I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Episode 101: Rebecca Romney

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"the professional enthusiasm which carried my companion" [SIGN] </h4>
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When your interview guest says that she was hooked on Sherlock Holmes based on the line "I confess that I covet your skull," [HOUN] you know it's going to be a fun and unusual discussion.<br />
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Even more fun is the fact that Rebecca Romney is an extraordinarily well read and well informed Sherlockian, partially owing to the fact that she is also a rare book dealer. Professionally, she works with Honey and Wax Booksellers, but you may recall her from one of her appearances on <i>Pawn Stars</i>, where she was the rare books expert.<br />
<br />
Rebecca shares her journey, which goes from a youth filled with books to a degree in linguistics and classics, teaching English in Japan and launching Bauman Rare Books' Las Vegas gallery in 2007. Along the way, we discover other Sherlockians that Rebecca has met, the finer points of bookselling (and training to become one), and the magic of having conversations about books with people.<br />
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The conversation ranges from Ronald A. Knox to Burgess Meredith, Christopher Morley to Richard Altick. Will it include the legendary Chumley? You'll have to listen in to find out.<br />
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Rebecca and her husband J.P. Romney host the podcast Biblioclast and they have just completed a book called <i>Printer's Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History</i>, which will be published by Harper Collins in early 2017. <br />
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And perhaps there's an Easter egg somewhere as well...<br />
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<h3>
<b>Notes</b></h3>
1:37 Welcome and intro<br />
5:52 Sponsor: Wessex Press (<i>The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library</i>)<br />
7:20 Welcoming Rebecca Romney<br />
9:39 Getting Sherlock Holmes into her skull<br />
12:23 Sibling battles led to the path of book collecting<br />
17:05 How does one become a rare book dealer, anyway?<br />
26:25 Meeting a Sherlockian for the first time<br />
33:12 "The Skeptic's Guide to Sherlock Holmes" - from the Winter 2015 BSI<br />
38:09 Sponsor: <i>The Baker Street Journal</i> (eBSJ)<br />
40:16 Rebecca's podcast: Biblioclast<br />
43:32 A new book: <i>Printer's Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History</i><br />
46:55 The most expensive Sherlockian book sold by Rebecca<br />
50:22 Buyer's remorse in a Las Vegas bookshop<br />
53:24 Collectors who view themselves as risky investors<br />
58:24 Advice from a bookseller - channeling Christopher Morley<br />
1:03:52 Sponsor: Sherlock Holmes Brand Rare Book Replicas<br />
1:04:51 Wrap-up and announcements<br />
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Sponsors</h3>
This episode includes our two longtime sponsors and we thank them. Please support our sponsors by visiting their sites:<br />
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<li>The <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a>, featuring the <a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/shrl.html" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes Reference Library</a>. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></a>, where you can find an electronic archive of <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/ebooks/ebsj.html" target="_blank">the BSJ from 1946-2011 in the eBSJ</a>. </li>
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Links:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Jimmy Stewart reads "<a href="https://youtu.be/byA3JAdqPQk" target="_blank">A Dog Named Beau</a>"</li>
<li>The classic film <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_(film)" target="_blank">Harvey</a></i></li>
<li><i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="081420435X" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="7ee6f39e12c8205b96fd805621c71249" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Scholar Adventurers" href="http://www.amazon.com/Scholar-Adventurers-RICHARD-ALTICK/dp/081420435X/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=7ee6f39e12c8205b96fd805621c71249&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5965153" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Scholar Adventurers</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5965153" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=7ee6f39e12c8205b96fd805621c71249&_cb=1469856615955" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> by Richard Altick</li>
<li><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1584561122" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="b3409354d850e356e07abef3d1b61519" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="ABC for Book Collectors" href="http://www.amazon.com/ABC-Book-Collectors-John-Carter/dp/1584561122/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=b3409354d850e356e07abef3d1b61519&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_1721828" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ABC for Book Collectors</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_1721828" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=b3409354d850e356e07abef3d1b61519&_cb=1469858280826" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></li>
<li>Jerry Margolin on <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose16" target="_blank">Episode 16</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rebeccaromney.com/" target="_blank">Rebecca Romney's website</a></li>
<li><a href="http://honeyandwaxbooks.com/" target="_blank">Honey and Wax Booksellers</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.biblioclastpodcast.com/" target="_blank">Biblioclast Podcast</a></li>
<li><i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0062412310" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="80132d3bea8380c16ac7ceaeb1ffc0dc" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Printer's Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History" href="http://www.amazon.com/Printers-Error-Irreverent-Stories-History/dp/0062412310/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=80132d3bea8380c16ac7ceaeb1ffc0dc&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_8178841" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Printer's Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_8178841" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=80132d3bea8380c16ac7ceaeb1ffc0dc&_cb=1469856506609" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i></li>
<li>Leave us a rating or review <a href="http://bit.ly/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">on iTunes by going here</a></li>
<li>The <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Patreon</a> page</li>
<li>The <a href="http://ihose.co/ihosesurvey" target="_blank">IHOSE listener survey</a></li>
</ul>
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Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard magazine at  <a href="http://ihose.co/flipsherlock" target="_blank">ihose.co/flipsherlock</a>, as well as on the <a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/114565123495685504221" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes Community</a> on Google+ (with over 3,700 members), as well as through our accounts on  <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/ihearofsherlock">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/04/ihose-on-snapchat-just-in-time-for.html">Snapchat</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Twitter</a>  and <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>.</div>
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Episode 101: Rebecca Romney

