TopTens from 'Doctor Dan'

Dan Andriacco discovered Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes stories at about the age of nine. Not long after, he became acquainted with such greats of the Golden Age of detective fiction as Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Rex Stout, John Dickson Carr, Erle Stanley Gardner, and many more.He has been a member of the Tankerville Club, a Cincinnati-based scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars, since 1981. That connection is reflected in many ways in his book Baker Street Beat: An Eclectic Collection of Sherlockian Scribblings. Andriacco's Sebastian McCabe - Jeff Cody mystery series, (three books to date)set in a small town in Ohio, is very much in the tradition of his Golden Age favorites.

"McCabe is a great detective in the classic mode," Andriacco says. "By that I mean he is a polymath amateur sleuth. He's a college professor at at small Catholic college, but he's also a mystery writer, a magician, and a linguist. I would love to meet the man, but I'm not sure I'd want to be his best friend.
"His 'Watson,' Jeff Cody is not only his best friend, but also his brother-in-law and the public relations director for the college where Mac teachers. These multiple relationships carry multiple tensions, which I hope is a source of humor. These books are supposed to be fun and funny. Judging by reviewers, they seem to hit that mark for most readers."

DR. DAN’S TOP 10s


TOP 10 ORIGINAL SHERLOCK HOLMES STORIES

"The Hound of the Baskervilles"
“His Last Bow”
“The Adventure of the Red-Headed League”
“The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle”
“The Adventure of Charles August Milverton”
"The Adventure of the Speckled Band”
“The Final Problem”
“The Adventure of the Empty House”
“A Scandal in Bohemia”
"The Valley of Fear"

TOP 10 PASTICHES

"The Final Solution" – Michael Chabron
“The Adventure of the Unique ‘Hamlet’” – Vincent Starrett
“The Adventure of the Unique Dickensians” – August Derleth
The West End Horror" – Nicholas Meyer
Sherlock Homes vs. Dracula: The Adventure of the Sanguinary Count – Loren D. Estleman
Dust and Shadow – Lindsay Faye
Murder in the Vatican: The Church Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes – Ann Margaret Lewis
Goodnight, Mr. Holmes – Carol Nelson Douglas
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Boer Wagon – Kieran McMullen
Sherlock Holmes and the Lyme Regis Horror – David Ruffle
(I won’t mention “The Peculiar Persecution of John Vincent Harden”)

TOP 10 PLACES

221B Baker Street
The Diogenes Club

Simpson’s in the Strand

Reichenbach Falls

Baskerville Hall

Stoke Moran

Birlstone Manor House

King’s Pyland, Dartmoor

Pondicherry Lodge

The Sussex Downs (Holmes’s villa)

Visit Dan's excellent blog at: Baker Street Beat where you can find details of where to purchase his excellent books. And much more!

Sherlock Holmes And The Case of the Bulgarian Codex

New from Tim Symonds, the author of Sherlock Holmes And The Dead Boer At Scotney Castle (MX Publishing 2012).

It's the year 1900. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson receive an urgent commission from the Prince Regnant of Bulgaria to come to Sofia. The Codex Zographensis, the most ancient and most sacred manuscript in the Old Bulgarian language has been stolen. Its disappearance could lead to the outbreak of war between Russia, Austro-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire…

What follows is a story of duplicity, murder, vampires and greed for vast estates in Bulgaria and Hungary, with the fate of millions in Sherlock Holmes's hands.
Although the events in Sherlock Holmes And The Case Of The Bulgarian Codex are fictional, the principal character Prince Ferdinand is based closely on one of the most compelling personalities in world history, the real Prince Regnant, later Tsar, who ruled Bulgaria from 1887 until his forcible abdication in 1918.

A snippet: The Balkans loom…


CHAPTER I    IN WHICH WE DINE AT SIMPSON’S

"SNORTING and champing at the bit like a high-strung warhorse, the Orient Express stayed its departure from the Gare de Strasbourg while Sherlock Holmes and I flung ourselves from a five-glass landau and clambered into the private cars of the Prince Regnant of Bulgaria. Our boxes tumbled in behind us. It was late on a Friday afternoon in April, in the year 1900. With a minatory scream the immense train pulled away on its long journey to Stamboul. Soon Paris was left behind. Without noise or jerk we were going fifty miles per hour without seeming to move. The case of the Bulgarian Codex had commenced."


Amazon UK and kindle reader link at : Kindle

and all bookselling websites worldwide and bookstores.

Ten Days to go......................

