Sherlock Holmes & the Gravedigger

by Ben Stevens

Sherlock Holmes and the Gravedigger

When Colin Norris, a gravedigger at the vast Brookwood Cemetery — the London Necropolis with its own funeral railway — disappears without trace, his desperate wife turns to Sherlock Holmes.

As Holmes begins his inquiries among the cottages and chapels of the cemetery, another gravedigger vanishes in the very same manner. Whispers of desecrated graves, a nervous dentist, and the name of a formidable widower whose young wife died in mysterious circumstances draw Holmes ever deeper into a labyrinth of fear and secrecy.

Fighting both a hidden enemy and the torment of his own affliction, Holmes must uncover the truth before more men are swallowed by the shadows of the Necropolis.

Dark, atmospheric, and steeped in Victorian Gothic, Sherlock Holmes and the Gravedigger is a gripping pastiche for every devoted admirer of Conan Doyle’s great detective.

52 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 27, 2025

Reviews

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining Holmes listening 🎶🔰

This kindle e-book novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account

Sherlock Holmes is hired by the wife of a missing gravedigger. He ask questions but gets no response. Then a another gravedigger is missing. It all comes to a strange ending😎

I would recommend this series and author to 👍 fans of Sherlock Holmes and readers of British 🏰 mystery novels 👍🔰. 2025 😤👑

[P.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is a pre-Watson adventure narrated by Holmes himself. It’s unclear if he is just thinking about the tale, writing it in a journal, or telling someone else (Watson possibly)? Because it from Holmes, and not Watson, the story is sharp and lacking the “romance” that Holmes always chides Watson about his writing style. It also tells of Holmes’s first adventure with the use of the “seven-percent solution” and how he enjoyed the experience so much he looked forward to his next usage. It was made for the reader to understand how much he enjoyed his tripping and decided to have further use to help solve crimes. The cover was a bit deceitful in that the gravedigger was the victim, not the criminal, and not described as this spooky creature “haunting” the cemetery.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellently written pastiche with a unique motive for the crimes.

The story was only a little marred by being narrated by the great detective himself and an overeager and repeated reference to a 7 percent solution. One even less emphasized incident with the dentist would have shown more respect for the reader. The crimes were based on unique and interesting circumstances and the characters were all appropriately limned

[David Seip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben Stevens has many entries in the world of Sherlock Holmes, and one thing I appreciate is how varied they can be. This one takes a small reference from Conan Doyle's canon and expands it into a tale that is short but personal, and ranges into the tragic without being overly crass. Definitely a recommend.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

An early Holmes story

This story takes place as Holmes was just embarking on his career as a consulting detective. He had not met Watson yet and was not living on Baker street. This is a fast paced short story that will keep you guessing. A fun read.