"the professional enthusiasm which carried my companion" [SIGN] When your interview guest says that she was hooked on Sh...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in Moscow

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"you and I will drive together to the Russian Embassy" [GOLD]</h4>
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In 2006, I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2006/11/was-in-city-in-russia-gold_20.html#.V45wKWgrI2x" target="_blank">reported on the plans to create astatue</a> of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson (who are perennially popular in
Russia) in the Russian capital of Moscow. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Having recently returned from a trip to Moscow, much of
which was filled with visits to various literary monuments—of which Moscow is
full—I thought it would not be out of place to report on the aforementioned
Holmes and Watson statue, which now graces the embankment in front of the
British Embassy. I visited the statue on my first trip to Moscow, two years
ago, trekking through the 80-degree Moscow heat to a secluded embankment in an
otherwise unremarkable district to find the statue in question, and I must say
that the experience is slightly magical.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Back when the statue was only planned, many different
locations were considered for it, with the Smolenskaya embankment (where the
embassy is located) finally chosen. Yet the figures of Holmes and Watson were
not based on Sidney Paget’s illustrations or Jeremy Brett’s depiction; rather,
they were in the form of Vitaly Solomin and Vasily Livanov, who incarnated
Holmes and Watson in an excellent and still-popular Soviet adaptation of the
Canon.</div>
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This is part of what makes the statue magical: this
cross-cultural connection. The Sherlock Holmes stories remain incredibly popular in Russian-speaking countries, while Livanov was
acknowledged to be the best incarnation of Sherlock Holmes by Queen Elizabeth
herself, and became an honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire. At
the unveiling of the statue in 2007, the actor himself noted this
cross-cultural connection:<br />
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“Anyone can destroy a monument,” he said, drawing on a
cigarette. “But to unite two cultures, two nations, with one idea – that is not
something anyone can do.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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As the <a href="http://www.kp.ru/daily/23895/66683/">Russian newspaper <i>Komsomolskaya Pravda</i></a> reported,
Livanov seated himself on the bench between his bronze self and Doctor Watson
and warned those present:</div>
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“If you touch Doctor Watson’s notebook, all problems and mysteries will be explained. As for whoever touches my pipe…. That person will become embroiled in a criminal conspiracy.” </blockquote>
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<br />Not having heard Livanov’s warning prior to my visit, it appears I have managed to both embroil myself in a criminal undertaking and solve any unexplained mystery, as I took a whiff of Holmes’ pipe and looked over Watson’s shoulder at his notebook:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15cQuFgLL6PUXLAINYoyMgjzi5bfgeL6Hh8EHytHiQK9q5-uiAwOGBqK1mFQjSnhdKhQxafXELFsjPiZrS_zb8gLkRy8BVxevTWaITwFX1n61fOvLaJRkwab2ZnEp5ifeAzWnW9cO5c4_/s1600/20140714_151040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15cQuFgLL6PUXLAINYoyMgjzi5bfgeL6Hh8EHytHiQK9q5-uiAwOGBqK1mFQjSnhdKhQxafXELFsjPiZrS_zb8gLkRy8BVxevTWaITwFX1n61fOvLaJRkwab2ZnEp5ifeAzWnW9cO5c4_/s320/20140714_151040.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkhurW2izUcEdhrHNGUaWKmYFEgpn91OjEtGklXFDdShifNydi4q_j0M_tt0TZSTqzbP_gJMfnuHxu0VKGlwHbhTgLvHFN29Dvp0rB41398gCGbeXIp8soABobJ1t50l7sAzvFW8y3kN4/s1600/20140714_150957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkhurW2izUcEdhrHNGUaWKmYFEgpn91OjEtGklXFDdShifNydi4q_j0M_tt0TZSTqzbP_gJMfnuHxu0VKGlwHbhTgLvHFN29Dvp0rB41398gCGbeXIp8soABobJ1t50l7sAzvFW8y3kN4/s320/20140714_150957.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /><br /><br />Some information in this post was taken from the article about the unveiling of the statue; all translations into English were done by me. All photos by me. </div>
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Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in Moscow

