I'm Building a Sherlock Holmes Fiction Universe on Substack. Here's My Plan.
Author Diary #2: March 13, 2026
Welcome to my Author Diary— a weekly series that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how the Sherlock Holmes: Thailand series is made.
We’re just getting started…
A little over a week ago, I began serializing Sherlock Holmes and the Scarlet Thread, the first novel in the Sherlock Holmes: Thailand mystery thriller series.
It’s a huge milestone.
It took a lot of time, research, and energy to get to this point.
But it’s also only the beginning…
I’m building a Sherlock Holmes fiction universe.
Here’s my plan.
Two story formats. One universe.
The Sherlock Holmes: Thailand fiction universe is made up of two story formats:
1. Novels
2. Side Quests
Novels are the core content of the Sherlock Holmes: Thailand fiction universe.
Each novel is serialized, with a new chapter published weekly, for free.
The novels follow Holmes and Watson solving mysteries in modern Bangkok, reimagining the original Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle.
For example, the first novel, Sherlock Holmes and the Scarlet Thread, is a reimagining of A Study in Scarlet.
Each novel is a complete, satisfying mystery. They can be read in any order.
Holmes and Watson are both in their late-twenties when the series begins, but will age with each entry. Iconic characters (and villains!) that you know and love will be introduced as the series progresses.
If you love the novels, there’s more…
Side Quests are monthly short stories that expand the world of the Sherlock Holmes: Thailand novels.
Each Side Quest is an opportunity to explore a character further. The stories could focus on Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, Mrs. Hudson, or any other character in the Sherlock Holmes: Thailand fiction universe.
You do not need to read Side Quests to understand the novels.
Think of Side Quests as additional story content.
The first Side Quest will be published in March 2026.
Phantoms of the Amazon takes place BEFORE the events of the Sherlock Holmes: Thailand novels, following Sherlock Holmes on his mysterious ten-year journey around the world.
In this story, Holmes searches for a lost relic deep inside the Amazon rain forest, and stumbles onto a danger that locals believe is supernatural.
How to read Side Quests:
If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes: Thailand and want to support it (and get more story in return), a paid subscription is the best way to do that. The paid subscription tier launches in March 2026 at a founding discount.
Free subscribers still get every chapter of the Sherlock Holmes: Thailand novels.
Paid subscribers get additional access to Side Quests, as well as the eBook version of each novel.
Whether you stay a free subscriber or decide to upgrade to paid, I’m just happy you’re here. Thanks for joining me on this adventure.
Talk soon,
— Michael Chambers
This is super interesting. I’ve never really been into Sherlock Holmes but I like the idea.