EDWARD AND NICHOLAS HARLOW versus MYCROFT AND SHERLOCK HOLMES

I’m fond of male detectives. Roderick Alleyn. Adam Dalgliesh. Hercule Poirot. The Toff.  Maybe that’s why I have TWO male amateur sleuths in my Harlow Brothers mystery series. Edward and Nicholas are siblings, though they aren’t the only brothers in mysteries.

 While I enjoyed the Hardy Boys in my childhood, the most obvious pair of grown siblings associated with mysteries are Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. And I wondered. Were they anything like Edward and Nicholas?

 The Similarities

·        Sherlock acknowledges Mycroft’s superior mental prowess. What makes Sherlock the more famous of the two is Mycroft’s dislike for physical activity. In my books, Nicholas scrambles to gather clues while Edward takes them in and eventually presents the solution. Unlike Mycroft, Edward is not lazy, but chasing clues would be undignified.  

·        Mycroft’s job with the British government is intentionally vague because he is an extremely important man. Edward’s job writing the Aunt Civility etiquette books is a secret known only by Nicholas and the publisher, Classical Reads.   

·        Sherlock and Mycroft both have grey eyes, as do Edward and Nicholas.

The Differences

 M   Mycroft and Sherlock are cerebral, even in their relationship. You won’t see them exchange warm, fuzzy hugs. Edward and Nicholas’s relationship can zing from a shared snicker to quarrelling in the same scene, but they are never standoffish.

·        Mycroft’s description includes heavily built, massive, and a gross body. As a former college linebacker, Edward, though a big guy, remains fit.

·         Edward and Nicholas are funny, though not always intentionally. Sherlock and Mycroft, not so much.

Thank you, Marilyn, for allowing me to explore that burning question on your blog.

Jacqueline Vick

 Deadly Decorum is available for preorder now and goes on sale May 19, 2021.

 

 

BIO:

 After trying her hand at various jobs including telemarketer for a funeral home, Jacqueline Vick combined satirical humor and the quirks of her ginger mutt to create the Frankie Chandler Pet Psychic mysteries. She is also the author of the Harlow Brother mysteries as well as some standalone novels. You can visit her at www.jacquelinevick.com .