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Our newest novelette will be released on November 3rd, 2026. In The Adventure of the Hidden Lane, Max Jason Peterson presents a masterful (and queer!) Sherlock Holmes story that wasn’t: an entry in his logs that Dr. John Watson required only be opened and read long after his death. Peterson also did the cover art himself, and created 7 interior illustrations, in a black and white style inspired by the original Holmes illustrations by Sidney Paget.

Blurb:

An urgent telegram from Inspector Forrester calls Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John H. Watson to Reigate, Surrey, to assist his friends at Leidstone Manor: two sibling writers whose manuscripts have been stolen. The siblings, Aubrey and Kate, have received a dire threat: renounce their inheritance and leave for America at once, never to see their beloved dying Uncle Hugh again, or the thief will give Sir Hugh the manuscripts and expose truths that could ruin their lives. As Holmes and Watson search for evidence, an illicit love affair, concealed identities, family secrets, and a mysterious benefactor muddy the waters; there are others who have as much to lose as the siblings. With lives hanging in the balance, Holmes and Watson race to stop a murderer at the end of the hidden lane.

The art in this novelette is completely original and new; the text is an edited reprint of a work originally published in the anthology A Study in Lavender, edited by Joseph R. G. DeMarco. In DeMarco’s memory, Duck Prints Press and Max Jason Peterson will each be donating 10% of their shares of the sales proceeds to the Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library.

Want to read an awesome new Holmes story, see some amazing art, and support a great cause? You can pre-order your copy of The Adventure of the Hidden Lane today via our webpage or on itch.io!

Did you know? Supporters who back our Patreon at the $10/month level get our published novelettes as part of their backing! They’ll receive an e-book copy of The Adventure of the Hidden Lane on release day, November 3rd.