Author: Holy Ghost Writer
Title: The Count of Monte Cristo as Retold by Sherlock Holmes
Publisher: Illuminated Publications
ISBN: 1490927301
Pages: 564
Genre: Fiction
Author Interview with Holy Ghost Writer
Titled: The Count of Monte Cristo as Retold by Sherlock Holmes
Reviewed by: Tania Staley, Pacific Book Review
PBR: What was your inspiration for writing The Count of Monte Cristo as Retold by Sherlock Holmes? What made you choose to use Sherlock Holmes as your narrator?
After writing The Sultan of Monte Cristo (book II), I realized the original story needed to be re-introduced to a new generation and that it needed to be condensed as most readers would not have the time or patience to read 1243 pages. I chose Sherlock Holmes to tell the story as a device to bring the story to life and doing so gave me the further idea to produce a prequel to his own adventures in book III, The Sovereign Order of Monte Cristo.
PBR: You state in your information about the book that this is not simply a new translation of “The Count of Monte Cristo”, but is a completely new book?
because it is told from this unique voice.
PBR: Could you explain this further? What new insights and differences should readers look for?
I’m sorry I gave the impression that the retelling is an entirely new book, in fact, that is the opposite of what was intended for The Count of Monte Cristo as Retold by Sherlock Holmes. I tried to maintain the integrity of the original story, but instead, the originality is only in Sherlock Holmes narrating yet the sequels are wholly original.
PBR: You have successfully retold this story in just under 600 pages, which is just about half the size of normal translations. How did you choose what to keep and what to omit? What process did you use to stay true to Alexander Dumas’’ original work, yet still maintain Holmes’s unique voice in this reader friendly version?
It was extremely difficult to cut the content in half while telling the complete story in the voice of Holmes.I added ever so subtle content that connects Book I with books II and III that I doubt anyone but a true Dumas fanatic would be able to detect it.
PBR: So, Holy Ghost Writer, why all of the mystery about your identity? Would you be willing to give readers any clues about who you are? You state that there will be clues to your identity in later books. What should readers be looking for?
If you have the mind of Sherlock Holmes you already have enough information from the published parts of this series to discover my true identity. The purpose of the mystery is to engage readers in this series and in a real life mystery in order to make the reading experience more interesting and fun. The most famous of all mystery authors once disappeared for 11 days which to this day is a puzzle that can not be completely solved. Was she in a state of fugue, thwarting infidelity, or was it a publicity stunt?
PBR: What is next for Holy Ghost Writer? Are there any other literary classics you are considering to retell?
Yes, I’ve already published Agatha Christie’s first book, have her second ready to go both as ‘Newly Discovered Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’, and I tie this series into the last as well as the ones to come from other authors in the public domain. And believe it or not, all of these books will tie into each other seamlessly.
