I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Re-imagined in LEGOs

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"Out there fell a cascade of children's bricks." [TWIS]</h4>
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For many of those who enjoy reading the original Sherlock Holmes stories, the illustrations of Sidney Paget have traditionally brought those scenes to life visually. When Granada began producing <i>The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i> in the mid-1980s starring Jeremy Brett, the team faithfully recreated many the original illustrations. Now you can now enjoy the detail and creativity of yet another real-world version of them in the <a href="http://amzn.to/1U6zgqO" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes Lego Book Series</a>. Instead of using actors and sets, this version uses LEGO brand minifigures and bricks.<br />
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During his PhD studies in physical anthropology, Dr. P. James Macaluso revived his old passion for LEGOs and combined it with his love of Sherlock Holmes in a unique manner. He designed LEGO versions of the Victorian England of Sherlock Holmes’ world as seen in Sidney Paget’s illustrations of scenes in the stories from <i>The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i>. The books in this series use photographs of these models to illustrate the stories. These LEGO illustrations bring the Paget drawings, and hence the stories, to life in a new way. <br />
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As of this review, the first seven stories from <i>The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i> have been distributed by MX Publishing.  Each soft cover book in the series contains one original story, incorporating the LEGO illustrations of models built from the original Paget drawings. <br />
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James’ attention to detail is apparent in all of his models. The iconic scene of Watson and Holmes in their own train compartment (carriage) has been captured by Sidney Paget, the Granada production starring Jeremy Brett, and now in LEGO bricks (shown above). Another classic scene presented is <i>the</i> woman, Irene Adler, in disguise and wishing Holmes a good night on his doorstep in “<a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1780926049" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="a1039f3a7a5c4f28c96e6921ec596145" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="A Scandal in Bohemia lego" href="http://www.amazon.com/Scandal-Bohemia-Adventures-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/1780926049/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=socialmediama-20&linkId=a1039f3a7a5c4f28c96e6921ec596145&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5121789" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Scandal in Bohemia</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5121789" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=socialmediama-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a1039f3a7a5c4f28c96e6921ec596145&_cb=1440252280896" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />.” In another, John Openshaw is portrayed opening the envelope with the orange pips in “<a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1780926952" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="c6a270bd823b5d7bf4d82ea4c0c99a88" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="the five orange pips lego" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Five-Orange-Pips-Adventures/dp/1780926952/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=socialmediama-20&linkId=c6a270bd823b5d7bf4d82ea4c0c99a88&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_6990467" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Five Orange Pips</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_6990467" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=socialmediama-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=c6a270bd823b5d7bf4d82ea4c0c99a88&_cb=1440252301015" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />,” complete with pips. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5e4Xzs5NenAEkPjgfdmU6JDcD7RzMclUkjOe3yylDlVl5mTvLkkvBfm5yZ3LhWw-92HVM33NUqiUqJXDmoYdjV5aOm1AiHBDowbQ_fDz_oIj8b_8qBTsnmxOOY64HXB4v3T0b513Mcvww/s1600/Good-night%252C+Mr.+Sherlock+Holmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5e4Xzs5NenAEkPjgfdmU6JDcD7RzMclUkjOe3yylDlVl5mTvLkkvBfm5yZ3LhWw-92HVM33NUqiUqJXDmoYdjV5aOm1AiHBDowbQ_fDz_oIj8b_8qBTsnmxOOY64HXB4v3T0b513Mcvww/s400/Good-night%252C+Mr.+Sherlock+Holmes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Good night, Mr. Sherlock Holmes."</td></tr>
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These books are charming. They are for old and young alike. For those of us seeking for new ways to engage younger readers in the Canon, the LEGO characters are accessible and could serve as inspiration to knowledgeable LEGO engineers. For those who enjoy another version of the illustrations, the books capture the imagination.  <br />
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/pjamesmacalusojr/home/lego-sherlock-holmes" target="_blank">The accompanying website</a> is also recommended. At the website, you can learn more about the books and the author. You can enter a contest to win a Sherlock Holmes mini-figures, find the 69-page pdf document containing instructions to build <a href="http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/413692" target="_blank">a model of Undershaw</a>, or download a set of printable LEGO-Sherlock Holmes character bookmarks. You can also learn how to purchase LEGO plans for building 221B Baker Street in LEGOs.<br />
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We had a chance to interview James by e-mail to find out his plans for the LEGO Book Series, and the for his models.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:</b>  Are you planning to illustrate the rest of the stories from <i>The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i>? </h4>
<b>Macaluso:</b> I have already completed the illustrations for the remaining stories that comprise <i>The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i> with the exception of the final tale, "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches," which I am currently preparing. I would like to publish the complete set of the 12 short stories, including the next volume which was one of Conan Doyle’s favorites, namely "The Adventure of the Speckled Band."<br />
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IHOSE:  Will you tackle other stories, and if so, which ones?</h4>
<b>Macaluso:</b> If I have the time I would love to illustrate <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> as this is not only my favorite Sherlock Holmes story, but also literary work in general. However, I am not sure if or when I will continue illustrating Sherlock Holmes stories, as I am also interested in using LEGO to illustrate other classics of literature.<br />
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<h4>
IHOSE: Will you ever exhibit your Victorian London of Sherlock Holmes in the real world?</h4>
<b>Macaluso:</b> I did have a LEGO model of Victorian London a number of years ago when my wife and I lived in the United States. However, upon moving to Europe several years ago, almost all of the buildings and streets were dismantled, although I still have the train station I designed and built. Our move to Paris and then Spain was in part responsible for my creating the book series. As we have limited space in which to set up a large city model, I decided to combine my interests in LEGO and literature, and in particular Sherlock Holmes, and create smaller models which can be easily built, stored and displayed. Nonetheless, I am currently completing a LEGO minifigure scale model of 221B Baker Street, with the interior of the sitting room and bedroom of Sherlock Holmes completely furnished, which I will later share via the book series website or possibly even exhibit next year when my wife and I move to England.<br />
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So, make some time to stroll through Victorian times with the LEGO characters and enjoy this series of books and their accompanying website. The books are available in soft cover from the publisher, <a href="http://amzn.to/1U6AoKZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, in ebook format and on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/p.-james-macaluso/id868783089?mt=11">iTunes</a>.<br />
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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Re-imagined in LEGOs

"Out there fell a cascade of children's bricks." [TWIS] For many of those who enjoy reading the original Sherlock Holmes...

