In the summer of 1994, a workman at the historic mansion of railroad baron James J. Hill in St. Paul, Minnesota, stumbles on a long-hidden wall safe. When experts arrive to open the safe and examine its contents, they make an astonishing discovery. There, inside, is a handwritten manuscript bearing the signature of John H. Watson, MD. The manuscript contains the story of how Sherlock Holmes and Watson traveled to Minnesota to track a murderous arsonist—known only as the Red Demon—who is threatening both Hill and his Great Northern Railway.
Set against the backdrop of the real, devastating Hinckley forest fire of 1894, Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon is the tense and atmospheric first novel in Larry Millett’s classic series of adventures that brought Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to Minnesota.
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“Narrator Steve Hendrickson deftly captures the tone of this story, based on a real 1894 event…Millett’s characters are wonderful eccentrics who come alive in Hendrickson’s lively presentation. Most entertaining is his rendering of the good-natured sparring between Holmes and Watson as they ‘go native’ in dress and speech. When they close in on the perpetrator, they must visit Mother Mary’s brothel, which is Hendrickson’s finest moment. The closing battle between Holmes and the Red Demon on a railroad trestle offers listeners a delicious sense of déjà vu.”
— AudioFile
“One of the best Holmeses since the originals.”
— John Sandford, #1 New York Times bestselling author“An eminently credible adventure for fans of the magnificent consulting detective.”
— San Jose Mercury News“The real and devastating Hinckley, Minnesota, fire of 1894 serves as the historical backdrop…[and] the final duel between Holmes and the Red Demon on a burning trestle is gripping.”
— Publishers Weekly“Not only is his Minnesota history excellent, but his history of Sherlock Holmes and his adventures is remarkable. A classic mystery.”
— Steve Thayer, author of Ithaca FallsLarry Millett is the author of numerous historical mystery novels and nonfiction books and has also written for several historical and architectural magazines in the Midwestern United States. A native of Minneapolis, he earned a BA degree from St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota, and an MA from the University of Chicago. He spent much of his career as a writer, reporter, and editor for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. In 1984, he won a Knight Fellowship to the University of Michigan to study architectural history and theory.
Steve Hendrickson has been a professional actor for over thirty years. A graduate of Yale School of Drama, he has appeared in theaters across the country. His audio projects include Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches and The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, among others.