Honest John Churchfield: Victorian England's True Top Detective

"Honest John Churchfield," a new collection of mystery stories, brings humor and wit to the world of Victorian England detectives.

With an intellect as sharp as his right cross, Honest John Churchfield is one of the great detectives of 19th-century London. His singular sleuthing style, equal parts sarcasm, brutality, and alcohol consumption, leaves him second to none. Unfortunately, Sherlock Holmes casts an enormous shadow. While the public at large may not know his story, criminals fear the name Honest John.

“Honest John Churchfield” (200pp, tpb, $13.50) is a collection of five Churchfield adventures, blending old-fashioned, Sherlock Holmes-style mysteries with generous amounts of comedy.

Author Michael Paul Dell is best known for his acclaimed work with LCS Hockey (www.lcshockey.com), a pioneering internet site dedicated to entertaining coverage of the National Hockey League. When not chronicling the adventures of Honest John, Dell enjoys avoiding people, painting scenes from classic TV shows, and writing letters of apology. He hopes to one day find a box of money.

"In reading the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I was shocked at how much he ripped off Edgar Alan Poe," said Dell. "Poe invented the detective story, Doyle merely popularized it. So, in tribute to Poe, I decided to write my own detective stories, except my detective would be the antithesis of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Churchfield solves crimes with common sense, not arcane knowledge, and he likes punching people, chasing skirts, and getting drunk. Good times, good times."

“Honest John and the Missing Maidens” tells of a mysterious art heist baffling all London. “Honest John and the Irregular Medium” has our hero matching wits with a fraudulent fortuneteller. “Honest John Takes a Wife” features Churchfield foiling a rogue hypnotist. “Honest John Comes to Dinner” puts a new slant on brotherly love. And “Honest John Steals the Show” sees a night at the theater turn deadly.

Dell is currently working on the first full-length Churchfield novel.