+ Read more »

by M. M. M.

Why One Sherlockian Does Not Support the New Short Story Collection

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"Some deep sorrow gnaws ever at her heart." [HOUN]</h4>
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[<i><b>Editor's note:</b> the following does not represent the opinion of this site; this is one Sherlockian's opinion about a very complex matter. We'll leave it to you to decide for yourself.</i>]<br />
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No doubt you have recently seen testimony on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere by the numerous authors involved with MX Publishing’s Kickstarter campaign and ambitious undertaking to present the largest collection of Sherlockian writings <i><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1229605719/the-worlds-largest-new-sherlock-holmes-story-colle" target="_blank">(The World's Largest New Sherlock Holmes Story Collection</a></i>). Many of the authors are very dear friends of mine for whom I have much respect; in addition they are all extremely talented, so I have no doubt the collection will be a stellar one. But I will not be supporting the Kickstarter, nor will I be purchasing the books. <br />
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The project is being promoted as one to benefit Undershaw, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s former home, which he designed himself, and where he brought Sherlock Holmes back to life in order to get the funds to cover the building costs of Undershaw. While this three-volume set by MX appears on the surface to be a worthy cause—and I believe that MX Publishing has every good intention—to some of us who have been intimately involved with the <a href="http://www.saveundershaw.com/" target="_blank">Undershaw Preservation Trust</a> (UPT) and know the struggles to save this magnificent icon of historic and literary value, the long-term benefit of the fundraising is questionable. <br />
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I have been an active and outspoken member of UPT since 2009; I have been the U.S. representative for nearly that long, and have worked closely with the founder and co-founders of UPT. (<b>Note</b>: In this piece I am speaking only for <u>myself</u>; I do not speak for UPT nor any of its officials, though I write this with their permission.) In 2011 I visited Undershaw and saw for myself the deterioration it suffered at the hands of its former owners, whom UPT continued to challenge through legal means to force them to comply with the local requirements of maintaining an unoccupied property. <br />
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<h4>
"the whole history of the settlement" [STUD]</h4>
In addition, the former owners had plans to convert the home to several townhomes, and to build other townhomes on the property. Those of us who supported UPT and Undershaw worked long and hard to raise awareness around the world that this home, and all it represented for Sherlockians, would be destroyed forever should this be allowed to happen. It was not only the home itself that we wished to preserve, but the land upon which the home was built. As Conan Doyle had sought out a suitable location to build a home to aid his wife in her struggles with tuberculosis, he wrote to his mother in 1895 about the parcel of land in Hindhead, Surrey, “It is because its height, its dryness, its sandy soil, its fir trees, and its shelter from all bitter winds present the conditions which all agree to be best in the treatment of phthisis [tuberculosis]. If we could have ordered Nature to construct a spot for us we could not have hit upon anything more perfect.” <br />
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Fast forward--past successful rulings on behalf of Undershaw, victories for its preservation, attempts to find a buyer or buyers to purchase the home and perhaps to create an historic center of all things Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes--to the present, and the purchase of Undershaw by DFN Foundation / Stepping Stones School. [<i>An additional but truncated timeline can be found on <a href="http://artintheblood.net/understanding-the-undershaw-debatedebacle/" target="_blank">Art in the Blood</a>. - Ed.</i>]<br />
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<a href="http://www.steppingstones.org.uk/News/Undershaw-Saved/" target="_blank">Stepping Stones Schoo</a>l is an educational opportunity for children with various challenges. In itself, it is a most worthy cause; that Undershaw was bought to house a branch of the school could have been the best combination of historic preservation paired with a cause that no doubt Conan Doyle would be proud of. But at that point the worthiness of the cause gets in its own way, and as a result, Undershaw—for which many of us have worked so long to save—will be sacrificed to a skewed understanding of what “preservation” and “restoration” really mean. <br />
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Undershaw has always been more than just a piece of property and a derelict brick home. Undershaw represents Conan Doyle—and Sherlock Holmes—at a pivotal time of their individual existences. The home was designed by Conan Doyle, and named, as he wrote, “Undershaw—a new word, I think, and yet one which described it exactly in good Anglo-Saxon, since it stood under a hanging grove of trees” (“shaw,” meaning a small copse or wood). As the area did not yet have electricity, an electric generating house with a steam driven plant made Undershaw the first house in Hindhead to have electricity. The home is where Conan Doyle lived when he wrote <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i>. “The Empty House,” and <i>The Return Of Sherlock Holmes</i> resurrected Holmes from the Reichenbach Falls in Conan Doyle’s study at Undershaw. Inside those walls <i>The Great Boer War</i> was written. The house was where Bram Stoker, J.M. Barrie, and Virginia Woolf stayed as guests; William Gillette traveled to Undershaw to discuss Conan Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes” play. While living at Undershaw, Conan Doyle received the knighthood, defended George Edalji, and met the woman who would become his second wife, Jean Leckie. [For more information on the history of Undershaw, see <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/03/effort-to-preserve-it-iden_7.html#.Vc1PVfRRK-y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“An Effort to Preserve It”</a>] <br />
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<h3>
"marked down for destruction" [VALL]</h3>
The DFN Foundation, or Stepping Stones School, were at first perceived as the savior of Undershaw when the purchase was made. Supporters celebrated listened to promises as UPT founder John Gibson and the Foundation entered discussions, reached agreements and ultimately signed a deal seemingly in support of his mission to keep Undershaw exactly as Doyle knew it.<br />
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What happened next is a “he-said-she-said” situation, as the lines of communication were confused, and the destruction of portions of the Undershaw estate began. (It should be noted that UPT continues to fight for Undershaw through the British legal system, with the encouragement of English Heritage and The Victorian Society.) In recent months the electric-generating house has been demolished, the stable (which had been left for 100 years with its iron stalls just as Conan Doyle had made them) has developed to become a small residential facility; the well which served the property has been filled with concrete (again, that had previously been left as it was when the Conan Doyle family was in residence); a tree planted by Conan Doyle himself has been bulldozed, as has most of the “endless sea of greenery” as described by Bram Stoker upon a visit there. The very nature and spirit of Undershaw, along with its name, is being destroyed. <br />
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In addition, a structure nearly three times the size of Undershaw will be built adjacent to it, in a modern style which will eclipse the modest Victorian home. Conan Doyle’s home will become a mere shadow of its former self, with nothing remaining of its proud literary heritage, nor of its significance to Sherlockians around the world. <br />
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On the Kickstarter page for <i>The World’s Largest New Sherlock Holmes Story Collection </i>the description of the fundraiser says, “The [contributing] authors are donating the royalties to the restoration of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's former home, Undershaw.” Knowing of the destruction—not restoration—of Undershaw which has occurred to date, I have little confidence in just how much restoration we can really count on. The only part of Undershaw which has been slated for restoration as far as I know has been the stained glass windows which Doyle had designed and installed. <br />
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There is no blame to be placed on the writers who believed they were contributing to the restoration of Undershaw through their work, nor on the hundreds of backers of the Kickstarter campaign. Nor should Steve Emecz and MX Publishing be perceived as having any ill intentions. This is, perhaps, a disagreement in what one considers restoration and preservation. To me, that entails much, much more than a set of stained glass windows. It involves preserving the integrity of an historic home. <br />
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I am in full support of the fine work that Stepping Stones School does on behalf of disabled children, and the educational opportunities offered those children in a safe and comfortable environment. However, any piece of property could have provided the school with its new home; sacrificing Undershaw did not have to be a part of it. <br />
<br />
Once the building plans have been completed, there will only remain a shell of what Undershaw once was, and what it could have been. And so, on behalf of the home which I and others have worked for over a decade to save, the home where I touched the actual wall of the study where Conan Doyle wrote about the characters which have meant so much to me, I cannot support the Kickstarter campaign, nor the books which will result from it.<br />
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Those of you who are interested in the Undershaw Preservation Trust are invited to view the Undershaw Preservation Trust website at <a href="http://www.saveundershaw.com/" target="_blank">www.saveundershaw.com</a> for <a href="http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/sir-arthur-conan-doyles-undershaw-9841022" target="_blank">updates on the legal battles</a> to save Undershaw. We will continue to fight for true preservation and restoration of Conan Doyle's home until all legal means are exhausted. <br />
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<i>"We never understand how little we need in this world until we know the loss of it."</i> - J.M. Barrie, friend to Conan Doyle<br />
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--

