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The Jericho Manuscript
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”
"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”
- GenresMystery
268 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2023
14 people are currently reading
1701 people want to read
About the author
Julian Doyle
12 books20 followersJulian Doyle is one of the worlds most versatile Film Makers. He has Written, Directed, Photographed, Edited and created Fxs all to the highest standards. His range goes from writing a play ‘Twilight of the Gods’ to winning awards for directing pop videos such as Kate Bush’s ‘Cloudbusting’ featuring Donald Sutherland and Iron Maiden’s ‘Play with Madness’. He is most famous for editing Monty Python’s Films and shooting the Fx’s for Terry Gilliam’s ‘Brazil’, which he also edited. He has just completed the film of Chemical Wedding featuring Simon Callow. He can be seen in ‘Holy Grail’ playing the Policeman who puts his hand over the lens to bring the film to an end.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 23, 2023
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
An uneasy combination of Conan Doyle and Dan Brown. Sherlock Holmes is called in when a man of the cloth is murdered. Upon investigation, it all has to do with art history and Mary Magdalene.
I give them kudos for including the art they referenced.
An uneasy combination of Conan Doyle and Dan Brown. Sherlock Holmes is called in when a man of the cloth is murdered. Upon investigation, it all has to do with art history and Mary Magdalene.
I give them kudos for including the art they referenced.
July 16, 2025
Netgalley Review
Rated 4.5/5
The writing was detailed and engaging from the beginning right through to the end. It felt well researched and I thoroughly enjoyed following Sherlock Holmes on his adventure. There was a lot of information to digest, so I found the explanations at the end very helpful. I liked the way that the Holmes, Watson dynamic was kept alive in this story. As the reader you were on the same level as Watson which kept up the suspense.
The chapters were fairly short and had photos throughout. I enjoyed looking at the pictures and seeing what the characters were seeing. It was nice to have something to aid the visualisation, plus it added an extra layer to the story.
The short chapters helped with the pace of the book. As there was a lot of information to digest, the short chapters helped to keep the story moving.
As you had to concentrate on what was happening it did slow the story down. I didn't mind this though as I enjoyed seeing everything being picked apart. It certainly raised some questions!
There was a good flow to the book. We went through bits in a methodical manner and to make sure that we understood what had happened, there was a good round up at the end.
The characters were excellent. As I mentioned above, I enjoy a Sherlock Holmes story. I enjoy reading about his detective process and following along at Watson's pace. I liked the fact that the author included himself in the story. That added another layer to the story.
Lastly the settings. I enjoyed travelling round France and seeing some of the things that the characters did. The settings were only lightly described as it was a character focused story. As the story itself was quite detailed, I think that any more surrounding details would have distracted from the main storyline.
Overall a very interesting book and one that I enjoyed reading!
Rated 4.5/5
The writing was detailed and engaging from the beginning right through to the end. It felt well researched and I thoroughly enjoyed following Sherlock Holmes on his adventure. There was a lot of information to digest, so I found the explanations at the end very helpful. I liked the way that the Holmes, Watson dynamic was kept alive in this story. As the reader you were on the same level as Watson which kept up the suspense.
The chapters were fairly short and had photos throughout. I enjoyed looking at the pictures and seeing what the characters were seeing. It was nice to have something to aid the visualisation, plus it added an extra layer to the story.
The short chapters helped with the pace of the book. As there was a lot of information to digest, the short chapters helped to keep the story moving.
As you had to concentrate on what was happening it did slow the story down. I didn't mind this though as I enjoyed seeing everything being picked apart. It certainly raised some questions!
There was a good flow to the book. We went through bits in a methodical manner and to make sure that we understood what had happened, there was a good round up at the end.
The characters were excellent. As I mentioned above, I enjoy a Sherlock Holmes story. I enjoy reading about his detective process and following along at Watson's pace. I liked the fact that the author included himself in the story. That added another layer to the story.
Lastly the settings. I enjoyed travelling round France and seeing some of the things that the characters did. The settings were only lightly described as it was a character focused story. As the story itself was quite detailed, I think that any more surrounding details would have distracted from the main storyline.
Overall a very interesting book and one that I enjoyed reading!
July 18, 2025
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”
This was definitely a book that is intrigued my from its premise of being a Sherlock Holmes tale mixed in with the workings of the Gospel and the Bible.
It was a very interesting read, particularly as I am not very familiar with Sherlock Holmes books/films (I know!!). It's made me want to read others though because I loved the idiosyncrasies of both Holmes and Watson! It was fun following the two during their investigation of a murder and the path that it led them down regarding some stories in the Bible!
Definitely needed my iPad near so I could Google different biblical stories and Holmes himself!
A fast-paced Sherlock investigation which is brilliantly written!
This was definitely a book that is intrigued my from its premise of being a Sherlock Holmes tale mixed in with the workings of the Gospel and the Bible.
