SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE IRON CROWN

The Story Behind Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Iron Crown, by Michael A. Black. 

When Ron Fortier, the main editor and founder of Airship 27, first suggested that my friend, Ray Lovato and I take a stab at writing a Sherlock Holmes novel, the idea seemed pretty daunting.

“There’s a lady in England,” Ron told us. “She’s an artist and contacted me because she heard about the Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective series that I’m publishing. She’s waited her whole life to do some illustrations for a Holmes novel.

Ray and I had both written short stories featuring the peerless team of Holmes and Watson, but maintaining the mystery and suspense for a novel-length project was another matter entirely. I was in the middle of completing the first novel of the next three book contract for my Trackdown series for Wolfpack. Ray, however, had just completed a couple of really good Sherlock Holmes short stories, and was interested in the challenge of doing a novel. I told him to give it a go, and that I would help out as needed. He emailed me some ideas that he’d been toying with. These involved the secret societies of Victorian England, the three Scotland Yard Inspectors of Doyle’s original stories, and a valuable hidden treasure of Biblical significance. He’s always been fascinated by secret societies; those clandestine cabals that control our fate from behind the scenes, whose conspiracy theories are woven through the fabric of our lives, secretly guiding our destinies from the shadows.

I told him it sounded promising, and he immediately went to work.

Now let me mention here that Ray and I first met many years ago in our childhood youth, became best friends, and grew up together on the south side of Chicago. We lived across the alley from each other and our friendship has lasted all these years. We spent innumerable times going back and forth between each other’s houses, playing in the neighborhood, and inevitably outwitting all of the other kids. There was an unspoken bond between us, and we knew how to read each other perfectly. Our nickname in the neighborhood was “The World’s Finest,” alluding to the Superman/Batman comic books.

In all of our long association together, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him work as hard as he did on Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Iron Crown. He sent me the story and said it needed a little fleshing out here and there. I sat down and started to read and was immediately pulled into it. It involved three secret societies, the Illuminati, the Knights Templar, and the Free Masons. The focus of the mystery was the Iron Crown of Lombardy, a holy relic and a priceless treasure that made the perfect “McGuffan” for everyone to pursue. He thoroughly researched London’s landmarks and created clues to complete the riddle of the Secret Anthology that’s featured in the story. Plus, he finally got to put his four years of high school Latin to some use.

Being able to work on this novel with him brought back the memories of those good old days. The result, I hope, is a bit reminiscent of the Sherlock Holmes novels of the master, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who gave us the greatest consulting detective of all, and his stalwart associate, Dr. John H. Watson.

The Adventure of the Iron Crown is an homage to them, from another pair of stalwart partners, Raymond Louis James Lovato and Michael A. Black.

AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCTION

Presents

SHERLOCK HOLMES

&

THE ADVENTURE OF THE IRON CROWN

 

One of the most cherished religious artifacts in history is the Iron Crown of Constantinople, supposedly containing the nails that were used to crucify Jesus Christ by the Romans. A fire at a London Mason Lodge reveals the murdered remains of one of the Temple Officers. At the request of a Scotland Yard inspector, Sherlock Holmes is brought into the case and learns that four groups are involved in the crime, all revolved around their search for the lost crown. The agents of the Masons, Templars and the Illuminati are involved in the hunt as well as the vicious Thieves Guild controlled by the mysterious mastermind known only as the Hawk.

 But none can decipher the Latin poem handed down through the ages which reveals the hidden location of the prized relic. When a second murder is discovered, the Great Detective and his loyal companion find themselves racing against time to solve the puzzle before further blood is spilled. Yes, devoted Holmes readers, the game is most certainly afoot!

 Writers Ray Lovato and Michael Black have woven together a fast paced, classic Sherlock Holmes mystery in the grand Conan Doyle style. Award winning artist Rob Davis provides the black and white interior illustrations and British artist Morgan Fitzsimons the cover.

BONUS FEATURE – Illustrator Rob Davis provides a behind-the-scenes look at two very special illustrations and the inspiration behind them.

AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON IN PAPERBACK AND SOON ON KINDLE.

https://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Iron-Crown/dp/1953589189/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=THe+Adventure+of+the+Iron+Crown&qid=1642963755&s=books&sr=1-2

Afterword from Marilyn: Mike is a good friend and wonderful writer and is published in multiple genres. He's also the program chair for Public Safety Writers Association.