Why One Sherlockian Does Not Support the New Short Story Collection

"Some deep sorrow gnaws ever at her heart." [HOUN] [ Editor's note: the following does not represent the opinion of this...

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by Jacquelynn Morris, ASH, BSI

Episode 80: The Great Detective

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"this exhibition of the great detective" [VALL]</h4>
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If you were tasked with writing about the significance of Sherlock Holmes in popular culture, how would you go about it? After all, it's been a topic of numerous books throughout the years and we're currently awash in Sherlock Holmes books, shows, websites and the rest.<br />
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Journalist Zach Dundas took a very unconventional approach with his book <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0544214048" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="8f3b3436cd967885df5e85434bb7e04e" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Great Detective: The Amazing Rise and Immortal Life of Sherlock Holmes" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Detective-Immortal-Sherlock/dp/0544214048/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=socialmediama-20&linkId=8f3b3436cd967885df5e85434bb7e04e&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_1831027" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Great Detective: The Amazing Rise and Immortal Life of Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_1831027" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=socialmediama-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=8f3b3436cd967885df5e85434bb7e04e&_cb=1439519865331" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i>. It's a combination travelogue, memoir and cultural biography that brings us through the Sherlock Holmes chronologically. Zach joins us to talk about the writing process and the Sherlock Holmes bug that bit him so many years ago. Along the way, you might even encounter a familiar name or two.<br />
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We examine the dual nature of Arthur Conan Doyle and the striking differences - and similarities - between him and his unfortunate father, Charles Altamont Doyle. But more than that, we discuss the enigmatic nature of the legendary author and examine his increasing fervor over Spiritualism. All of this and the growing fascination with Sherlock Holmes by increasingly larger numbers of people.<br />
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We of course have our usual roundup of Sherlock Holmes news, from Laura Linney professing her early love of Sherlock Holmes to battles of copyright ,and debates among Sherlockians. That plus our usual set of sponsors (including one very special one) and the Mental Exaltation quiz round out the show.<br />
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If you do purchase one of our <a href="http://ihose.co/221Bstickers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">221B or 1895 stickers</a>, please <a href="mailto:comment@ihearofsherlock.com" target="_blank">send us a picture</a> of where you've put it.</div>
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Notes:</h3>
1:30 Introductory remarks and witty banter<br />
3:30 IHOSE goes to New York<br />
8:15 Check out the special way to contact us<br />
9:45 News and commentary<br />
20:26 Sponsors - including one you shouldn't miss<br />
26:20 Interview with Zach Dundas<br />
1:19:53 Mental Exaltation quiz show<br />
1:25:25 Final comments</div>
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And you might want to be sure you pay attention for a special <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg_(interaction_design)" target="_blank">Easter egg</a> somewhere in the show...<br />
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<a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock080.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 41.4 MB, 1:30:29</h4>
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Links:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/mrholmes2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Our review of Mr. Holmes</a>: an emotional and somber Sherlock</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/VIbh_HZJ3tM" target="_blank">Laura Linney and Sir Ian McKellen at Google</a></li>
<li>Mattias Bostrom covers the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/07/the-scandalous-sherlock-holmes.html#.Vc1PQ7JViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">confusion around Sherlock Holmes and copyright</a></li>
<li> <a href="http://ihose.co/221Bstickers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">221B and 1895 oval stickers are again available</a>: <a href="http://ihose.co/221Bstickers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ihose.co/221Bstickers</a></li>
<li>Chris Redmond looks at <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/07/you-say-sherlockian-i-say-sherlockian.html#.Vc1QXLJViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlockians and Sherlockians</a></li>
<li><a href="http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/english-and-drama/2014/05/the-spirit-voice-of-sir-arthur-conan-doyle.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The spirit voice of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle</a></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Giving you a run for your money"</td></tr>
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Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard and Scoop.it sites at <a href="http://ihose.co/flipsherlock" target="_blank">ihose.co/flipsherlock</a> and <a href="http://www.scoop.it/t/sherlock-holmes" target="_blank">ihose.co/scoopsherlock</a>, as well as on the <a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/114565123495685504221" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes Community</a> on Google+ (over 2,700 members), as well as through our accounts on <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>.<br />
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<h3>
Sponsors</h3>
This episode includes two sponsors that deserve your attention:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a> (check out the new <a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/newspaper.html" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle in the Newspapers Volume 1</i></a>)<br />
<a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></a>, where you should get <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/subscriptions.html" target="_blank">your annual subscription</a> in now to secure all four issues and a very special Christmas Annual about <i>The Seven Per-Cent Solution</i>.<br />
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Interested in becoming a sponsor? You can find <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">more information here</a>.</div>
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Episode 80: The Great Detective

