Those "Almost" Sherlock Holmes Books

Part of my "associated books" shelf in my library

"Murder She Wrote" was never one of my favorite TV shows for a very good reason: Until recently, I'd never single one of the 264 episodes or four move-for-TV movies.

We don't watch a lot of TV at our house, but we do watch two or three shows a weekend on Netflix. A couple of weeks ago we decided to try "Murder She Wrote." Even dedicated fans might not realize that the very first episode in 1984, the beginning of an amazing 12-year run, was called "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes."

As you might expect, it had nothing to do with Sherlock Holmes. It's about the murder of an obnoxious fellow dressed in the iconic deerstalker hat and Inverness cape at a costume party. In all, I found it enjoyable.

Seeing the show also reminded me that I have a copy of the novelization of that first episode. The back cover announces, perhaps rather predictably, IT LOOKED LIKE A CASE FOR SHERLOCK HOLMES . . . BUT HE WAS THE CORPSE! I no longer remember whether I bought the book new or used, but I suspect it was used. I'm sure that I bought it for the title and that I never read it.

This book is located in my library on a shelf of what I think of as "associates" book. By that I mean books, often but not always mystery novels, that have some kind of plot connection to Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle, or related characters. Here is where you will find The Name of the Rose, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Murder in the Library, Freddy the Detective, Baker Street Irregular, and many more.

If my own mytery novels -- No Police Like Holmes, Holmes Sweet Holmes and The 1896 Murder -- weren't already in another place of honor in my house, that's where I would put them!

What's your favorite book "associated" with Sherlock Holmes?