Vasudev Murthy's SHERLOCK HOLMES, THE MISSING YEARS: JAPAN Out This Month

Poisoned Pen Press announces the upcoming release of Sherlock Holmes, The Missing Years: Japan by Vasudev Murthy. Sherlock Homes, The Missing Years: Japan will be available nationwide in March.

Novelist Vasudev Murthy has earned high praise for Sherlock Homes: The Missing Years, Japan. In an advance review, Kirkus reports: "Murthy provides sturdy adventure, colorful Japanese backgrounds, and a mastery of many voices, including Watson's"

What really happened to Sherlock Holmes between his alleged demise at the Reichenbach Falls and the incidents of "The Empty House?" In fact, Holmes is enlisted by high-ranking Japanese officials to help the Empire root out members of the dreaded Yakuza who have infiltrated the Diplomatic Services. After much intrigue and adventure -- including a secret return to Europe, a transcontinental chase across Asia, and an extended journey through India -- Holmes is faced with a serious challenge to the authority of the Emperor Meiji. His trusted friend Watson plays a significant role, huffing and puffing to keep pace with the detective's brilliance while also attempting -- often hilariously -- to adjust to cultural complexities in India, Cambodia and Japan.

The tension between Watson and his publisher, expressed in a letter and a number of associated footnotes, will have the reader chuckling, while the use of Japanese ideograms with accompanying poems before each chapter provide moments of quiet beauty and contemplation. From Watson's hilarious description of an Indian classical music performance to the lyrical and lovely story by the author's Japanese alter-ego at the book's end, Sherlock Holmes, The Missing Years: Japan blends the best elements of tradition and metafiction to provide a uniquely satisfying adventure and cultural experience for both devotees and newcomers to the well-loved Holmes/Watson canon.

Vasudev Murthy was born in New Delhi, India, but has lived and traveled throughout the world. He acquired his love for Indian Classical Music and the violin from his mother, who was musician herself as well as a voracious reader. After his formal education, he worked in the US for many years, first as an IT professional and then as a management consultant before returning to India. His passion for writing spans many years and genres, with books on classical music, humor, crime and business management that have been published by Bloomsbury, HarperCollins, Rupa, Sage and Poisoned Pen Press. He currently resides in Bangalore with his family and a pack of dogs who merely tolerate him as a provider of healthcare benefits and unlimited broadband access.

Sherlock Holmes, The Missing Years: Japan will be published in hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-4642-0363-3, 284 pages, $24.95), trade paper (ISBN: 978-1-4642-0365-7, 284 pages, $14.95) large print trade paper (ISBN: 978-1-4642-0364-0, 398 pages, $22.95) and eBook editions ($9.99).

Founded in 1997, Poisoned Pen Press is an independent publisher specializing in the highest quality mystery books. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Poisoned Pen Press is one of the largest publishers of hardcover mysteries in the world. Titles from Poisoned Pen Press are distributed by Ingram Publisher Services, are available through wholesalers such as Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and Brodart, and directly from the publisher. Visit the Poisoned Pen Press author blog and Discover Mystery at: www.poisonedpenpress.com.

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