"this exhibition of the great detective" [VALL] If you were tasked with writing about the significance of Sherlock Holm...

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by Scott Monty

Authors Reflect on Part 3 of the World's Largest Sherlock Holmes Collection

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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"I felt some reflection of his elation" [BRUC]</h4>
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The <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1229605719/the-worlds-largest-new-sherlock-holmes-story-colle" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a> campaign for the world's largest Sherlock Holmes collection comes to a close this Sunday, August 16th, and we wanted to give some of the participating authors in the anthology's final volume a chance to reflect on their involvement. If you haven't yet read <a href="http://ihose.co/mxauthors1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://ihose.co/mxauthors2nd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Part 2</a>, take a look; we'll follow the same pattern here as we ask each author from Part 3 two questions:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Tell us a little bit about your story without giving too much away. Where and when does it take place? Why did you choose that time for your story?</li>
<li>Why did you want to contribute to the anthology?</li>
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 Here are the responses from the participating authors in chronological order by the time their story takes place:<br />
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<b><a href="https://rycardus.wordpress.com/">Geri Schear:</a></b>  <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"> </span></h3>
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I have a particular fondness for the Gothic Conan Doyle tales, and Harbinger of Death falls into that category. In my story, a young woman seeks Holmes's advice because it has been foretold that her beloved aunt will die on Friday the Thirteenth.<br />
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The story is set in Baker Street and in the north London region of Hadley Wood during March 1896. I needed a month and a setting that would enhance the eerie mood. I also wanted to set the story around the first Friday the Thirteenth of the year.<br />
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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work has given me immeasurable entertainment over the years. Supporting his home of Undershaw seems a very small way of repaying that gift. On a more selfish level, I'm thrilled to be involved in such a fabulous anthology which brings together the richest cream of Sherlockian writers.<br />
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<h3>
<b><a href="http://amzn.to/1MrMPlE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul D. Gilbert:</a></b></h3>
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My story is based upon ACD's cryptic reference to the 'peculiar persecution of John Vincent Harden' as it has always intrigued me. The setting of 1896 is my favourite period because I prefer the way the relationship between Holmes/Watson/ Lestrade had developed by then.<br />
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ACD is a literary icon and I did not hesitate in contributing once I realised that the scene of some of his greatest achievements was under threat. What a noble cause!<br />
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<h3>
<b><a href="http://titanbooks.com/the-further-adventures-of-sherlock-holmes-the-albinos-treasure-7713/">Stuart Douglas:</a></b></h3>
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My story is set in 1896, and concerns a corpse found in a London alleyway in which all identifying marks - down even to the tailor's labels in the man's coat and trousers - have been removed. The Police think he may be a spy, killed for his troubles, and ask Holmes for his opinion ...<br />
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I'd seen mention of the anthology here and there, but never dreamed of appearing amongst such august company, but fortunately editor David Markum liked my recent Holmes' novel - The Albino's Treasure, from Titan Books - and asked if I could come up with something suitable.  Luckily he liked what I sent him, and I'm now terribly honoured to have my story in volume 3!<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.lynmcconchie.com/new/">Lyn McConchie:</a>  </b></h3>
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Lyn McConchie here, female farmer and author, (small farm, 34 published books to date) cat-lover and New Zealander. Yes, probably the furthest author to be in the anthology. I blame that on the editor. He ran into my book,  <i>Sherlock Holmes: Repeat Business</i>, a collection of new stories (from Wildside in the USA) and came looking for me to contribute. I approved the cause and his request sparked an immediate story idea too, so very soon thereafter A MISTRESS - MISSING was on the way to David - who liked and accepted it.<br />
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The story was suggested to me by a cat combination, my own Ocicat Thunder, who often brings me his mice. And the cat stories of a friend who died several years ago, English writer Doreen Tovey. Add in Holmes and Watson, and all at once I had the whole plot laid out in my head needing only to be written down.<br />
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I like Holmes and Watson and I really enjoy writing their further adventures in the original background and style.  <br />
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<b><a href="http://amzn.to/1NfvVpu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Phil Growick:</a></b></h3>
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Holmes taunts Watson with word conundrums, while at the same time solving a major robbery. It takes place in their receiving room at 221b about 1883. I chose the time because it was still fairly new in their friendship.<br />
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I wanted to help with Undershaw in the way I knew best. I hope I've succeeded.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seamas-Duffy/e/B00BELMTJY/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1">Seamus Duffy:</a></b></h3>
In the Adventure of the Coptic Patriarch, Inspector Lestrade has a curious predicament which brings him to Baker Street one Easter Morning in 1898:<br />
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‘It’s a strange one, Mr. Holmes,’ said Lestrade, ‘two definite crimes have been committed, a         robbery and a kidnapping, but in the very oddest of circumstances. Have you seen the newspapers?’<br />
‘Not yet,’ Holmes replied.<br />
‘I don’t suppose either of you gentlemen has ever heard of the Coptics?’<br />
‘In that bureau by the window,’ said Holmes languidly, ‘you will find a letter of thanks from His Holiness Pope Kyrillos, for whom I undertook a small commission last year.’<br />
‘And beside it,’ I added, relishing the spirit of Holmes’s rejoinder, ‘you would also discover my copious notes on the case.’<br />
Lestrade laughed. ‘I might have guessed! What was the affair, then?’<br />
‘With the best will in the world,’ replied Holmes suavely, ‘I am afraid that I cannot possibly breach a client’s confidence – not even to you.’<br />
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Father Philxenous of the London Coptic Patriarchate has been kidnapped – along with him has disappeared the Athanasian Scroll: ‘written in a language directly descended from that which the Pharaohs spoke … an absolutely unique document … which is literally priceless’. The search for the abducted Patriarch and the rare purloined treasure of Egyptian antiquity leads Holmes and Watson to a quiet backwater on the River Thames.<br />
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Why participate in the anthology? To support a very good cause.<br />
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<a href="http://www.torontobootmakers.com/"><b>Mark Alberstat:</b></a></h3>
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I have a short story in the third volume.  My story takes place in England, in Hertfordshire to be exact.  Holmes and Watson are called out there by the local inspector when a local gentry is found dead in his bed.  The story is set in 1898 and that date was set by Conan Doyle as this story is my attempt to put flesh out one of the many stories that were mentioned in passing in one of the other adventures.<br />
