ramblingmads

At last, the incredible account of Sherlock Holmes’ investigation into the brutal murder of Canon Alfred Lilly and the secrets of the Jericho Manuscript can finally be published. Although Holmes’ faithful friend, Dr. John Watson, gave strict instructions that his account should not be released till a hundred years after his death, it has not made the astonishing discoveries any less explosive now as they were when written in 1901.

“Sherlock Holmes meets the Da Vinci Code in a gripping murder mystery.” – Daily Express
“Is this the most extraordinary Holmes Adventure ever written? The answer is ‘elementary'” – The Sun

It was 24th June, when the Rev. David Adams discovered his friend Canon Alfred Lilly dead at his desk in a pool of blood. The police considered it suicide, but the Rev. Adams refused to accept the verdict and employed the celebrated detective to locate the murderer and the missing Jericho Manuscript that Lilly had been translating.
The hunt for the killer takes Holmes and Watson to Paris where an encounter with mystic composer, Claude Debussy and his symbolist friends, not only leads to Holmes unravelling the secret history of Notre Dame Cathedral but forces the chase south to the birthplace of Nostradamus and the fortified town of Carcassonne. At the mysterious Magdalene church at Rennes-le-Châteaux, Holmes uses all his observational skills to decipher the heretical statues recently erected by the local priest, Abbé Saunière.
Clues lead the intrepid detective and his excitable friend to the Monastère de Prouilhe, the centre of the dreaded Dominican monks who supervised the horrifying tortures and burnings of thousands of innocent Christian Cathars in the area. Can Sherlock Holmes use his special talents to extract from these monks the final link to the Jericho Manuscript and the monumental secrets it contains? The game’s afoot in an unmissable thriller that breaks through from fascinating fiction to extraordinary reality.

As we unravel the secrets of the Jericho Manuscript, never forget Sherlock Holmes famous axiom,
“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth”

JULIAN DOYLE, is one of the world’s most versatile Film Makers. He has written, directed, photographed, edited and created Fxs all to the highest standards. He is most famous for editing the Monty Python Films like ‘LIFE OF BRIAN’ and shooting the Fxs for Terry Gilliam’s ‘TIMEBANDITS and ‘BRAZIL’, which he also edited. His cult classic ‘CHEMICAL WEDDING’ featuring Simon Callow about the outrageous British occultist, Aleister Crowley and described by one US reviewer as ‘Thoroughly entertaining although at times you wonder if the film makers have not lost all there senses’. He has directed award winning pop videos such as Kate Bush’s ‘CLOUDBUSTING’ featuring Donald Sutherland and Iron Maiden’s ‘PLAY WITH MADNESS’. He recently wrote and directed the play ‘TWILIGHT OF THE GODS’ investigating the tumultuous relationship between Richard Wagner and Friedrich Nietzsche and described by ‘Philosophy Today’ magazine as ‘masterful’.

Julian was born in London and started life in the slums of Paddington. His Irish father, Bob, was one of the youngest members of the International Brigade that went to fight against Franco’s invasion of democratic Spain. His mother, Lola, was born in Spain of an Asturian miner who died early of silicosis. She was thereafter brought up in a Catholic orphanage in Oviedo.

Julian started his education at St. Saviours, a church primary school. He went on to Haverstock Secondary school, one of the first comprehensive schools in England. His first job was as a junior technician to Professor Peter Medawar’s team, which won the Nobel Prize soon after Julian’s arrival. Not that he claims any credit for that. At night school he passed his ‘A’ level exams and took a Zoology degree at London University. After a year at the Institute of Education, he taught biology for a year before going to the London Film School. Besides film making, Julian is well known for his Master-classes in Film Directing. While still at school, Julian had a daughter, Margarita who was brought up in the family. He then had 2 further children, Jud and Jessie.

My thoughts: An interesting blend of Sherlock Holmes and The Da Vinci Code (which I thought was rubbish) inspired by the author’s research into the history of the Bible (his book The After-life of Brian expands on a lot of this)

After a Canon is murdered, a friend of his asks Dr Watson for his and Holmes’ help in solving the murder and locating a stolen scroll relating to the Bible, that the Canon (a position in the Church of England, higher than a vicar but lower than a Bishop) was translating when he was killed. The hunt takes Holmes and Watson across the Channel to France and deep into the turbulent history of early Christianity in Europe and also the literal history of the Biblical figures around the time of the crucifixion.

The quest focuses on the historic Jesus, the person, not the Christ of faith, so please read with a large pinch of salt if you’re religious, and if you’re easily offended, maybe read something else.

As someone raised in the Church, named after Mary Magdalene, whose family come from France, and who has studied the Bible quite extensively. I nodded at a lot of the points Holmes raises, I’ve also read not only this author’s previous book, but others with similar interests. Some of the things Holmes and Watson discuss as they travel across France I am familiar with, some was new to me. At no point are they disrespectful although I always thought Holmes was an atheist, partly because his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was a Spiritualist who believed in ghosts and fairies, and partly because I can’t imagine him believing in anything without being able to see it for himself. Dr Watson is definitely CofE.

I really enjoyed this book, it’s a fascinating mix of fiction and theory that is debated theologians and historians of the period. While ultimately Holmes cannot reclaim the vital scroll, he does solve the murder along the way, and indulges in a complex and enjoyable debate with his friend and companion.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.