It was a very interesting read, particularly as I am not very familiar with Sherlock Holmes books/films (I know!!). It's made me want to read others though because I loved the idiosyncrasies of both Holmes and Watson! It was fun following the two during their investigation of a murder and the path that it led them down regarding some stories in the Bible!
Definitely needed my iPad near so I could Google different biblical stories and Holmes himself!
A fast-paced Sherlock investigation which is brilliantly written!
July 18, 2023
Thank you to GoodReads and Julian Doyle for the digital copy of The Jericho Manuscript. Hands down, this will be a book that I will buy in a hard cover to keep. I could write a review for days about this book.
To me it seems impossible to not love a Sherlock Holmes mystery. The prologue for the book grabs you immediately with the introduction and rules that this story was not to be published until 100 years after the death of Dr. John Watson. Then there is a publisher's note that dives into a relationship between the Watson and Doyle families and the exemption that it has only been 96 years and not 100 years into the death and investigation of Canon Alfred Lilly. So begins this journey.
The reader will join Holmes and Watson through their journey to solve this crime. “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth”. I loved reading the Biblical verses, seeing the paintings and getting both Holmes and Watson's views of both.
The clues this pair follow to solve the mystery take you on such a wonderful and colorful adventure. This thriller should not be missed. The previous descriptions of The Da Vinci Codes meets Sherlock Holmes is absolutely perfect. Is this fantasy? Fiction? or reality?!
I also ended up going down a rabbit hole and learning about the author and his work on Monty Python movies (and others) and his background totally explains why he was the perfect author for this book.
To me it seems impossible to not love a Sherlock Holmes mystery. The prologue for the book grabs you immediately with the introduction and rules that this story was not to be published until 100 years after the death of Dr. John Watson. Then there is a publisher's note that dives into a relationship between the Watson and Doyle families and the exemption that it has only been 96 years and not 100 years into the death and investigation of Canon Alfred Lilly. So begins this journey.
The reader will join Holmes and Watson through their journey to solve this crime. “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth”. I loved reading the Biblical verses, seeing the paintings and getting both Holmes and Watson's views of both.
The clues this pair follow to solve the mystery take you on such a wonderful and colorful adventure. This thriller should not be missed. The previous descriptions of The Da Vinci Codes meets Sherlock Holmes is absolutely perfect. Is this fantasy? Fiction? or reality?!
I also ended up going down a rabbit hole and learning about the author and his work on Monty Python movies (and others) and his background totally explains why he was the perfect author for this book.
July 8, 2025
Julian Doyle edited the Monty Python films and has a rich background. In writing this book he has reached new levels of ingenuity or incredulity I know not which! Written in 1901 this is Dr. John Watson’s telling of Sherlock Holmes’ investigation which he stated must not be released until 100 years after his death.
Briefly, Canon Alfred Lilly has been found dead. The police rule it suicide but his friend suspects murder and calls in Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. He tells them that there is a missing document (The Jericho Manuscript) which Lilly was working on. So the intrepid pair set out on the most extraordinary quest which takes them to various locations around France and an investigation into an alternative story of the Gospels and the life (and death) of Jesus.
It is an incredible story of so called deliberate lies and omissions but with an amazing amount of detail that it even keeps Holmes guessing. What is the Church hiding? Very cleverly written in that it ‘almost’ makes you believe it is true! A compulsive and entertaining read. Genius.
Briefly, Canon Alfred Lilly has been found dead. The police rule it suicide but his friend suspects murder and calls in Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. He tells them that there is a missing document (The Jericho Manuscript) which Lilly was working on. So the intrepid pair set out on the most extraordinary quest which takes them to various locations around France and an investigation into an alternative story of the Gospels and the life (and death) of Jesus.
It is an incredible story of so called deliberate lies and omissions but with an amazing amount of detail that it even keeps Holmes guessing. What is the Church hiding? Very cleverly written in that it ‘almost’ makes you believe it is true! A compulsive and entertaining read. Genius.
July 16, 2025
You just can't go wrong with a good Sherlock Holmes mystery, and The Jericho Manuscript certainly is one of those.
For me, it's a great mix of a Conan Doyle tale, and a Dan Brown thriller, it just has that feel.
So onto the story. Canon Alfred Lily has been found dead. The Police say suicide, but his friend suspects murder. Enter Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who find that Canon Alfred was working on a document ( The Jericho Manuscript ), which has disappeared. So the pair set out on their investigation, which leads them to uncover an alternative story of the Gospels, and the life and death of Jesus.
So all in all, this was an intriguing read, absolutely packed with interesting details, and an entertaining storyline that I'm sure will hold your attention to the very end.
It's a story of falsehoods, dead ends and twists and turns.
4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
For me, it's a great mix of a Conan Doyle tale, and a Dan Brown thriller, it just has that feel.
So onto the story. Canon Alfred Lily has been found dead. The Police say suicide, but his friend suspects murder. Enter Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who find that Canon Alfred was working on a document ( The Jericho Manuscript ), which has disappeared. So the pair set out on their investigation, which leads them to uncover an alternative story of the Gospels, and the life and death of Jesus.
