The Counterfeit Detective by Simpson Grears

An American professor discovers the diaries of John Ledbury, known as the counterfeit detective, a minor poet who, in Victorian London, is employed to reply to the mail that comes addressed to Sherlock Holmes at 221b Baker Street.

Through the diaries, he unearths a series of baffling unsolved murders. He travels through England and Scotland but he realizes that, in order to solve the mystery, he has to travel further, back through time itself.

About the author

SIMPSON GREARS was born in Glasgow and studied at the universities of Strathclyde, Glasgow and Edinburgh before following an academic career in Scotland, England, Wales and the United States. His first work of crime fiction – a collection of short stories titled The Foot of the Walk Murders – was longlisted for the prestigious Dagger award of the Crime Writers Association. He lives in Perth, central Scotland.

Review

‘The Counterfeit Detective’ is an intriguing and compelling story that looks at the enduring myth of Sherlock Holmes. This is the author's first novel but he has previously written a short story anthology which was longlisted for a CWA dagger which I would be interested in reading. As a massive Sherlock Holmes fan I was curious to read this book. I had recently learned about the letters which are still sent to 221b Baker Street to this day, so the premise was right up my (Baker) Street!

An American professor, first learnt of John Ledbury during his own college education. He was a minor poet, who in Victorian England was employed to respond to the letters sent to 221b Baker Street. That esteemed address of the residence of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. John Ledbury’s diaries are illuminating and fascinating as they detail all the crimes that these ‘fans’ want to solve. When Professor Nowell heads to London to learn more about the man behind the diaries he discovers a series of unsolved murders. As he travels through England and Scotland he soon realises that he needs to head to the past to solve these murders…

Although, this book mentions Sherlock Holmes I would call it more adjacent to him as this book is really about the letters and its respondent John Ledbury. This was a clever use of the popularity of Holmes but shaped it into something of the author's own making. The book jumps from the present and Professor Nowell to the past with John and the letters. This makes for a compelling read as it kept me gripped and wanting to know more! This is certainly a book of two halves - the first being slightly slower than the latter as it builds the world and characters in both timelines. But it does pick up the pace and is tension-packed!

Let me know if you pick this one up!