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Paul Stuart Hayes was born and raised in South London, but now predominantly lives in Ireland with his wife and two children. He has always had a penchant for writing but until recently work commitments were constantly getting in the way of his creativity. When he lost his job in 2011 it gave him the impetus he needed and he completed his first book, 'Requiem for Sherlock Holmes' within a year. He chose to write Sherlock Holmes stories as the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have been with him from a very early age (his father being responsible for introducing him to the great detective) and it seemed to be the perfect setting to start with.
His greatest challenge whilst writing was making the stories fit into the world that Conan Doyle had so expertly created and that they did not contradict anything previously written by the original author. To achieve this, a great amount of research was needed and the end result is something that pleases Paul greatly.
Although he is currently hard at work writing the follow up to 'Requiem for Sherlock Holmes' he has found time to pen introductions to 'The Theatrical Sherlock Holmes' and 'Mysteries and Adventures', both published by Hidden Tiger books and available at Amazon sites across Europe and America. He has also submitted pieces for both volumes of 'You & Who: Contact Has Been Made', two Doctor Who themed books available from Watching Books.
Reviewed by Ellen Odza for Readers' Favorite
Requiem for Sherlock Holmes by Paul Stuart Hayes includes five new Sherlock Holmes cases. Holmes has died and Watson has decided to write up a small number of cases that for one reason or another had never been published. The first, Sherlock Holmes and the Ancestral Horror, is a novella that explores Holmes’ past. When his father is arrested for murder, Holmes attempts to prove his innocence, but his efforts are hindered by the long and hostile estrangement between the two. Long-buried family secrets are revealed, but when Holmes and his father give widely divergent accounts of crucial past events, even the ever-faithful Dr. Watson finds himself harboring doubts and wondering which version of events he should believe. The book also includes four short stories. The last story, The Penitent Man, which actually takes place after Holmes’ death, takes Watson to America and presents the solution to a very famous series of crimes.
The stories in Requiem for Sherlock Holmes are all written very much in the style of Arthur Conan Doyle. Hayes has managed to capture the character and voices of both Holmes and Watson very well. Reading these stories feels very much like reading part of the original canon and I was happily transported back to the London of 1895. I really enjoyed this book and am pleased by Watson’s announcement that he has more stories gathering dust and that there may be a second volume one of these days.
