Interview with Mystery Writer and Sherlockian Dan Andriacco

When I think of Dan Andriacco, the first word that comes to mind is impressive. The bow tied mystery author and blogger has written more than a dozen books, some Sherlockian, some not, but all great tales. I had the chance to interview Dr. Dan about his novels, upcoming projects, and, of course, Sherlock Holmes.

1. You have quite an extensive and eclectic array of pastiches, some traditional and some modern. Which of your books or stories do you see as a great starting point for a Sherlock Holmes fan to get to know the writings of Dan Andriacco?

I don’t think of my modern Sebastian McCabe – Jeff Cody mysteries as pastiches because they aren’t about Holmes – they are about an amateur sleuth who is a Sherlockian. So I think the best starting point would depend on the taste of the reader. The McCabe-Cody tales are my favorites. That’s what I would like readers to know me for. But if you like traditional pastiches, written from Dr. Watson’s point of view, read “The Peculiar Persecution of John Vincent Harden” and “The Adventure of the Magic Umbrella.” Both are short stories available as stand-alone e-books. “Harden” is also included in Baker Street Beat and “Magic Umbrella” is part of The Disappearance of Mr. James Phillimore, a McCabe-Cody novel. And if you insist on Sherlock Holmes but it doesn’t have to be from Watson’s viewpoint, read my Enoch Hale series written with Kieran McMullen. Holmes in his later years is a character in all of those.

2. One of your recent pastiches, The Poisoned Penman, was co-written with Kieran McMullen and involves Sherlock Holmes as well as your reporter character Enoch Hale. What is it like co-writing with Mr. McMullen? How do you divide up the tasks of writing and editing?

We’ve written three books about Enoch Hale in which Holmes comes in a the end and solves the mystery – The Amateur Executioner, The Poisoned Penman, and The Egyptian Curse, which will be out in the spring and complete the trilogy. Kieran is a pleasure to work with. He’s a great historian and researcher, so that was his main role in our writing partnership. I did most of the plotting and writing. But Kieran supplied the great surprise ending in The Egyptian Curse as well as writing some of the action scenes in all of the books. And we edited each other. It was all done by e-mail. We’ve only met twice. Although we probably won’t formally collaborate again, I always send him my writings for his helpful feedback.

3. You have a "modern" Sherlock Holmes series in your Sebastian McCabe and Jeff Cody books. What made you decide to write a modern detective team in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? Why did you come up with new characters and not put Holmes and Watson in the modern world?

I didn’t set out create a modern Sherlock Holmes. I just wanted to write mysteries. In some ways, McCabe and Cody reflect more the spirit of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, roughly the years between the World Wars. McCabe is a Sherlockian because it’s in his DNA. I suppose he inherited that from me! So it’s natural for him to reference Holmes a lot. It wasn’t planned. Jeff narrates the stories because I’ve always loved the use of a “Watson” by other mystery writers, notably Conan Doyle and Rex Stout. But readers really love him; he adds a lot of humor.


4. A few years ago you published an article entitled "God and Sherlock Holmes." What role do you see religion playing in the character of Sherlock Holmes? Is there a particular religion or belief system you think the Consulting Detective best emulates?

Commentators have noted that the only times Holmes is ever seen going to church are at Irene Adler’s wedding and when he went down to chapel at college (which would have been mandatory). Nevertheless, Holmes alludes to God more than half a dozen times in the Canon. Based on those quotes, he believed in the Judeo-Christian God – Deity who is both just and merciful, not the blind watchmaker of the Deists. He also assumed the existence of an after-life in which judgment is rendered. (One example: “It is not for me to judge you. You will soon answer for your deed at a higher court than the Assizes.” – “The Bascombe Valley Mystery.") Several scholars have argued that Holmes was a conventional Anglican. That seems most probable to me.

5. The question that all Sherlockians dread. If you were stranded on a desert island with just one Sherlock Holmes story, which would it be and why?

You are cruel! But I actually didn’t have to think too long. I’d pick “His Last Bow” because of the beautiful writing and the sweet nostalgia of the dialogue with Watson. As a boy, more than 50 years ago, I memorized the first and last paragraphs. It’s not a mystery – in fact, there’s almost no plot – but it’s my favorite Holmes story and probably the one I’ve re-read the most.

6. What are your current projects?

I’ve just finished two non-series short stories based on radio plays that I wrote a long time ago. The first draft of my next McCabe-Cody novel is finished, and I am about to begin the rewrite for publication next autumn. After that, I’m not sure whether to begin a novel or one of three short stories I have in mind. Tough choice!

7. Any last thoughts?

I love Sherlock Holmes, mystery writing, and my McCabe-Cody series. Thanks for asking me about all of those things!

A former journalist and reviewer of mystery books, Dr. Dan Andriacco has been a member of The Tankerville Club, a scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars, since 1980. His goal in writing mysteries and critical works about the field (including Sherlock Holmes) is to entertain; he strives to be fun and funny, and reviews indicate that he has accomplished this.

Dan Andriacco's doctorate degree is in ministry, which is reflected in the subject matter of his first two books. In his day job, Dan has been communications director of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati since 1997. Dan and his wife, Ann Brauer Andriacco, have three grown children and five grandchildren. They enjoy traveling, an endless source of experiences that are reflected in Dan's writing.
For more on Dr. Dan and his books, see his Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Dan-Andriacco/e...

Author Derrick Belanger's publications include an eclectic mix: book reviews, articles for education journals, short stories, poems, comic books, and the graphic novel, Twenty-Three Skidoo! A former instructor at Washington State University, and a current middle school Language Arts teacher, Derrick lives in Broomfield, Colorado with his wife Abigail Gosselin and their two daughters, Rhea and Phoebe. Currently, Derrick is working on several Sherlockian projects: The second book in the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes series entitled Attack of the Violet Vampire, The pastiche novel Sherlock Holmes and the Curse of Cthulhu, the teaching guide How to Teach Like Sherlock Holmes, and the annotated book The Hound of the Baskervilles: The Ultimate Edition, as well as several projects in the Science Fiction genre. He also co-authors the web site Mystery Aircraft.com with author Chuck Davis.

See Derrick's Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Derrick-Belange...