So all in all, this was an intriguing read, absolutely packed with interesting details, and an entertaining storyline that I'm sure will hold your attention to the very end.
It's a story of falsehoods, dead ends and twists and turns.
4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
January 2, 2024
A great Sherlock Holmes read. Investigating a murder leads Holmes and Watson on a holiday that is confusing for Watson and a delight for Holmes. Sherlock finds inconsistencies in the Bible and historical documentation that asks him to wonder who truly wrote the books of the Gospel, if it was edited to leave out important events and people, if the Mary people revere is the Virgin Mother or Magdalena and many other questions. Those who are not rooted in their faith may start to question all of this also! Holmes comes up with some very shocking hypothesis about Jesus, his relationship with Lazarus, his resurrection, and Lazarus' sister Mary. We can't help but wonder is there really a Jericho Manuscript??? #GoodreadsGiveaway
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2024
***won a kindle version from Goodreads Giveaways***
A quick read of a novella that mines the same vein of questions long ago explored by The DaVinci Code and its myriad imitators. The Sherlock Holmes/Watson pastiche was ably done and kept the info-dumps readable, organized, and clicking along. Although, not sure if this was Julian Doyle's intent but, the framework made the whole thing read like parody, not of AC Doyle's Holmes & Watson, but of Dan Brown and the whole secret history/art revelation genre.
So whether this was meant as pure fiction and parody, or a lighthearted attempt to get across some fresh theories, it was worth a couple hours read. An extra star because, either way, it's bound to give the knickers of biblical-inerrancy pearl-clutchers a brand new twist.
A quick read of a novella that mines the same vein of questions long ago explored by The DaVinci Code and its myriad imitators. The Sherlock Holmes/Watson pastiche was ably done and kept the info-dumps readable, organized, and clicking along. Although, not sure if this was Julian Doyle's intent but, the framework made the whole thing read like parody, not of AC Doyle's Holmes & Watson, but of Dan Brown and the whole secret history/art revelation genre.
So whether this was meant as pure fiction and parody, or a lighthearted attempt to get across some fresh theories, it was worth a couple hours read. An extra star because, either way, it's bound to give the knickers of biblical-inerrancy pearl-clutchers a brand new twist.
February 23, 2024
In search of a mystery
Sherlock Holmes meets Dan Brown. In search of potential killers and a missing document, Holmes is intrigued by what he considers to be contradictions in the Gospels. We follow their exploits around France in search of answers.
I received a complementary copy via a Goodreads Giveaway.
Sherlock Holmes meets Dan Brown. In search of potential killers and a missing document, Holmes is intrigued by what he considers to be contradictions in the Gospels. We follow their exploits around France in search of answers.
I received a complementary copy via a Goodreads Giveaway.
January 7, 2024
There are many similarities to the concepts in The DaVinci Code, with Holmes as the Robert Langdon character. It is decently written, but almost too repetitive regarding the "facts" that Holmes uncovers, like the author was trying too hard to convince the reader. The novel could have ended 50-85 pages earlier and I would have enjoyed it more.
This was a Goodreads Giveaway.
This was a Goodreads Giveaway.
June 13, 2023
Just brilliant. I love that the luggage and the books keep getting a role.
July 7, 2023
Throughly enjoyed the storyline and read
January 22, 2024
Not my type of read. Despite the little I've read of it, I may finish it because I usually give a book a chance until the 100th page.
April 16, 2025
I did not care for this
July 8, 2025
exciting read!
July 21, 2025
Well, I think the synopsis is slightly misleading for this one. I was expecting a good old Sherlock Holmes & Watson murder investigation, instead I got a complete dissection of the church and the bible. Yes, there is a manuscript and it holds secrets, but I’m not sure what the rest of it had to do with it.
I do really enjoy a good murder mystery and did find that part of this book very good, but compared to the unpicking of the Christian faith, it was about 5-10% of the book. It made for interesting reading, don’t get me wrong, but it was very unexpected. There’s been a lot of research and thought gone into this, it’s some incredible ideas for sure.
I probably wouldn’t read more by this author as I’ve seen that most of his books are on the same topic - oh, and he was involved in Monty Python’s Life Of Brian too!
I do really enjoy a good murder mystery and did find that part of this book very good, but compared to the unpicking of the Christian faith, it was about 5-10% of the book. It made for interesting reading, don’t get me wrong, but it was very unexpected. There’s been a lot of research and thought gone into this, it’s some incredible ideas for sure.
I probably wouldn’t read more by this author as I’ve seen that most of his books are on the same topic - oh, and he was involved in Monty Python’s Life Of Brian too!
June 19, 2024
Aside from a number of grammatical / punctuation errors, which can be distracting, I did feel that the book was well researched, but tended to ramble and ultimately unless I missed something there was no denouement. We do find out who committed the murder but the rest after that was really a lot of rambling, biblical and art references taken as gospel. Hard to believe Sherlock Holmes would have bought in. Sorry, love Monty Python, wish this had been better.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews