The Big Sleep Thumbnails

As a Uni project I have been assigned to design and illustrate a book cover for the book 'The Big Sleep'. Its a competition hosted by Penguin Book Publishers (competition link here). I am more inspired by the big sleep other than the puffing brief 'Wind In The Willows', but its been a struggle.

Here are some of my thumbnail sketches I've come up with as the first stages of my design process.