The best books that are Sherlock Holmes mash-ups

Why am I passionate about this?

My name is Christian Klaver, and I’ve had, in turn, many different jobs as a bookseller, martial arts instructor, and bartender before settling into a career in internet security. Books have always been a passion of mine, with science fiction, fantasy, and mystery as my main focus. I’ve been a lifelong fan of Sherlock Holmes and am a proud member of two different Sherlock Holmes Societies.


I wrote...

Book cover of Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula

What is my book about?

When I was a young boy, I used to watch the Sunday morning movie on network television, and my favorite of these was Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein, with Dracula, Frankenstein, his monster, and the Werewolf.

Seeing all those iconic monsters made me happy with glee, and this is, thematically, my drive for this series. I just wanted to have fun and let the reader have fun. With Holmes, Watson, Dracula, Mina Harker, Van Helsing, The Invisible Man, Dorian Gray (just released), Jack the Ripper, Dr Jekyll, and Mr Hyde all on one stage, how can you not?

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Holmes-Dracula File

Christian Klaver Why did I love this book?

The story unfolds with sections both from Watson and Count Dracula and is just a great deal of fun.

Saberhagen wrote an entire series starring Dracula, but this one, with Holmes in it, is the best of the lot and Saberhagen does some really fun, fun things with the conflict between the two.

By Fred Saberhagen,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Holmes-Dracula File as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

1887, London, Victoria’s Jubilee -- criminals threaten to release thousands of plague infested rats on the day of celebration. The extraordinary powers of the Count and sharp mind of the Master Detective team up to avert a catastrophic public disaster. (And, the reader discovers more than a deerstalker hat and an Invernes Cape in Holmes’ family closet.)


Book cover of Sherlock Holmes Vs. Dracula: Or, the Adventure of the Sanguinary Count

Christian Klaver Why did I love this book?

Another Detroiter like myself, Estleman, is known for both great westerns and a number of hard-boiled mystery series that are all good, but he did this one early in his career, and the immaculate execution and thorough research showcase this book.

Dracula is moving on London, but Holmes is moving behind the scenes to support Van Helsing’s defense of London, and it makes all the difference!

By Loren D. Estleman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sherlock Holmes Vs. Dracula as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The discovery off the coast of England of a crewless ship, whose only passenger is a mysterious black dog, leads to a confrontation between Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula


Book cover of The Seven-Per-Cent Solution: Being a Reprint from the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D.

Christian Klaver Why did I love this book?

Of all the selections on this list, this is my favorite in terms of getting Doyle or Watson’s voice down perfectly. But the inclusion of Dr Sigmund Freud with Holmes, and the resulting story is pure brilliance.

The deep dive into Holmes’s psyche and the drive that makes him the best detective in the world is pure brilliance.

By Nicholas Meyer (editor),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Seven-Per-Cent Solution as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

First discovered and then painstakingly edited and annotated by Nicholas Meyer, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution related the astounding and previously unknown collaboration of Sigmund Freud with Sherlock Holmes, as recorded by Holmes's friend and chronicler, Dr. John H. Watson. In addition to its breathtaking account of their collaboration on a case of diabolic conspiracy in which the lives of millions hang in the balance, it reveals such matters as the real identity of the heinous professor Moriarty, the dark secret shared by Sherlock and his brother Mycroft Holmes, and the detective's true whereabouts during the Great Hiatus, when the world believed…


Book cover of A Study in Emerald

Christian Klaver Why did I love this book?

While the others are novels, this is merely a short story and included in several collections. However, this is one of the more fantastic executions here, and well worth the time to track it down.

Just read it, read it now. It’s short, you have time. You won’t regret it. I promise.

By Neil Gaiman, Rafael Albuquerque, Rafael Scavone (illustrator) , Dave Stewart (illustrator)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Study in Emerald as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This supernatural mystery set in the world of Sherlock Holmes and Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos features a brilliant detective and his partner as they try to solve a horrific murder.

The complex investigation takes the Baker Street investigators from the slums of Whitechapel all the way to the Queen's Palace as they attempt to find the answers to this bizarre murder of cosmic horror!

From the Hugo, Bram Stoker, Locus, World Fantasy, Nebula award-winning, and New York Times bestselling writer Neil Gaiman comes this graphic novel adaptation with art by Eisner award winning artist Rafael Albuquerque!


Book cover of Sherlock Holmes vs. Cthulhu: The Adventure of the Innsmouth Mutations

Christian Klaver Why did I love this book?

This is possibly a more Lovecraftian selection than a Holmesian one, as the monsters and the unfathomable world of Lovecraft and Cthulhu really dominate thematically. The sinister darkness of Lovecraft really comes through here.

It’s a little heartbreaking to see Holmes in over his head, struggling with non-Euclidian magic, but very well done and a gripping story.

By Lois H. Gresh,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sherlock Holmes vs. Cthulhu as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The third novel in six-time New York Times best-selling author Lois H. Gresh's Sherlock Holmes vs. Cthulhu series.

THE OBLITERATING SHADOW

The deadly dimensions over London have been sealed, and the monsters have departed. But word has come to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson of a more terrifying creature still - the great Cthulhu has been sighted off the waters of Innsmouth, Massachusetts. Only Holmes can defeat him.

And in the muddy village of Innsmouth, surrounded by villagers who are more sea-monster than human, Holmes meets again his nemesis, Moriarty, and yet greater foes: Amelia Scarcliffe and Maria Fitzgerald, harbingers…


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Legacy of the Witch

By Kirsten Weiss,

Book cover of Legacy of the Witch

Kirsten Weiss Author Of The Mysteries of Tarot: A Work of the Imagination

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

When I joined the Peace Corps in the early nineties, I wasn’t allowed to take much luggage. I decided to bring a Tarot deck, figuring I’d finally have time to learn it while parked in an Estonian forest. That Tarot deck opened up a world of Renaissance mysticism and magic, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Tarot cards and readings feature prominently in many of my cozy mystery novels, not the least of which are the Tea and Tarot mysteries. Now my imaginary Tarot reader from that series, Hyperion Night, has recently written his own Tarot guidebook, The Mysteries of Tarot.

Kirsten's book list on how to read Tarot

What is my book about?

Seeker: As societies grow increasingly fragmented, hopelessness, nihilism, division, and despair are on the rise. But there is another way—a way of mystery and magic, of wholeness and transformation. Do you dare take the first step? Our path is not for the faint-hearted, but for seekers of ancient truths...

Legacy of the Witch is a spellbinding, interactive tale of a woman’s midlife quest to understand the complexities of her own heart. A paranormal women’s fiction murder mystery for anyone who’s wondered if there might be more to their own life than meets the eye…

Legacy of the Witch

By Kirsten Weiss,

What is this book about?

Seeker: As societies grow increasingly fragmented, hopelessness, nihilism, division and despair are on the rise. But there is another way—a way of mystery and magic, of wholeness and transformation. Do you dare take the first step? Our path is not for the faint-hearted, but for seekers of ancient truths.

All April wants is to start over after her husband’s sudden death. She’s conjuring a new path—finally getting her degree and planning her new business in bucolic Pennsylvania Dutch country. Joining an online mystery school seems like harmless fun.

But when a murdered man leaves her a cryptic message, she catches…


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Interested in Sherlock Holmes, private investigators, and Count Dracula?

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