“the number of the chapter is immaterial” [VALL]
I love an advent calendar. During a cold, dark month, where the pressure to do just the right thing for other people can become overwhelming, it’s nice to have a daily gift to oneself.
Here's a new style one, a type I wasn't previously familiar with, with content that's a gift for any Sherlockian: Derrick Belanger's Sherlock Holmes: Crimes for Christmas.
Twelve traditionally styled stories are published with cliffhangers and labeled by date. You read the story setup on one day, then discover what happened the next, with content for every day during the month of December until Boxing Day. (I know, I'm telling you about this much too late for this month, but a) if you get the book now, you get more to read all at once or b) you can get really ahead on your shopping for December 2025, if you want.)
It's tricky to make oneself stop, I find. But for anyone who remembers Encyclopedia Brown, it's fun to challenge yourself with figuring out the story's hook, the clue that reveals what happened.
Watson narrates, as he should, and Inspectors Gregson and Lestrade make appearances in these stories. Tales involve a missing criminal, a cause of unusual death, a murderous frame-up, an art theft, a missing author, and more, all set during the holiday winter month.
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes for Christmas by Derrick Belanger, published by Belanger Books, October 2024, is available in paperback and Kindle format on Amazon.
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