Ten days to go to the publication of 'Sherlock Holmes and the Missing Snowman'. Here is no childish Sherlock Holmes, no Sherlock Holmes as a mouse, a dog or a cat etc. But a canonical Holmes. In 221b where he belongs, with the fire roaring, the unopened correspondence transfixed to the mantle by a jack-knife, the pipe rack ready for use. In Watson's corner we have the framed pictures of General Gordon and Henry Ward Beecher (yes, I know it should be unframed!). It may be a book aimed at younger children, but great pains have been taken to produce a recognisable Holmes and Watson in a recognisable and authentic setting and here there is a big thank you to Rikey Austin, her illustrations are quite, quite wonderful. Winter is on the way, Christmas is on the way and this will hopefully delight any child or indeed adult who find it in their Christmas stockings.

Sherlock Holmes and The Missing Snowman is available to pre-order from all good bookshops including in the USA Amazon , in the UK Amazon and Waterstones. For elsewhere Book Depository who offer free delivery worldwide.

The Trilogy.......

The publication in December of 'Sherlock Holmes and the Lyme Regis Trials' will bring to a close the Sherlock Holmes/Lyme Regis trilogy. So, what can you expect from each book in the series? How closely are they connected?
Sherlock Holmes and the Lyme Regis Horror: Takes its inspiration from Bram Stoker's Dracula and of course from Lyme Regis. It introduces a love interest for Watson and several characters in the town who take on a life of their own in the two subsequent books. Started as a two page exercise and grew from there. Originally self-published in December 2009 and I was pleased with the response to it. The expanded 2nd edition, published by MX Publishing, features extra content. The extra content: Two 'lengthy short' pieces involving Holmes with the Australian cricket team of 1899 and a re-working of MR James's 'Casting The Runes'. Three Christmas pieces including 'Henrietta's Problem' the begetter of 'Sherlock Holmes and the Missing Snowman'. Two ghost stories and a poem complete the collection.
Sherlock Holmes and the Lyme Regis Legacy: Faster paced than its predecessor and a tad more violence along the way (all understated). An old adversary is out for revenge and not just on Holmes and Watson. Four violent deaths punctuate the tale before a resolution take place culminating in one more death. Lestrade and Mycroft Holmes put in an appearance as do the Lyme Regis 'regulars'. There is humour too, mostly regarding Watson's various attempts to devour plum puddings. There is humour too in the extra content: Here, Holmes and Watson encounter Laurel and Hardy, visit the land of Oz, star in their own version of Masterchef and stumble into a Dad's Army/Frasier episode!!  Humour too in a poem I wrote as an ode to Holmes in the style of William McGonagall. A history of Lyme Regis is included and two poems celebrating life in Lyme.
Sherlock Holmes and the Lyme Regis Trials: Have to say, no great mystery here, but rather, me celebrating Holmes and Watson in Lyme Regis. There is a revenge motif again and chicaneries of the Admiralty play a part too. A lot of the action takes place in the Royal Lion Hotel, a fine place for it! I have tried to make it bright, breezy and fun as befits the end of the series and the characters. Submarines, actresses, madmen, shaggy dog, and a good time had by all. Pinched a paragraph from David Nobbs, one of the UK's leading comic novelists, to finish it all off (with his permission). And that's about it really, apart from the extra content: This time it's just one story, based on an unpublished account mentioned by Watson, 'the Grosvenor Square furniture van'. Imagined here as a story of haunting and possession. Maybe.

Sherlock Holmes and The Lyme Regis Horror is available from all good bookstores worldwide including in the USA Amazon and Barnes and Noble - and in all electronic formats including Amazon Kindle, Kobo and Apple iBooks(iPad/iPhone).

Sherlock Holmes and The Lyme Regis Legacy is available from all good bookstores worldwide including in the USA Amazon, Classic Specialities and Barnes and Noble  - and in all electronic formats including Amazon Kindle, Nook, Kobo and Apple iBooks (iPad/iPhone)

Sherlock Holmes and the Lyme Regis Trials: is available to pre-order from all good bookstores worldwide including in the USA Amazon and UK: Amazon and Waterstones.

The Wormwood Scrubs Enigma....

When two prison guards are found beheaded in the barren countryside surrounding Her Majesty's Prison at Wormwood Scrubs, Inspector Lestrade seeks Holmes' singular powers to determine how the murders could have been committed in separate locations with the only footprints being those of the murdered guards themselves. With Doctor Watson at his side, Holmes sets out on this new adventure and uncovers deeper mysteries still; mysteries that will not only test the detectives' powers of observation and deduction, but his skepticism of the paranormal as well.

