The Crown of Lies
Where Deduction Meets Digital Warfare
"His greatest nemesis isn't Moriarty — it's the Algorithm that knows him better than he knows himself."
♔ Buy The Crown of Lies on Amazon
"His greatest nemesis isn't Moriarty — it's the Algorithm that knows him better than he knows himself."
♔ Buy The Crown of Lies on Amazon
High-energy cinematic thriller experience
Classic sophistication meets modern mystery
David Charles writes psychological thrillers where deduction collides with the digital age. A novelist and screenwriter, his work fuses the razor intellect of classic detective fiction with the pulse and paranoia of the modern world.
His debut novel, The Crown of Lies, reimagines Sherlock Holmes at the crossroads of AI, espionage, and psychological warfare—a battle of minds waged in the shadows of global power.
Inspired by London's fog and Hong Kong's neon skyline, Charles explores the fragile boundary between genius and obsession in an era when technology may understand humanity better than we understand ourselves.
The next Sherlock Holmes thriller by David Charles is coming soon.
For a modernized Sherlock Holmes, the gaslit streets of London have been replaced by a world of quantum data streams and digital ghosts. But the game has never been more dangerous. When a high-profile quantum physicist collapses on the streets of Hong Kong, dying without a visible cause or attacker, Holmes is summoned from the shadows by a chilling declaration: "Someone has just turned murder into mathematics." Plunged into the neon-drenched labyrinth of Hong Kong's financial district, Holmes and a battle-hardened Dr. John Watson find themselves confronting Crown Industries, a global tech empire built on the revolutionary—and terrifyingly accurate—predictive power of an artificial intelligence known as Eterna.
Its visionary creator, Alexander Crown, is a man with messianic ambitions, but Holmes quickly deduces he is merely the public face of the operation. The true architect is a ghost, a brilliant and ruthless strategist whose methods are unlike any he has ever faced. A New Queen Has Entered the Game. Her name is Amara Lu, a master of psychological warfare and the unseen hand guiding a conspiracy of breathtaking scale. She doesn't use clues; she uses consciousness itself as a weapon. While Holmes races to unravel a plot to orchestrate a global economic collapse, Amara wages a different kind of war. She targets his greatest strength and only vulnerability: his bond with John Watson. This gripping psychological thriller sees Watson, the steadfast soldier and loyal companion, become the primary battlefield. Through a sophisticated campaign of seduction, manipulation, and cutting-edge neural technology, Amara turns Watson's mind against him, transforming Holmes's most trusted ally into a catastrophic liability.
As Holmes fights a war on two fronts—one against a rogue AI threatening to shatter the world's economy and another for his friend's very soul—the lines between victory and damnation blur into nothing. Fans of Jason Matthews' Red Sparrow and modern spy thrillers will be captivated by this relentless, high-tech reinvention of a classic hero. The Crown of Lies is a stunning evolution of the Sherlock Holmes canon, a globe-trotting espionage adventure that combines the intricate plotting of a classic mystery with the high-octane tension of a contemporary tech-thriller. Prepare for a story where: An unstoppable Artificial Intelligence threatens to weaponize the world's financial markets. A deep-cover conspiracy stretches from the highest echelons of British intelligence to the hidden heart of state-sponsored power in Beijing.
The brilliant detective must confront an enemy who has modeled his psychology and anticipated his every move. Loyalty is twisted into a weapon, and the only path to victory may require sacrificing the one thing Holmes cannot bear to lose. In this deadly new game, the puzzle isn't who committed the crime, but how to stop an adversary who can predict your every solution. To defeat her, Sherlock Holmes must become a monster, forcing him to confront the terrifying truth that in a world built on a crown of lies, the greatest lie of all might be the one he tells himself. ♔ Read Sample on Amazon ♔ Hear Audio Book Sample
A brilliant detective operating in modern Hong Kong, Holmes applies his legendary deductive powers when a quantum physicist's mysterious death exposes a conspiracy involving revolutionary AI technology. He faces an unprecedented challenge: an adversary who seems capable of predicting and countering his every move.
Holmes's trusted companion and former military doctor, Watson provides loyal support throughout their investigation of Crown Industries. His compassionate nature and unwavering moral compass anchor the partnership, though these very qualities may harbor unexpected vulnerabilities.
The charismatic CEO of Crown Industries presents his company's predictive AI, Eterna, as a revolutionary technology for global financial markets. Brilliant and ambitious, Crown commands a vast tech empire with connections to intelligence agencies worldwide.
A strategic officer at Crown Industries whose unassuming title conceals her true influence within the organization. Daughter of Minister Lu Wei-Ping, she possesses exceptional skills in psychological manipulation and strategic planning that make her far more formidable than her position suggests.
A respected humanitarian and international charity leader known for her philanthropic work across Europe and Asia. Her connection to the investigation places her at the dangerous intersection of power, manipulation, and conspiracy.
A powerful Chinese minister positioned to become the next premier, Lu Wei-Ping is the ruthless architect behind the global conspiracy who engineered his own daughter into a weapon for his ambitions. A clinical psychopath who views emotion as weakness, he treats everyone—including Amara—as expendable tools in his calculated pursuit of absolute power.
A high-ranking officer in the People's Liberation Army with deep involvement in classified biowarfare programs and intelligence operations. His strategic ambitions and covert maneuvering make him a dangerous player in the shadowy conflict between nations and corporations.
"Charles has masterfully updated Holmes for the digital age. The Crown of Lies is a thrilling blend of classic deduction and cutting-edge technology that kept me guessing until the very end. Brilliant!"
— Sarah M., Verified Purchase
"This is how you modernize a classic character. The psychological depth and technological intrigue create a perfect storm of suspense. Holmes vs. AI is the battle I never knew I needed to read."
— Michael R., Book Reviewer