Mycroft Holmes Holmes. Possessing deductive powers exceeding even those of his younger brother, Mycroft is nevertheless incapable of performing detective work similar to that of Sherlock as he is unwilling to put in the physical effort necessary to bring cases to their conclusions. In "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter" Sherlock Holmes says: Though Sherlock initially tells Watson that Mycroft audits books for some government departments, he later reveals that Mycroft's true role is more substantial. While Conan Doyle's stories leave unclear what Mycroft Holmes' exact position is in the British government, Sherlock Holmes says that "Occasionally he "is" the British government
The Confessions of Mycroft Holmes: A Paper Chase The Confessions of Mycroft Holmes: A Paper Chase The Confessions of Mycroft Holmes: A Paper Chase is the title of a 2001 novel by Marcel Theroux. It was published in the United Kingdom in 2002 as The Paperchase. The protagonist is an Anglo-American journalist, Damien March, who inherits a dilapidated mansion in the United States on the death of his uncle, Patrick. Upon taking up residence, he discovers several short stories featuring Mycroft Holmes, which lead him to investigate the relationship between his father, mother and uncle. The novel was named the winner of the Somerset Maugham Award in 2002.