Now, this is how I like pastiches to be, namely on the short side with characterisations of Holmes and Watson spot on. To me very often less is more and here the author presents us with a novel crime which appears to be 'impossible' yet how can we possibly think that with Sherlock Holmes on the scene. It's the equivalent of a locked-room mystery, but takes place outdoors. The plot development is skilful and not hurried along in spite of the brevity of the tale. The atmosphere is perfect and even the odd Americanism can be forgiven. I enjoyed this very much, but then as I have said it's exactly the kind of pastiche that does appeal to me; short, sweet and thoroughly entertaining. A big well-done to J. Andrew Taylor.

J. Andrew Taylor lives in Kansas City, Missouri with his wife and children. He enjoys (in addition to reading & writing), playing the drums, live music, museums, historical sites and art fairs.

'Sherlock Holmes and the Element of Surprise' is available from Amazon UK, USA, Barnes and Noble,The Book Depository (free worldwide delivery)

Visit the author's website at: http://www.jandrewtaylor2012.blogspot.co.uk/

Special Offer

Lyme Regis Trilogy Offer from MX Publishing

This year is a great year for trilogies. David Ruffle's superb Sherlock Holmes and Lyme Regis series comes to a conclusion on 10th of December with Shelock Holmes and The Lyme Regis Trials. However, fans can get the book a month early if they order the Trilogy before the end of October - plus they will get a pre-publication copy of the gorgeous new children's book Sherlock Holmes and The Missing Snowman included free!!

Available on both the US and UK (inc Europe) sites -order before 31st October, while stocks last.

USA -MX Publishing USA

UK and Europe MX Publishing UK

A Taste of Lyme Regis.............



Early morning view from the shop.

Now available online.....fudges direct from one of the oldest shops in Lyme Regis. Quality Corner is housed in a building with Tudor origins which managed to escape unscathed through the major conflagrations which so often beset Lyme. The shop has existed in various guises for at least the best part of two hundred years and possibly longer. It's entirely possible the shop was in existence during 1804/1805 when Jane Austen visited the town and while it is not known exactly what kind of shop it would have been in that era, it's quite pleasing to think that Jane Austen herself would have wandered in from time to time.
An early drawing of Lyme. The shop is bottom-left of the picture with the beautiful curved frontage:

And now (insert fanfare here!) Quality Corner can offer everyone the chance to grab a taste of Lyme....click on the link below and that taste could soon be yours!

Quality Corner Lyme Regis Website 

























Another Top Ten......

.....these are from Charlotte Smith, the author of the Sherlock Holmes novel, 'The Murder at Lodore Falls'.

Top Ten Sherlock Holmes pastiche novels

That is a challenge! In no particular order I would have to make a beeline for the ones below. Most of these books I have reviewed on My Tin Dispatch Box!

Barefoot On Baker Street Charlotte Walters     
The Secret Journal Of Dr Watson Phil Growick

The Lyme Regis Horror David Ruffle

Sherlock Holmes And Tangled Skein David Stuart Davies

The Consulting Detective Trilogy Darlene A. Cypser

The Chronicles Of Sherlock Holmes Paul Gilbert

Crack In The Lens Darlene A. Cypser

Sherlock Holmes And The Affair In Transylvania Gerry O’Hara

Dust and Shadow Lyndsay Faye

The Outstanding Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes Gerard Kelly

Top Ten Books

Rebecca Daphne Du Maurier                
Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte

Great Expectations Charles Dickens

The Woman In Black Susan Hill
Dubliners James Joyce
Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection
Reach For The Sky Paul Brickhall
Oliver Twist Charles Dickens
Oscar Wilde Complete Short Stories Oscar Wilde
Twopence To Cross The Mersey Helen Forrester

Top Ten Actors or Actresses


Jeremy Brett (My all time favourite actor and not just because of Sherlock Holmes!)
Edward Hardwicke (A great actor, Dr Watson and loved him in Colditz and various other roles)
Richard Burton (Just because he is so handsome in toga!)

Clint Eastwood (All round versatile and great actor)

Gene Hackman (You know the film is going to be good if he is in the billing)

Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort!!!)
John Wayne (Greatest cowboy ever!)                                       
Kirk Douglas (I’m Spartacus!)
Lawerence Oliver (The Master!)
Dame Judi Dench (For being so good as M)

'Murder at  Lodore Falls' is available from Amazon UK, Amazon USA, and all book-selling websites around the world. Visit Charlotte's web site and read her reviews at My Tin Dispatch Box.

End Peace: A review

Ross K Foad reviews Holmes and Watson: End Peace in his own inimitable style!

Holmes and Watson End Peace is available from bookstores including in the USA Barnes and Noble and Amazon, in the UK Waterstones, Amazon and Book Depository (free worldwide delivery).

Back to work

Back to work Monday after several weeks off with ankle injury, the mantra for Monday is: I must not fall down the steps, I must not fall down the steps, I must not fall down the steps.

Early morning views from the shop: