periods, and some of the oddities that Sherlock had faced is now described as filtered from contact with the Old Gods. Even Mary's death is retold in this novel with a supernatural bent, which makes it all the more horrifying for Watson.

The language and the structure of The Cthulhu Casefiles - Sherlock Holmes and the Miskatonic Monstrosities mirror many of Doyle's Sherlock tales, and the novel references a number of them. Those are like little Easter Eggs for the Holmes mythos, and the references to various creatures or items from Cthulhu mythos will satisfy those fans.

The references, though, do slow down the pace of the overall investigation. We have many small side stories, and the entire second part of the story is one character's journal. It still flows at a very fast pace and is an enjoyable read for fans of either Sherlock Holmes or Lovecraft.

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Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and golden retriever.

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