A short but satisfying homage to the classic Conan Doyle tales, Garth Nix’s occult detective story The Case of the Somewhat Mythic Sword features Sir Magnus Holmes, the somewhat less famous cousin of the legendary literary sleuth. Responding in Sherlock’s stead to a case more suited to his esoteric talents, Sir Magnus – accompanied by Almost Doctor Susan Shrike – investigates the appearance of a medieval knight in the cellar of a London pub. Although Holmes quickly deduces what’s happening, it turns into a case which tests his willpower and Shrike’s wits, and reveals the darkness lurking beneath the dapper detective’s civilised veneer.