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Although I have written for a variety of magazines, Sherlockian and otherwise, and edit Canadian Holmes, I took on this project as a challenge.  I usually do not write fiction, have not written fiction in a few decades and this was my chance to give it a try again.  The thought of contributing to such a landmark set of books could also not be easily passed up.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.gcrosenquist.com/">GC Rosenquist:</a> </b></h3>
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I’d been kicking around a story in my head since I finished the final edits of <i>The Pearl of Death</i> last summer. It had to do with a young violin savant who could communicate only through writing and playing music. I’ve always been fascinated with Holmes’ use of the violin and I wanted to write a story where it played a more integral part in the plot, but the story I was thinking up was getting so complicated, I hesitated at even starting it. Mr. Marcum’s invitation to join the anthology changed that. It forced me to rethink the story, simplify it, and soon I had great motivation and desire to complete it.<br />
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Whenever I write a Sherlock Holmes story I try to add something new, push the envelope a little bit, while staying within the strict guidelines of the original canon of stories. It’s a technique that forces me not to repeat myself. The Strange Case of the Violin Savant was no exception. Testing Holmes’ genius against a completely different form of genius excited me and I believe made for an interesting story. I hope the reader agrees and more importantly, I hope the reader receives some modest amount of entertainment from it.<br />
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As far as the specific time the story takes place, I purposely left that vague, allowing Mr. Marcum the leeway to fit it into whichever anthology book he desired.<br />
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I was supremely honored one day in early April, 2015, when I received a message through Facebook from David Marcum, editor of this fantastic anthology, asking if I would be interested in being a part of it. Flattered, I told him I would and promised to send him a story by June of 2015. I knew, because of the worthy cause the anthology supports, that there would be a great deal of interest from other writers (including me) and I couldn't pass up a chance to be included with some of the great Holmes writers of today. I cannot wait to see the final products!<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.thebespublishing.com/">Iain McLaughlin and Claire Bartlett:</a>  </b></h3>
We decided on a story that wasn't earth-shattering and wouldn't change the world. It wasn't Holmes and a huge villain. We wanted to do something smaller and perhaps touch on little hints of character with Holmes. There's still a mystery but it's low key. It's largely set in Baker Street and is in the latter half of the 1890s. I'm sure sure why we picked that era. I assumed people would probably go early, and I wanted a time when they could just be sitting in Holmes's rooms so I chose the late 1890s. It tweaked Holmes a little because I think he changes as he ages, but this felt like the right time for this story.<br />
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I got a message out of the blue from David Marcum explaining the book. I knew a number of the people contributing and we felt we'd be letting the Imagination Theater side down if we didn't contribute. Besides, the cause is a good one and there were a lot of interesting people in there. It was a very busy time. I was finishing a book, writing a James Bond short story and launching a publishing company, for which Claire was working on a book with a tight deadline, so we struggled to squeeze this in but we're glad we did. It's something we're very proud to be involved with.<br />
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<b><a href="http://youngsherlock.com/">Andrew Lane:</a></b> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> </span></h3>
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I was one of the last contributors to deliver their story (I always leave things until the last minute), so I asked the editor which periods of time were under-represented. I think there's a kind-of automatic preset in people's minds that puts Sherlock Holmes and the period around 1887 together, and I had a suspicion that a lot of stories would be set around there, so I definitely wanted to avoid it.<br />
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The 'Mr Holmes' film was just about to come out, as well, and I had another suspicion that several people might want to write about Holmes's retirement years. I was fortunate in that the period around 1901 was under-represented, which meant I could also tie the story in with the death of Queen Victoria - something that must have been a traumatic moment for Watson (probably less so for Holmes) and was a changing point in British History. Everything seemed to come together, and I found that writing about Holmes and Watson in middle-age was very satisfying. As usual, I wanted to have a crime whose solution was not obvious - or, at least, not obvious if you don't believe that the immediate suspect is the culprit. Looking at my rather extensive collection of research books, I remembered that I'd wanted for a long time to write a Sherlock Holmes story touching on the Victorian interest in complicated clockwork mechanisms and the recreation of "life" in mechanical form (the Mechanical Turk chess player being a perfect example), so that informed the story as well. All in all, everything came together neatly, and I even managed to slip in a reference back to one of my own 'Young Sherlock Holmes' novels, so I was happy. Fortunately, so was the editor.<br />
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It's always fun to write a Sherlock Holmes story in the style of Arthur Conan Doyle, and so I always grab an opportunity when one comes along. I also want, in the fullness of time, to be able to put together an Ebook collection of my various Sherlock Holmes short stories (five so far, and still going) under the title 'The Bizarre Investigations of Sherlock Holmes', and so it seemed like too good an opportunity to miss.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.mxpublishing.co.uk/brand/Peter+K.+Andersson">Peter K. Andersson</a>:</b>  </h3>
My story has a somewhat unusual shape for a Sherlock Holmes story, but it came to me one day when I had been visiting Conan Doyle's grave in Minstead, and I was walking around the beautiful English countryside much like Watson is doing in the story. I was inspired by the many quaint old cottages that lie scattered around the landscape, some of which are quite remote and would have been even more remote in the Victorian period. Such remoteness is certainly thought-provoking when one is about to write a Sherlock Holmes story...<br />
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I think that all attempts at preserving and promoting remains of the past are becoming increasingly important in our age. I am reminded of this whenever the media presents a picture of the past that is prejudiced due to a lack of historical knowledge. We speak today so much of tolerance towards people from different cultures, and yet we treat the people of the past with the same intolerance that an immigrant would have been treated seventy years ago.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.rifftrax.com/riffer/matthew-j-elliott">Matthew J. Elliott: </a>  </b></h3>
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My story is The Adventure of the Reluctant Corpse. It's set at a Christmas party shortly after Dr Watson's second marriage and concerns a man who dies three times. I'm keen to feature the second Mrs Watson, because I have a pretty clear idea of who she really was, and it'll be interesting to see if readers guess who I'm hinting at.<br />
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Appearing in the collection means that I'm in ridiculously good company! These are some of the biggest names in the Sherlockian world, and some of the biggest talents in the writing world in general. Maybe some of that talent will rub off on me.<br />
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<b><a href="http://jimfrenchproductions.com/zc137m/">Jim French:</a> </b></h3>
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Are there problems the solutions of which are better left unsolved?  This is a question that confronts Holmes and Watson during their investigation of a case that leads to opening a grave and scaring an elderly mother half to death.<br />
