Fresh out of Cambridge University, the young Mycroft Holmes is already making a name for himself in government, working for the Secretary of State for War. Yet this most British of civil servants has strong ties to the faraway island of Trinidad, the birthplace of his best friend, Cyrus Douglas, a man of African descent, and where his fiancée Georgiana Sutton was raised.
Mycroft’s comfortable existence is overturned when Douglas receives troubling reports from home. There are rumors of mysterious disappearances, strange footprints in the sand, and spirits enticing children to their deaths, their bodies found drained of blood. Upon hearing the news, Georgiana abruptly departs for Trinidad. Near panic, Mycroft convinces Douglas that they should follow her, drawing the two men into a web of dark secrets that grows more treacherous with each step they take...
Written by NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and screenwriter Anna Waterhouse, Mycroft Holmes reveals the untold story of Sherlock’s older brother. This harrowing adventure changed his life, and set the stage for the man Mycroft would become: founder of the famous Diogenes Club and the hidden power behind the British government.
"For outsize polymathic energy and accomplishment, Abdul-Jabbar — N.B.A. champion, cultural ambassador, author — rivals Conan Doyle himself." - New York Times
"Abdul-Jabbar and Waterhouse have created a smart origin story for Mycroft that slots neatly onto the shelves next to the original canon." - Los Angeles Times
"Holmesians will find much to appreciate in the novel’s depiction of a character whose mind is as keen as Sherlock’s." - Time.com
"If you’re only aware of Abdul-Jabbar’s skill on the basketball court, get ready—this is an assured novel that fans of Holmes stories (old-school and new) will love." - Barnes and Noble
"MYCROFT HOLMES is beautifully written and full of intrigue...while still managing to be a lot of fun.”- Robert Towne, Oscar-winning screenwriter of Chinatown
"The book is extremely well-written and well-researched, with layers of sensory detail and filmic tableaux...Doylean Easter Eggs are also sprinkled throughout and are presented with a witty subtlety that will delight longtime fans...Mycroft Holmes is a good book and an engaging mystery for Sherlockians and non-Sherlockians alike, but it’s a particular delight for aficionados of the Doylean world. Here’s hoping Abdul-Jabbar and Waterhouse write many more." - Baker Street Babes
“I’m proud to have worked with Kareem, my friend of many years, on this project! It adds an exciting, new dimension to the life of Sherlock Holmes, and Kareem's passion for history has given the story a new twist.” - Leslie S. Klinger, editor, The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes
“Moving beyond the echo of big-time basketball's cheering multitudes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has found an unlikely second career in the quietude of a writer's life. In his latest literary effort, he indulges his longtime appreciation for the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and gives us a rousing mystery novel featuring Sherlock Holmes' older and smarter brother, Mycroft, while launching a new series of adventures.” - Gay Talese, author of A Writer’s Life
"... If you love the Holmes brothers, you will love this book. But more importantly, if you care about history and culture and passion and civil rights, you will love it all the more."- Lyndsay Faye, bestselling author, The Gods of Gotham
"...Sherlockians who relish the screen adventures of Cumberbatch and Downey will be particularly entertained." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"...Mystery fans will be eager to hear more from this terrific duo, who may well develop into a gaslit version of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser and Hawk."-Booklist (starred review)
"The central conceit is audacious; Mycroft's sense of moral outrage is nicely reflective of the era; the historical detail is solid; and the period decorum is well-maintained throughout." - Kirkus Reviews
"Clear space on your new fiction shelf for this slam-dunk of a debut novel... Historical fiction and mystery fans will be the first to demand this title, but its mass appeal is undeniable." - Library Journal (starred review)
The erudite Jabbar has managed to weave elements of his far flung interests into a fascinating mystery narrative. The briskly written book has a delicate woven plot that brings together such diverse elements as Trinidadian culture and folklore, the tobacco importation business in London, and the usual Holmesian array of brightly obtuse knowledge and libertine philosophy that Sherlock fans enjoy— not to mention a plot that involves an elaborate scheme to bring slavery back to the Caribbean. By far the star of the novel is Holmes’ able accomplice Douglas—as compared to Watson, Douglas is portrayed as an equal instead of a foil. The careful dance of the friendship between the two men of different races, complicated by the laws and conventions of the era, is fascinating. — Mike Sager, Esquire
"Mycroft Holmes is a 300+ page origin story that nails it… And it’s got a solid mystery to boot." – Geek Dad
