Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon Review

December 18, 2021 at 9:26pm
By Krista Stettner

Tis the season for murder and there’s no one better to solve the Christmas mystery than Sherlock Holmes. I’m a big fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and appreciate reading a good novel that pays homage to his great characters so they may they live on forever. Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas demon by James Lovegrove is presented with a lovely red cover, raised lettering and a classic look which initially intrigued me.

The storyline starts right away with a Department store Santa heist mystery that quickly displays Sherlock’s unique powers of observation. We are then introduced to Eve Allerthorpe, heir to a sizeable inheritance contingent on her being of ‘sound mind’ as her mother suffered from depression and committed suicide.

Eve believes she has seen and is being visited by the Black Thurrick, a terrifying Christmas spirit from sinister childhood tales that replaces Christmas presents with twigs and steals infants from their beds to feast on in its’ lair.

Eve persuades Sherlock Holmes and his associate Dr Watson to travel to the family home at Fellscar Keep prior to Christmas even though there is no distinct sign of a crime. I enjoyed meeting the Allerthorpes who seem to have all the requirements of a wealthy family of the time (vices, secrets and enemies) and their hired help.

There are a number of ghostly occurrences, sightings of the Black Thurrick and a housemaid is eventually found dead. Will Sherlock be able to find the murderer, show the Christmas demon is nothing but a tale and prove that Eve Allerthorpe is sane all before Christmas?

The Conclusion

Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon has the distinct stylings of traditional Holmes novels while introducing some new twists and an exciting festive theme. At first I found the vocabulary of the book a little intimidating and found it slowed down my reading but as I was drawn into the story of the family history.

The tale of the Thurrick and the wintery Christmas setting I was unsure if the vocabulary changed or I just became so enthralled in the mystery that it became insignificant. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be searching for more Sherlock novels by James Lovegrove.

Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon Book Review
Author: James Lovegrove
ISBN: 9781785658044
Review Copy Provided by Penguin Random House Canada

Rating Overall: 9.0