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Why participate in the anthology? This is difficult to answer. I suppose it's partly vanity, a desire to reach a broader audience and I think partly the honor of being asked to contribute satisfies a bit longing that's existed since we began back in 1998; to taken seriously the devotees of the adventures of The Great Detective.<br />
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<b><a href="http://amzn.to/1Nfw3Fm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tim Symonds:</a>  </b></h3>
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I have contributed a short story titled "A Most Diabolical Plot."  It takes place in the Spring of 1903 and opens as follows:<br />
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<i>Not til the day the bugle blows for me shall I forget the most diabolical attempt ever made on my friend Sherlock Holmes’s life. I was seated in the airy living-room of the lodgings we shared on the second floor of 221, Baker Street. Our landlady, Mrs Hudson, came in with my breakfast together with the morning edition of the Westminster Gazette. The newspaper contained a summary of the year’s significant events so far – on February 3rd a British expedition captured the mud-walled city of Kano, in Northern Nigeria. Under Pelham Warner’s captaincy the first cricket tour of Australia was in its final planning stages. I was about to turn my attention to the plate of kidneys, kedgeree and ham when my eye was caught by a short article on an inside page titled ‘Mystery Disappearance of Society Murderer’.</i><br />
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</i> <i>‘Nothing has been seen of Colonel Sebastian Moran, formerly 1st Bangalore Pioneers and well-known at London’s card-playing clubs, since his unpublicised release from Newgate last year when the gaol was closed for demolition. The Colonel served only half of a twenty-year sentence for the willful murder of his gambling partner, the Honourable Ronald Adair, second son of the Earl of Maynooth. Moran fell into a trap laid by Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard a decade ago when the former attempted to assassinate the famous Consulting Detective Sherlock Holmes, employing an ingenious air-gun designed to shoot bullets instead of small lead pellets. To gain early release Colonel Moran vowed to turn his considerable talents to good causes.’</i><br />
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</i> <i>I lowered the newspaper and stared unseeing at the wall.</i><br />
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Unknown to Watson, the fearsome Colonel Moran, still seething over the death at Holmes's hands of Moran's Criminal Master Moriarty, has come up with a deadly game involving the terrible Africanised bee to wreak revenge on Holmes.<br />
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I was very keen to contribute to the Anthology which may well become one of the best-sellers of this new 'Sherlockian' era and provide Undershaw with the funds it needs to remain a monument to the master story-teller who designed and built it over a Century ago.<br />
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<b><a href="https://almostholmes.wordpress.com/author/almostholmes/">Bob Byrne:</a> </b></h3>
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It's well-known that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle spent a great deal of time and effort fighting for justice on behalf of the wrongly convicted George Edalji. It was even recently a BBC miniseries. I'm a great Solar Pons fan and have researched the Edalji affair for a future Pons story: even writing about it in my The Public Life of Sherlock Holmes column over at <a href="http://www.blackgate.com/">Blackgate</a>.<br />
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For David's project, I thought I could try a story in which Holmes investigates the Edalji affair at the time it happened. So, 'The Adventure of the Parson's Son' is about Holmes and Edalji, as opposed to Doyle and young George. Of course, I had to work around the fact that the ending was rather predetermined.<br />
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Since Edalji was arrested in 1903, that was an automatic choice for the year of the story.<br />
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David Marcum and I send each other long, rambling emails throughout the week; they're more akin to novellas than short stories! He emailed me one early afternoon, saying he'd had a dream and had already sent an email off that morning to Steve Emecz, his publisher, proposing a collection of traditional Holmes stories. I still have his email, in which he wrote, "I plan on asking a small and select group of authors to participate."<br />
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As we all know, his idea caught fire and more and more authors agreed to be a part of the project. I write mostly non-fiction these days but hit upon the idea of sort of a Holmes prequel to a Pons story, with Doyle as the bridge between the two detectives. Fortunately, since the project went to three volumes, I didn't get cut for space!<br />
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I'm really impressed how David recruited so many authors, growing the anthology from his original idea and I'm happy to be included with so many folks whose books adorn my Sherlockian shelves!<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.jameslovegrove.com/">James Lovegrove</a>:  </b></h3>
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"The Botanist's Glove" is set in both London and, predominantly, my home county of Sussex.  It's my first attempt at a locked room mystery, or rather a locked conservatory mystery, and I'm pretty pleased with the result.  I went for the year 1903 for a very specific reason relating to a particular plot detail involving epinephrine.  The drug wasn't synthesised and available for use as a counteragent for anaphylactic shock until just after the turn of the last century, which meant the story couldn't legitimately take place any earlier than that year.  I'm fond, also, of Holmes tales from the twilight of his career, when he is winding his consultancy down and considering retirement.  The canonical stories from that era are usually weirder and wilder than average.<br />
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Why contribute to the anthology? I was asked to, it seemed a worthy cause, I couldn't see a reason why not to.  It seems remarkable to me that Rudyard Kipling's house, Bateman's, is owned and protected by the National Trust, but not Undershaw, whose owner has left a legacy of writing which is equal to, and I would say greater than, Kipling's in terms of renown, longevity and stature.  And by "remarkable" I mean "absurd".  And by "absurd" I mean "wrong".  I hope the anthology will go some way to remedying that.<br />
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<a href="http://www.larrymillett.com/"><b>Larry Millett:</b></a></h3>
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My story, "The Opera Thief," is set in St. Paul in 1904. Holmes and Watson are in Minnesota because Watson is undergoing surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. After events detailed in my latest novel, Strongwood, Holmes is called on to investigate the theft of a beloved prop from a touring company performing Mozart's Magic Flute in St. Paul. The story is about loss and wonder, and it ends on a deeply personal note for Holmes.<br />
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I decided to add my small voice to the anthology because I liked the idea of contributing something concrete to the memory of the man who made it possible for all of us to take part in the never-ending story of Sherlock Holmes.</div>
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<b><a href="http://amzn.to/1TBd5c4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kim Krisco:</a> </b></h3>
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"Blood Brothers" takes place in 1913, after Holmes is supposedly retired. Of course, we know this is not possible, as was made clear in Sherlock Holmes – The Golden Years, with its five new “post-retirement” stories.<br />
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This story takes place in London in 1913 -- an interesting time because London was then the largest city in Europe, with a population of more than 6 million. The city was struggling to accommodate the poorer neighborhoods and slums, where the irregulars were born – which brings me to the story itself.<br />
