Solar Pons was created by August Derleth in the 1920s as a continuation of the Sherlock Holmes canon. Derleth, who famously created Arkham House Publishing to preserve the writings of his friend, author HP Lovecraft, had corresponded with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, asking whether Doyle would be providing any new Holmes adventures. When Doyle said no, Derleth determined to write some himself. However, instead of writing more Holmes tales, Derleth came up with Solar Pons, a detective very similar to Holmes, and Dr. Lyndon Parker, his Dr. Watson. Eventually, between the 1920’s and his death in 1971, Derleth wrote over seventy Pons tales, set in that period between the end of World War I and 1939.

“Now, meet Solar Pons, the Pride of Praed Street . . . The Master is not too visible – that is, to the naked eye. But you will feel his dynamic presence once again . . . Yes, dear reader, but turn a page, and again – the game is afoot!” – Ellery Queen

Bestselling Sherlock Holmes author David Marcum continues The Pontine Canon with twelve new Pons adventures:

•The Adventure of the Doctor’s Box

•The Park Lane Solution

•The Poe Problem

•The Singular Affair of the Blue Girl

•The Plight of the American Driver

•The Adventure of the Blood Doctor

•The Additional Heirs

•The Horror of St. Anne’s Row

•The Adventure of the Failed Fellowship

•The Adventure of the Obrisset Snuffbox

•The Folio Matter

•The Affair of the Distasteful Society

Additionally, this volume contains a bonus Sherlock Holmes adventure, the author’s Solar Pons origin story, “The Adventure of the Other Brother”, forewords from noted Ponsians, and Appendices. Join us at 7B Praed Street, where Solar Pons and Dr. Parker are about to begin their next adventure. The game is afoot!

“[Solar Pons is] a clever impersonator, with a twinkle in his eye, which tells us that he knows that he is not Sherlock Holmes, and knows that we know it, but he hopes we will like him anyway for what he symbolizes . . . The best substitute for Sherlock Holmes known.” – Vincent Starrett