52 Weeks 52 Sherlock Holmes Novels: Traditional Favorites and Exciting New Discoveries

by Paul Bishop, Paula Hammond

More than just a year's worth of Sherlock related reading, 52 Weeks—52 Sherlock Holmes Novels is a multi-personal look at fifty-two of the best Sherlockian pastiches. Each of the invited contributors, ranging from Sherlockian scholars to passionate devotees, have gone beyond the simple facts of plots and authors to give readers their personal insight or connection to their chosen novel.

In 52 Weeks—52 Sherlock Holmes Novels, fans of the world’s greatest detective, be they expert or novice, will find refreshingly original observations on established favorites as well as new contributions to the endlessly expanding Sherlockian universe. So settle in with whatever your version is of a comfortable armchair, a roaring fire, and a clay pipe filled with shag tobacco from a Persian slipper and lose yourself in the unique journey of 52 Weeks—52 Sherlock Holmes Novels.

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 16, 2025

About the author

A thirty-five year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, Paul Bishop’s career has included a three year tour with his department's Anti-Terrorist Division and over twenty-five years’ experience in the investigation of sex crimes. His Special Assaults Units regularly produced the highest number of detective initiated arrests and highest crime clearance rates in the city. Twice honored as Detective of the Year, Paul also received the Quality and Productivity Commission Award from the City of Los Angeles.

As a nationally recognized interrogator, Paul starred as the lead interrogator and driving force behind the ABC TV reality show Take The Money And Run from producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Based on his expertise in deception detection, he currently conducts interrogation seminars for law enforcement, military, and human resource organizations.

Paul has published twelve novels, including five in his L.A.P.D. Detective Fey Croaker series. He has also written numerous scripts for episodic television and feature films. He currently writes and edits the Fight Card series of hardboiled boxing novel under the pseudonym Jack Tunney.

Reviews

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been many years since I read the original Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but I did read the complete canon back then. However, then came a long drought before I eventually began picking up a few pastiches this past year, largely due to Paul Bishop’s enthusiastic blogging about his latest passion. This book has done wonders to reinvigorate my desire to dig back into the adventures of the great detective.

This volume comprises 52 different offerings submitted by various contributors, encompassing the wide and diverse universe of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock-adjacent material. Most are novels but other forms of media are represented or referenced such as comics, movies, and TV shows. Additionally, we are treated to several essays about such subjects as collecting, publishing, illustrating, and even engineering Sherlockian merchandise.

I’m sure this is a book that is not meant to be read from cover to cover but, rather, to be dipped into now and again, perused at a leisurely pace, and enjoyed over time. While I may well do that in the future, I am who I am and therefore, not content to wait around for the appropriate time to dip my toe in once more. Consequently, I did choose to read this entire volume from start to finish. However, I wanted to savor it over time so I limited myself to reading two to three entries each evening. I found this to be a great way to absorb the content and appreciate the perspectives of the various contributors even more.

Speaking of the contributors, they are all well connected to the Sherlockian universe in one way or another. Most are authors in their own right and have penned tales in the milieu themselves. Their 52 entries cover the entire gamut including traditional Holmesian tales that could have been written by Doyle himself, to those that include supernatural, science fiction, western, or horror elements. Several feature characters other than Holmes or Watson and include entries following Mycroft, or Moriarty, or Irene Adler. I found every single one to be an interesting and insightful read.

So, did this book serve its purpose? I should say so! While I have read a few of the 52 entries, and have heard of a few of the others, I can honestly say that I now have many more on my TBR list.

Time to end this review and start reading my newest acquisition: Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows, the first of the Cthulhu Casebook series by James Lovegrove.

[Tim Deforest · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should preface my review by saying that I do have four essays in this book and editor Paul Bishop was kind enough to allow me to co-host several episodes of his now-retired Six-Gun Justice podcast. But setting aside my own contributions, I can honestly say that this book is a ton of fun. A number of authors contributed excellent essays about Holmes pastiches, reviewing these novels, talking about how they influenced their own appreciation of Holmes and obviously having fun sharing their enthusiasm for the Great Detective.

I've learned of a number of books I know pretty much HAVE to read and been reminded of a few I now want to re-read. One essay praised a Holmes pastiche that I read years ago and didn't care for, but the author's enthusiasm makes me reconsider my opinion and perhaps give that book another chance.

There are several other superb essays in addition to those about the books--covering subjects such as collecting Holmesian memorabilia, publishing new Holmes stories and illustrating such stories. If you are a Holmes fan or are simply interested in finding out why Sherlock has such an enduring appeal, this is a must-read book.

[Gus Scholtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A completely surprising book that encompasses many of the aspects of the Sherlockian world. Short reviews from so many avenues. Lot of book and movie review but also collections of many types. Also the contributors tell other related stories of how the found Sherlock , deeper dives into their fandom.
52 weeks is about 333 pages and a fascinating find.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of the previous books in the 52 WEEKS ● 52 WESTERNS series of books edited by novelist and action/adventure maven Paul Bishop. I think they're must haves for Westerns fans. Bishop's new book 52 WEEKS ● 52 SHERLOCK HOLMES NOVELS follows and expands on the format used in those and is an instant must have for any fan of Sherlock Holmes—or anyone who wants to learn more about the huge realm of books, stories, movies and TV shows inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective. It's a fascinating, fun-to-read guide to Sherlockiana with scores of entries written by a long list of mystery, action/adventure and new pulp authors, screenwriters, and pulp culture experts. Each entry provides an overview of the book, story, movie or TV show involved and the people who created them. Those are followed by "Beyond the Facts" and "Fun Facts" sections that reveal interesting connections and trivia. It’s quite enjoyable to just browse and dip in and out of this book. You'll learn more about some of the Sherlockian books, movies and TV shows you're already aware of and discover many others you were unaware of but will want to seek out. I tip my deerstalker hat to Paul Bishop and the talented and knowledgeable contributors he recruited for 52 WEEKS ● 52 SHERLOCK HOLMES NOVELS and give it 5 brilliant stars.