SHERLOCK Holmes is back and this time it's not Robert Downey Jr cavorting across our screens or Benedict Cumberbatch's modern take of the famous detective.

Harrow author and Sherlock Holmes enthusiast, Paul Gilbert, has once again reincarnated the iconic sleuth in his new book and first ever novel, Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra.

The book has been influenced by a reference made by original author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire, in which Holmes declares that the giant rat of Sumatra is "a story for which the world is not yet prepared."

But Mr Gilbert of Dove Park, Hatch End, has taken this one legendary line and turned it into a rip-roaring Victorian adventure.

This is not the first time the father-of-two has put his own spin on the classic writings of Conan Doyle. He has already found literary success with The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes and The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes.

"The reason why I started writing the books was because I discovered my wife, Jackie, and I were both fanatical about the detective. She thought, wouldn't it be great if someone could produce something new but in the same traditional style as the original books. The first two have been really well received."

The 56-year-old now hopes the millions of ardent Holmes fans will enjoy his interpretation of this previously unwritten case. He said: "The novel is based on a reference made by Holmes in a previous story.

"It is one of the most famous cases that was never looked into and Doyle didn't give any clues as to how the story might pan out. I thought it would be a great story to become the basis of my first novel."

The tale is presented in the traditional Conan Doyle way and set in Baker Street. But a large chunk of the novel is told through the eyes of a Victorian explorer sending letters back to his son who asks Holmes to shed some light on what is happening to his father abroad.

"He is kind of like a Victorian Indiana Jones", explains Mr Gilbert. "It delves into history, religion and mysticism. It is a rip-roaring Victorian adventure with ship wrecks, battle scenes and martial arts. It also takes a look at meditation and spiritualism.

"I had to do so much research and make sure all the different strands came together. But in the end it seemed to just write itself."

Mr Gilbert's favourite depiction of Holmes on screen is Jeremy Brett's character in Granada Television’s successful Sherlock Holmes series during the 1980s.

He has joined a campaign, along with the likes of Stephen Fry, to award Jeremy Brett with a Posthumous Bafta Award and the recognition he deserves for his 41 years of acting on stage, TV, and film.

Mr Gilbert said: "He was a great actor and when I write, Jeremy Brett is my Sherlock. "His family have read my books and I believe they have gone down well with them. "My absolute dream is to one day have one of my books televised or filmed. That was my dream from the beginning and I would like to carry on until this dream becomes a reality. I owe a lot to Jeremy Brett. I never met him but my interpretation of Holmes owes a lot to his character."

The Give Jeremy Brett a Posthumous BAFTA Award Petition can be found at http://www.petitiononline.com/JBBAFTA2/petition.html

Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra by Paul D Gilbert is priced at £18.99 and is available in all good book shops.