Every novel has its own origin story, and Sherlock Holmes and Operation Hecate is no exception.
For me, the spark came from two seemingly unrelated places.
The first was the series of Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. While many of these films transplanted Holmes into the Second World War to confront Nazi spies and saboteurs, they also demonstrated something fascinating: Sherlock Holmes could remain entirely himself while responding to the anxieties of a changing world.
The second inspiration was less cinematic and more contemporary. Watching the resurgence of populist politics in recent years, I found myself reflecting on the late 1930s. Although history never repeats itself exactly, it often echoes. The language of division, the appeal of simple answers to complex problems, and the exploitation of fear have all appeared before in different forms.
Those echoes prompted a question.
How might Sherlock Holmes respond when reason, evidence and truth are challenged by forces that thrive on suspicion, misinformation and fear?
Operation Hecate grew from that question.
It’s not a political novel, nor is it intended as a commentary on any single event or movement. Rather, it’s a Holmes mystery that explores timeless themes: the tension between reason and superstition, truth and deception, and the importance of critical thinking in uncertain times.
As publication approaches this autumn through MX Publishing’s Orange Pips imprint, I’m looking forward to sharing more about the novel—without, of course, revealing too much. Some mysteries are best left until the final page.
Until then…
The game is almost afoot.