Viking scoops rights to Sherlock Holmes parody series in three-book deal

Viking has acquired the rights to a new parody series The New Adventures of Old Sherlock, by bestselling author Bruno Vincent, in a three book deal. Senior commissioning editor Shyam Kumar acquired world all-language rights from Max Edwards, now at Apple Tree Literary.

The three titles—Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Trigger Warning; Sherlock Holmes and the Air Fryer of Doom; and Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Forgotten Password—will be released on 24th October 2024.

The series takes the original, and rather old fashioned, Holmes and Watson of Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories and transports them into the confounding maelstrom of the here-and-now.

The synopsis reads: "Meet an older, wiser and slightly more irritable Sherlock Holmes in a hilarious series of brand-new mysteries as he pits his famously considerable wits against a trigger warning of genuine terror, an air fryer of truly cosmic power and a password of gigantic importance that is just so bloody impossible to get right."

Kumar said: "This series is a marriage of beautiful minds: Sherlock Holmes is the world’s most beloved detective; Bruno Vincent is the UK’s funniest parody book writer. Thanks to Bruno, these books are much more than mere stocking fillers. Not only are there gags galore satirising modern life; there’s a satisfying mystery at heart of each story, and aficionados of Arthur Conan Doyle’s original books will recognise plenty of Easter eggs affectionately scattered through the pages. Best enjoyed with a deerstalker hat and a Meerschaum pipe if you’ve misplaced your vape pen."

Vincent was unable to comment, but Dr John Watson, M.D., said: "Dear Mr Gates, Apparently, I am unable to use my new electric typewriter without approval of the Microsoft Activation Wizard. Kindly put me in touch with this individual at once, as I must compose a statement about my new series of adventures with Sherlock Holmes, published by Viking Books. (Between ourselves, they have foisted upon me a co-writer, Bruno Vincent, whose body of work strikes one as both alarmingly trivial and in dubious taste, but one must bow to such things). Also, how do I switch off this impertinent ‘spell check’ function? My spelling is excellent. Please reply as a matter of ugrency. Yours, J.H. Watson."