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"Blood Brothers," as the title implies, is about brothers — two very wealthy, and two very poor. The poor brothers are members of the tribe of street urchins Holmes calls the irregulars. These brothers, who have helped Holmes solve mysteries, now desperately need his help. One of the brothers disappear, which is strange, as all the irregulars are street-wise survivors. Holmes lends his eye, wits and heart in an effort to find the 12-year old irregular Benjie. In so doing, the reader is introduced to a cast of characters who draw a stark line between the rich and poor who live in, then, the “greatest city in Europe.” And, while this story takes place over a century ago, the social and moral issues wrapped around this story are still playing out today throughout the world.<br />
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"Blood Brothers" is narrated in two voices, and will be found in Volume III of the new anthology. It sets the stage for my next Sherlock Holmes book wherein the irregulars play a dominant role.<br />
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I can say, that there wasn’t a moment of hesitation when David invited me to write and send an original story. Of course, I resonate with the cause itself — to preserve Undershaw. Doyle is one of the world’s greatest story tellers and he should be honored as such. I would quickly add, however, that I was immediately struck with David’s selfless commitment to his project. I cannot resist highly committed people who take on a huge challenge. It is such people who change the world. David Marcum and Steve Emecz will be putting the eyes of every Sherlock Holmes fan in the world on this anthology. My deerstalker hat is off to them, you, and the other 60 authors whose work is contained in what I believe is the largest collection of new Sherlock Holmes stories in the world.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.mysteryaircraft.com/about-the-authors.html">C. Edward Davis: </a> </b></h3>
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My story, "The Adventure of the White Bird," is about the mysterious disappearance of two French aviators during their attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean and claim the $25,000 Ortieg Prize. Had they succeeded, they would have been the first aviators to cross the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean from Paris to New York City. They disappeared not long after overflying Newfoundland. In New York, relatives and financial backers of the lost aviators, suspecting foul play, approach Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who are visiting New York on other matters, to investigate their suspicions and bring the culprits to justice.<br />
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The story takes place mainly in the northeast United States and eastern Canada, from New York City to Newfoundland. Holmes and Watson, then in their seventies but still healthy and vibrant, meet some interesting characters and confront some dangerous ones. They enjoy the comforts of New York and experience the wilds of Maine, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, and attempt to solve one of aviation's most enduring mysteries.<br />
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"The Adventure of the White Bird" spans a period of roughly five months, from early May to September 1927. The disappearance of Charles Nungesser, a World War One flying ace and member of the famous American-French squadron Escadrille Lafayette and his flying partner Francois Coli occurred on May 8th, 1927, twelve days before Charles Lindbergh successfully made his solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, from New York to Paris, on May 20th. This mystery has always been of particular interest to me because no trace of the men were ever found. In 1927, aviation was still in its relative infancy and to cross the Atlantic in an open-cockpit biplane, made of wood and fabric, with no navigational aids or radios, was a daunting and monumental endeavor. I wanted to give voice to my own speculations on the mystery and what better way to "solve" it than through Sherlock Holmes!<br />
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Unfortunately, the reality is that the disappearance of two courageous aviators will never be solved. Nungesser and Coli's success would have radically changed the course of aviation and resulted in a very different world, one where the United States remained as a secondary player in aviation and space development.<br />
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I had recently retired from an unfulfilling 40-year career as a draftsman and technical illustrator and finally embarked on a life-long dream to become an author. Derrick Belanger and I collaborated on our Mystery Aircraft website and blog and discussed other writing projects, when he informed me that there were relatively few Sherlock Holmes stories that took place between 1900 and 1950 (Holmes approximately death). Those years covered the time of aviation history I find to be irresistibly fascinating, particularly the years leading up to World War Two. He suggested that I write a story that combined my new interest in Sherlock Holmes and my fascination with aviation mysteries. The FIRST idea I had was Sherlock Holmes and Nungesser and Coli’s disappearance. A perfect match for my “debut” story. This concept was a perfect challenge to my aspirations to write.<br />
And now I am among the dozens of experienced and talented authors included in the next Guinness Book of World’s Records! Not too shabby for my first published work of fiction!<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.sherlock-holmes.com/featur1.htm">Joel and Carolyn Senter:</a> </b></h3>
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The Pair get together, back at 221B,  for Holmes’s 70th birthday and encounter a "con game" that threatens their "client" as well as a number of other trusting, yet gullible, ordinary citizens.  The perpetrator of the con character is based on a real person who was, actually,  an international con man.   This con man was known to have been operating on the Continent and in England, during the late 1920s, hence the choice for the story’s temporal setting in 1929.  David told us that our story would probably be the last one in the Anthology. <br />
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Dave Marcum is an old friend.  We encouraged him to pursue his literary goals early on when he was reluctant to do so, and that has turned out well for him now.  He asked us to contribute. It was also tempting to have our work included in a volume along with such noted and famous Sherlockian authors.</div>
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<h3>
<b><a href="http://www.macbird.com/">Bonnie MacBird:</a>  </b></h3>
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My two poems are in classical sonnet form (the Shakespearean kind) and I wrote them because Sherlock Holmes and what he stands for have tremendous emotional resonance for me.  Poems are a way to express something deeply felt and intimate in a very concentrated way.  And I love working to classical form.  Emulating Conan Doyle is another way of writing to form, and I enjoy the intellectual challenge of placing both thoughts and emotions into strictly defined structures - which both mysteries, and poems are.<br />
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Why contribute? Because I hope to see Undershaw restored, and because I particularly like David Marcum and Steve Emecz.  It's an honor to be part of this.<br />
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That concludes this final spotlight article from the authors in the  <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1229605719/the-worlds-largest-new-sherlock-holmes-story-colle"><i>The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories</i></a>.  Don't forget, the Kickstarter campaign will be active until Sunday, August 16th. There's still plenty of time to pledge and get your copy of all three volumes before they are available to the public.</div>
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<br /><b>If you would like to be entered to win a copy of the three-volume anthology, here's how you can qualify:</b><br /><ol>
<li>You must be <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub&publisher=445106&sitescope=45933">subscribed to our email updates</a>; AND</li>
<li>You leave us a comment below describing why you're excited about this new anthology.</li>
</ol>
<br />One winner will be selected at random from all entries. Drawing will take place on Wednesday, August 19, 2015.<br /><br />--<br />
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</div>

