Historical fiction with actual figures from history as lead characters has been all the rage in recent years. If you include the number of novels featuring Sherlock Holmes, you’ll find hundreds of titles out there to enjoy. What debut author Bradley Harper has done with A KNIFE IN THE FOG is to combine both real and fictional characters in a tale told in the style of a Holmes novel.

Driving this point home is the fact that the protagonist here is the creator of Sherlock Holmes, none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The book begins with a brief stop in 1924 as Doyle is getting set to publish his memoir, MEMORIES AND ADVENTURES. It is at this point that he reflects on activities that took place in 1888 when he was brought into the investigation involving the serial killer known as Jack the Ripper.

"A KNIFE IN THE FOG is a great read and does not feel like a debut novel.... I would love to see the trio of Holmes, Bell and Harkness in future adventures and hope that Harper is thinking along those same lines."

Doyle receives a letter from former British Prime Minister William Gladstone. With the local police getting nowhere in the hunt for the evil Ripper of Whitechapel, it’s time to turn to the deductive mind that was responsible for creating the most popular fictional detective of all time. Doyle is unfamiliar with this territory and seeks a paid tour guide to show him around, who turns out to be none other than author Margaret Harkness. In an era when female authors are still a rarity, Harkness has been forced to publish a handful of novels under the pseudonym “John Law.” Her knowledge of the East End of London is quite beneficial to Doyle, and it is not long before he seeks her out again to make her a member of his team.

Doyle realizes that actual crime and cold-blooded murder is a lot different in real life and far more hazardous than it is on the pages he writes. To that end, he reaches out to the most clever person he knows and the personal muse he utilized to create Holmes: Professor Joseph Bell, currently a Fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons. His cunning mind is put to full use when diagnosing difficult cases that baffle other physicians. He also uses a cane to walk and is known for not having much of a personal filter when it comes to speaking his mind. This sounds a lot like Dr. Gregory House from the outstanding FOX series “House,” which is no coincidence as he was intended to be a version of Holmes. Ever wonder why his best friend on the show was named Wilson, aka Dr. Watson?

Back to our story. A KNIFE IN THE FOG takes you deep within the Jack the Ripper investigation and even goes through all the various nicknames that had been placed upon the devious villain. For a time, the police actually thought the Ripper to be a member of the Jewish community as the Jewish workers from that area wore leather aprons and carried knives with them that were used in their garment trade. The case also brought about different methods of investigation, such as examining photos of crime scenes and murder victims, that would become the basis for modern-day forensic science.

Jack the Ripper was known to mail letters to the police both taunting them and bragging about his kills. Here, he even sends one directly to Doyle as he is well aware that he and his two colleagues are after him. As history reflects, the Ripper was never identified or brought to justice. After Doyle and his team steps away from the case, Harkness continues to write to Doyle and informs him that the East End has become a hotbed of fear and paranoia where anyone deemed to be “different” is a potential suspect --- even Joseph Merrick, the infamous Elephant Man.

A KNIFE IN THE FOG is a great read and does not feel like a debut novel. Harper is a life-long Sherlock Holmes fan who also spent hours touring the Whitechapel area with local historical guides to fully immerse himself in the Ripper's territory. I would love to see the trio of Holmes, Bell and Harkness in future adventures and hope that Harper is thinking along those same lines.