Two Holmesians, no Watson

Local authors pen works in the tradition of Sherlock Holmes which focus on other characters, and the famous detective is largely absent

February 22, 2006

By DANE GOLDEN
ARGUS-COURIER STAFF

Poor Watson. He won't be getting his royalty check this month. That's because two Petaluma authors, Michael Kurland and Steve Hockensmith, have published Sherlock Holmes-inspired mysteries that are not narrated by Dr. John Watson, and, in fact, don't include much of Holmes either.

Although Watson and Holmes may be scarce in these works, it's no mystery where you can find Kurland and Hockensmith. They will be holding a joint book signing and reading at 7 p.m. this Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Copperfield's Books at 140 Kentucky St.

But don't ex-pect descriptions of Watson and Holmes eating breakfast under the watchful eye of Holmes' landlady, Mrs. Hudson. These tales take place farther afield.

For Hockensmith, "Holmes on the Range" is his first Holmes-inspired mystery, and in fact his first published book. It's set during the Holmes era, 1893, but in the Old West. In it, two cowboy brothers find work on a ranch during hard times. They have heard of Sherlock Holmes from stories in Harper's Weekly, and the eldest brother, "Old Red," has become a big fan of Holmes. Fortunately, people on the ranch keep turning up dead, so there's a big mystery to be solved.

For Kurland, "The Empress of India" is his fourth Sherlock Holmes mystery that focuses on Holmes' nemesis Professor Moriarty. In the series, Moriarty is represented as somewhat misunderstood. Certainly he is still a criminal, but most of his dalliances are staged to raise money to fund his worthy scientific endeavors, such as astronomy.

Although Moriarty only appears in one book and one short story in the original Arthur Conan Doyle series, he is famously considered Holmes' chief rival, and has been the inspiration for many an evil mastermind in the last century of literature.

Well, Moriarty may be a mastermind in Kurland's works, but perhaps not so evil.

"My theory, because I didn't really want to write about a horrific villain, is that although Moriarty is a criminal, he's really like Robin Hood in that he does everything for a reason," Kurland said.

"The only reason that Holmes hates him is that he's the only person he's met who is smarter than he is, but Holmes can't stand it."

Of course, Holmes' brother Mycroft is also considered smarter, but too sedentary to get out there and do real detective work.

Kurland's Moriarty is still a criminal, but he commits crimes (or plans crimes, because he can often convince others to do the dirty work) for a somewhat worthy cause.

Or, said Kurland, "Just because, 'Why not?' He has more of a 20th-century outlook."

Kurland emphasizes Moriarty's abilities as a scientist and mathematician, who commits crimes to fund the construction of ever-larger telescopes on the moors.

In the beginning of "The Empress of India," Sherlock Holmes disappears. Scotland Yard, Watson and Mycroft place the blame on Moriarty, who of course professes innocence.

Meanwhile, Moriarty agrees to help Col. Sebastian Moran obtain a valuable statuette from Calcutta for the Maharajah of Lamapoor. A new evil genius, Dr. Pin Dok Low, believes incorrectly that Moriarty has gone to India to steal a shipment of gold he himself is after, and sets about to stop him.

In "Holmes on the Range," Hockensmith's characters, Old Red Amlingermeyer and his younger brother, "Big Red," are two Montana cowboys who stumble onto the short Holmes story "The Red-Headed League," which they are given as a joke because of the brothers' red hair. Old Red is illiterate, but he decides that if one follows Holmes' example, an education isn't necessary. You just need to connect the dots and do your "deducifyin." The narrator and reluctant assistant is the younger brother, Big Red.

The pair are hired at a cattle ranch, and it's clear from the start that things aren't on the up and up, because people start turning up dead.

The whodunit book also has a unique twist on the "locked-room mystery," where a murder is committed in a room locked from within. In "Holmes on the Range," a murder is committed in a locked outhouse.

For those aspiring writers who want to know how published authors get it done, Hockensmith is working on his sequel in an office in town he shares with his wife half the week. They share duties watching their young daughter at home. His desk faces the wall, not a window, as he wants no distractions.

"Throw me in the isolation tank, because that's really where I'm going to do my best work sometimes," he said.

Kurland, on the other hand, writes late at night, beginning at 8 p.m. and not finishing until 2 or 3 a.m. In the afternoons, however, he often walks around downtown, talking to himself about his writing. So the Moriarty stories, it can be said, are at least partially crafted on the streets of Petaluma.

"If you see an elderly man shambling around talking to himself, that's me," Kurland said. "And yes, I am just as crazy as the other ones."

What would Mrs. Hudson say?

(Contact Dane Golden at dgolden@arguscourier.com)

BOOK SIGNING AND READINGS

Michael Kurland and Steve Hockensmith

Copperfield's Books

140 Kentucky St.

Tuesday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m.

More info: 762-0563

*BOOK PHOTO #1

THE EMPRESS OF INDIA

BY MICHAEL KURLAND

St. Martin's Minotaur, 320 pages, $24.95

More info: michaelkurland.com

*BOOK PHOTO #2

HOLMES ON THE RANGE

BY STEVE HOCKENSMITH

St. Martin's Minotaur, 304 pages, $22.95

More info: stevehockensmith.com