"you and I will drive together to the Russian Embassy" [GOLD] In 2006, I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere reported on the plans...

+ Read more »

by Anastasia Klimchynskaya

Sherlock Series 4 — First Trailer and News From Comic-Con

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"we had this comic interlude" [3GAB]</h4>
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Sherlock is always a draw at Comic-Con. Especially when there's a new series on the way. In this case, Series 4 is due in 2017 (no specific date yet), so fans and cast members alike gathered at the San Diego event to pick up as many hints as possible about the new shows.<br />
<br />
We already know that, like in previous series, there will be three episodes. You may recall when we spoke with <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose86" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steven Moffat and Sue Vertue in Episode 86</a> prior to "The Abominable Bride," they mentioned how each episode is akin to shooting a feature-length film.<br />
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But what else have we been able to glean over the last few months about the next series?<br />
<br />
Well, we know that <a href="http://www.empireonline.com/people/benedict-cumberbatch/toby-jones-will-sherlock-new-villain/" target="_blank">Toby Jones is joining the cast</a> as none other than <a href="http://www.denofgeek.com/uk/tv/sherlock/34751/sherlock-series-4-amanda-abbington-posts-last-day-image" target="_blank">the villain Culverton Smith</a>, who appeared in "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" in the original stories.<br />
<br />
And Moffat, Vertue and Mark Gatiss revealed their now traditional "three words" to describe the episodes: Thatcher. Smith. Sherrinford. What do these names tell us?<br />
<br />
We've already established the significance of Smith above. But unlike Smith, the other two names are not Canonical — that is, they never appeared in the original Sherlock Holmes stories.<br />
<br />
However, Sherrinford is significant because it is part of some of the most core and accepted Sherlockian scholarship. In <i>Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street</i>, a biography of Sherlock Holmes by William S. Baring-Gould, BSI ("The <i>Gloria Scott</i>"), the author indicated that Holmes's parents were Siger Holmes and Violet Sherrinford, and that there were <b><i>three</i></b> Holmes brothers: Sherlock (the youngest), Mycroft, and the eldest brother, Sherrinford. That would seem to be where the hint is pointing, but we'll have to wait to see if a third Holmes brother is brought into the series this time around.<br />
<br />
Thatcher is a bit more problematic, however. There is no such name in the Canon. Offhand, it brings up two alternatives in our mind:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Some reference to Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of England. Given Mycroft's connection to the government, it's not completely out of the question.</li>
<li>A long-lost love interest for Sherlock, as Becky Thatcher was the paramour of Tom Sawyer in Mark Twain's book by the same name.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
One thing that was more apparent about the upcoming season, thanks to <a href="https://youtu.be/xj6c_nXsxW8" target="_blank">the trailer provided by PBS Masterpiece</a>: the dark themes throughout. We're treated to a glimpse of the ever-present Moriarty, the nefarious Smith, an unshaven Sherlock, a group of masked nurses (evidently shielding themselves from some infectious disease), explosions, gunplay, hand-to-hand combat and more.<br />
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Do you have any theories about what's going on or about the three words? Leave us a comment below.<br />
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Sherlock Series 4 — First Trailer and News From Comic-Con

"we had this comic interlude" [3GAB] Sherlock is always a draw at Comic-Con. Especially when there's a new series on the ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

