Interview with Author Kieran Lyne

I am starting a monthly interview series with other Sherlockian authors. This month, my interview is with new author Kieran Lyne on his novel, The Last Confession of Sherlock Holmes.

Interview with Author Kieran Lyne by Derrick Belanger

1. Tell us a little bit about your story. What made you decide to write a new Sherlock Holmes book?


Kieran: I began writing fiction in the summer of 2012 in the form of short stories and naturally began to think of writing a Holmes story. In particular I was taken by the idea of expanding upon the events which surround the hiatus of Sherlock Holmes as, though fabulously handled in the canon, to me there was more to the Moriarty story.
Essentially, The Last Confession of Sherlock Holmes is the revelation by Dr. Watson of how he and Sherlock Holmes deceived the world.

When developing the plot I was a student of History and so I tried thinking of any events which a plot could be twisted around; but it was not until I watched From Hell that I first began to think of a Holmes story about Jack the Ripper. The brutality and senselessness of the crimes were in such stark contrast to the elegant puzzles found in the canon and I thought this offered something different. I was also interested in the dynamic created by these very public events, and the effect they would have on Sherlock Holmes, as the Ripper was never caught. I did not research any other works on a similar theme until after I completed my plot outline as I wished to approach the story from an entirely fresh perspective.



2. You are the youngest author to be endorsed by the Doyle estate. How did you get the endorsement?

Kieran: I had sent my novel off to a few agents and was not enjoying a lot success, so I started trying to make things happen for myself through self-publishing as an EBook. The copyright situation surrounding the Holmes characters is very complicated and I wished to avoid any hassle. With this in mind I approached the Conan Doyle estate, who endorsed my story, gave me use of their seal and recommended me to MX Publishing.


3. Unfortunately, it seems like the Doyle estate has become a bit of a villain to Sherlockians due to the court battle with Leslie S. Klinger. What are your view on the case and the outcome? Do you feel Sherlock Holmes should now be a public domain character?

Kieran: I have heard several conflicting versions of the events and to be honest I find it all a bit strange. This situation has been quite a headache and I hope that soon enough transparency will become the norm. I’m not sure how but I hope these relationships can be mended, as in theory we should all be in the same boat. What I do want to say is that Jon Lellenberg was a great help in getting me published and for that I am very grateful.

First and foremost I consider myself a fan of Sherlock Holmes; I do not understand all the ins-and-outs of the law, particularly in the U.S, but as a fan I believe the characters should be in the public domain: I am all for creativity and artistic interpretation. However, I am also a young author trying to break into an extremely crowded and competitive industry and I have to be practical: I hope the seal will be a positive for me. Regardless of the controversy, I hope that the endorsement of the Doyle estate is a sign of quality and will not put off any Sherlockians. One of my few objectives when I set out to write the story was authenticity; I wanted Holmes to be Holmes, Watson to be Watson, and that the events should fit almost seamlessly into the canon, so the opinion of Sherlockians is important to me. I hope that my story will be judged for the quality of my writing and nothing else.



4. If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one Sherlock Holmes story to keep with you forever, which would it be? Why?

Kieran: Tricky one! But ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’, as I believe it encapsulates everything which makes Holmes such an iconic character and the stories so timeless. We of course get to see Holmes’ trademark powers of observation and deduction, as well as his fondness for disguise and theatricality. But what sets Holmes apart is that he chooses his cases based upon intellectual intrigue and is not rigidly in favour of the law; this allows for more ambiguous crimes and interesting stories. All of this we of course witness through the exploits of the woman. Not only is Irene Adler a fabulous character, but this is her only appearance in the canon. For me this is a masterstroke of subtlety and class by Conan Doyle: it elevates her status and shows greater insight into Holmes as a character.


5. Any last thoughts for the audience?

Kieran: My journey to becoming an author was a strange one, and I am not a trained writer. I have studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, and History at the University of East Anglia: but I have not studied literature for seven years. The only instruction I had was through two books on writing by Elizabeth George and Stephen King. I would therefore encourage anyone who is thinking about writing to give it a go, whether it is Sherlock Holmes, or something entirely original. I have no idea whether my novel will be a success, but it can be done.

Kieran Lyne is the author of The Last Confession of Sherlock Holmes, and he is the youngest author ever to be endorsed by the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Author Derrick Belanger is the editor of the bestselling two volume anthology, A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural. He is a middle school Language Arts teacher, and he loves young adult literature as well as anything and everything to do with Sherlock Holmes.