My 2014 reading list has been influenced by nostalgia and necessity, and sometimes a combination of both. In the first instance, most of my year has been occupied in deconstructing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes because I was invited to contribute two Holmes stories to two collections for two different markets. I was delighted and terrified at the same time. How does one honour such a famous literary detective, beloved by millions, who also just happens to be one of my favourite characters of all time?

I originally read the Sherlock Holmes collection when I was about 12. My Russian ‘Babushka’ who had a great passion for classic literature and old Hollywood films passed on her abiding love for the great consulting detective to me. She also introduced me to the Basil Rathbone movies and later on to the Jeremy Brett television series, both of which we adored. She would have been besotted by Benedict Cumberbatch’s modern interpretation had she lived to see his performances in Sherlock.