The Baker Street Jurors — A Review

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<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"a hard-headed British jury" [BOSC]</h4>
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<a href="https://images.booksense.com/images/068/060/9781250060068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.booksense.com/images/068/060/9781250060068.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1250060060" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="8a9de196a7c0a4b86155fa9665155bda" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Baker Street Jurors" href="http://www.amazon.com/Baker-Street-Jurors-Mystery-Letters/dp/1250060060/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=8a9de196a7c0a4b86155fa9665155bda&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5687855" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Baker Street Jurors</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5687855" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=8a9de196a7c0a4b86155fa9665155bda&_cb=1469326230536" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> by <a href="http://us.macmillan.com/author/michaelrobertson" target="_blank">Michael Robertson</a> is a delightful lighthearted mystery much in the vein of today's popular cozy mysteries. The book is part of the <a href="http://us.macmillan.com/series/thebakerstreetletters" target="_blank"><i>Baker Street Letters</i></a> series involving brothers Nigel and Reggie Robertson who have offices at 221B Baker Street and spend some of their time answering letters addressed to Sherlock Holmes. Nigel and Reggie are a legal team with Reggie as the barrister and Nigel as the solicitor.<br />
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This book focuses on Nigel because Reggie is away on his honeymoon and is only mentioned in the book. This is part of Nigel's recent string of bad luck. While his happy brother is away enjoying marital bliss, Nigel has returned to London from Los Angeles where the love of his life, Mara Ramirez, has split with him.<br />
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A big distraction comes to Nigel in the form of a jury summons. What could be the crime of the century has occurred. Rory McSweeney, a national hero who has led England's cricket team to the international championship has been accused of murdering his wife by beating her to death with his cricket bat. Nigel's law office has received two different summons.  One is addressed to him, the other is addressed to Sherlock Holmes.<br />
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As Nigel ends up as an alternate on the jury, the real mystery starts to develop.  While hearing the case of Mr. McSweeney, many of the jurors start having accidents, and one by one, they need to be replaced by the alternates. Who is responsible for these accidents?  And what is the motivation?<br />
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This book is a fun summer read. Nigel is a great sympathetic character. He is a nice guy who comes across as shy and kind, and throughout the book you can't help feeling bad for him, having to deal with being on a jury which he has no desire to be on, trying to solve the mystery while dealing with the other kooky jurors, and also running the law office while his brother is away.<br />
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My only complaint with the book is that it is described as a great read for fans of Sherlock Holmes and it is no such thing. The book has a sort of Sherlock Holmes character who says some Sherlock Holmes quotes, but that connection to the consulting detective is tenuous at best. This is more of a book for fans of Agatha Christie than fans of Doyle, and that is not a criticism, just a fact. I wouldn't want someone reading this book expecting a Sherlock Holmes style mystery to be disappointed.  This book is too good for any form of disappointment. <br />
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<i>The Baker Street Jurors</i> is available in both <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Baker-Street-Jurors-Mystery-Letters/dp/1250060060" target="_blank">hardcover</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Baker-Street-Jurors-Mystery-Letters-ebook/dp/B017H2LBRO" target="_blank">Kindle</a> editions.<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";">Derrick Belanger is the author of the #1 bestselling book in its category <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1519511957" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Peculiar-Provenance/dp/1519511957/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3292728" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3292728" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&_cb=1451973203084" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />, which was in the top 200 bestselling books on Amazon. He also is the author of the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes books, the latest of which is <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B017862MVS" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur" href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dinosaur-MacDougall-Sherlock-Holmes-ebook/dp/B017862MVS/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_7842789" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_7842789" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&_cb=1451973247482" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />, and he edited the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle horror anthology <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00P4E8AVI" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural" href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Terror-Revolutionary-Stories-Supernatural-ebook/dp/B00P4E8AVI/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5010397" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5010397" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&_cb=1451973259426" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />. Mr. Belanger has recently started the publishing company <a href="http://www.belangerbooks.com/" target="_blank">Belanger Books</a> which released the Sherlock Holmes anthology <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Watson-Sherlock-Anthology-Stories/dp/1533202273/" target="_blank">Beyond Watson</a>. Derrick Belanger also is a frequent contributor to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. He resides in Colorado and continues compiling unpublished works by Dr. John H. Watson.</i><br />
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