At first glance there might appear to be little connection between Inspector Barnaby of Midsomer Murders and Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street. Holmes smoked a pipe and wore a deerstalker hat; Barnaby does not.

Holmes plied his trade mainly in the foggy streets of London town while Barnaby’s patch contains locations such as the sunny hills and villages of lovely South Oxfordshire.

Holmes played the violin and would sometimes inject himself with cocaine; Barnaby does not.

But the two detectives don’t just share the fate of being lumbered with slower-witted sidekicks…

Anthony Horowitz wrote the majority of the early episodes of Midsomer Murders in the days when John Nettles played the part of Inspector Barnaby with such aplomb.

Anthony also wrote many episodes of ITV’s popular Agatha Christie’s Poirot series and many of his plots featured twists which Sherlock Holmes fans would approve of.

So when the Conan Doyle Estate decided it was time to finally allow a modern writer to create a brand new Sherlock Holmes mystery, the name of Anthony Horowitz soon appeared in the frame.

The House of Silk will be released on the auspicious date 1.11.11 and will be narrated by Doctor Watson. The good doctor warns in the prologue that the tale will “shock British society” so a cracking yarn seems to be guaranteed!

Anthony told the Guardian that he has been a fan of Holmes since the age of 16. He said: “I have tried to be very, very careful. I really do admire these stories and would not want to take any liberties.”

The new Guy Ritchie-directed Sherlock Holmes film used Didcot Railway Centre, deep in the heart of Midsomer Murders filming territory as one of its locations.

Those Midsomer Murders-Sherlock Holmes connections keep piling up!