Top comics writer and author Paul Cornell – now also writing the TV show Elementary – will be on tour next month around the UK to mark the launch of his latest novel, Who Killed Sherlock Holmes?
Tuesday 19th May sees the release of this, his third Shadow Police novel, published by Tor Books – another great adventure featuring Detective Inspector James Quill and his wily squad of supernatural crime-busters.
Someone has murdered the ghost of Sherlock Holmes. But who is responsible – and will the murderer strike again?
As a fictional character remembered by the people of London, Holmes’ ghost walked the city. But someone put a ceremonial dagger through his chest, with fatal consequences. What could be the motive?
A small team of Metropolitan Police detectives who have ‘The Sight’ find themselves assigned to this twisty new investigation and pursue a criminal genius, who lures them into a Sherlockian maze of too many clues and too much evidence. Yet they also have their own demons to fight.
Paul Cornell. Photo: Tor Books
Paul, who it was my pleasure to work with back in my days as editor of Doctor Who Magazine, should need no intorduction to regular downthetubes readers. The creator of the Doctor Who spin-off character Bernice Summerfield, he’s been Hugo Award-nominated for his work in TV, comics and prose, and is a BSFA award-winner for short fiction.
He has also written some of Doctor Who’s best-loved episodes for the BBC, and has more recently written for the Sherlock-inspired TV show Elementary, starring Jonny Lee Miller as Holmes and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson.
“Me working on the series has been down to the generosity of Executive Producer Robert Doherty in showing me the ropes of American television,” says Paul of his work on Elementary.
“You’ve Got Me, Who’s Got You?”, the first episode he’s written, screened in the US on 20th March on CBS, delves into matters Paul will be well versed in as the writer of comics such as Captain Britain an MI13, Superman and Wolverine. When a man who secretly fought crime dressed as a popular comic book superhero is murdered, Holmes and Watson must discover his real identity before they can find his killer.
A scene from the Elementary episode written by Paul Cornell, “You’ve Got Me, Who’s Got You?”. Image © CBS
“You can see in the background in the first three some of the amazing graphics work done by the design team in portraying the business of super hero comics,” Paul notes on his official web site. “The episode has a lot of… I wouldn’t call them in-jokes, because that’s not what they’re there for. It’s more that there’s a lot of genuine detail about the world of comics, an interest shared by myself and the show’s amazing Executive Producer, Rob Doherty. It’s been a wonderful experience for me.”
Of Who Killed Sherlock Holmes?, he says the story is a murder mystery with Holmes as the victim, but it’s also “an exploration of the Holmes industry and modern fan culture.
“It’s utterly affectionate to the various modern versions, all of which I love.”
Paul will be signing the book on Tuesday 19th May (along with the This Damned Band collected edition, which also comes out that day) at London’s Forbidden Planet, from 6.00 to 7.00pm. Then, on 21st May, between 1.00 and 2.00pm, he’ll be signing those books at the Bristol branch of Forbidden Planet.
• UK readers can pre-order the book here on Amazon UK, or pre-order a signed copy here from Forbidden Planet
• Tor Books have released an online chapter of Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? which features the crime scene at 221B Baker Street. You can read it here
• Buy Paul Cornell books and comics from Forbidden Planet here
• Buy all three Shadow Police novels from Amazon
• Paul Cornell’s official web site is at www.paulcornell.com | Follow Paul on Twitter @Paul_Cornell
- About the Author
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Books, Doctor Who, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, Other Worlds, Television
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