Authors Reflect on Part 3 of the World's Largest Sherlock Holmes Collection

"I felt some reflection of his elation" [BRUC] The Kickstarter campaign for the world's largest Sherlock Holmes colle...

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by Belanger Books

Remembering John Farrell, BSI

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"he must certainly have been a giant" [WIST]</h4>
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John Farrell, BSI ("The Tiger of San Pedro") <a href="http://www.dailynews.com/arts-and-entertainment/20150508/john-farrell-1951-2015-longtime-southern-california-arts-critic-dies-at-63/" target="_blank">passed away in May at the age of 63</a>. John was a beloved member of the Baker Street Irregulars and a well respected theater critic in California. We have a number of reminiscences about John from those who knew him.<br />
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<h3>
From Sean Wright, BSI ("The Manor House Case"), longtime Sherlockian colleague and John's co-author</h3>
[Upon receiving the news of John's death]: I was positive you were mistaken. I even called John's cell phone and left a message on his voice mail telling him that some preposterous story about his demise was on Facebook.<br />
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John was a gifted writer and I don't use that superlative lightly. He had a highly developed sense of language and an immense fund of knowledge. He was generous with his friends and helpful whenever necessary. He was the best man at my wedding and I owe my eyesight to him when I developed cataracts in 2007. Between jobs and without insurance, John, without asking, searched out the proper program and pestered me until I signed up, thus allowing me to find a doctor and be able see again. He was a friend in the truest sense of the word.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Bisio, BSI ("Shinwell Johnson"), Sean Wright and John Farrell at the John Bennett Shaw Symposium in 1981</td></tr>
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A native of San Pedro, California, born September 19, 1951, John began an informal scion society in the late 1960s, "The Tigers of San Pedro," whose members all had to be from San Pedro. The scion reflected John's quirky sense of humor. It was notable for refusing to have meetings. Since I lived in Hollywood I was not allowed to be a regular Tiger. I was, however, granted honorary status - which meant that I was never to be invited to any of the meetings the scion never held. [<b><i>Ed. note</i></b>: the top image shows John dressed as Don Juan Murillo, the Tiger of San Pedro, at the first Gasfitters Ball held by the Non-Canonical Calabashes in November, 1978.]<br />
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John was 6' 2"and quite massive for most of his adult life. With his long brown hair and beard he was hard to miss. He enjoyed wearing a frockcoat in his role as drama critic. In his later years, he constantly wore a cut down top hat and he was never seen without a blackthorn walking stick. He had several, purchased during his journeys to Ireland and England. John had many Sherlockian friends overseas, perhaps most notably Thierry Saint-Joanis of the Sherlock Holmes Society of France.<br />
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John was not only proud to be an investitured member of the BSI - he received his investiture "The Tiger of San Pedro" in 1981 - and he enjoyed telling about how he was invested three times in the Praed Street Irregulars, the Solar Pons Society, due to the absent-mindedness of its founder, the late Luther Norris, BSI ("Monsieur Oscar Meunier of Grenoble") in his position as Lord Warden of the Pontine Marshes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John with Jane Rundall at a meeting of the Non-Canonical Calabashes</td></tr>
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John was one of the foremost Sherlockian scholars in Southern California, writing monographs for several Sherlockian periodicals as well as for the BSJ. Many local scions were pleased to welcome him into membership and his presence brightened many a meeting. Be sure to ask Jim about all the Sherlockian periodicals for which John acted as editor, among which, for a year, was <i>The Sherlockian Meddler</i> for the Non-Canonical Calabashes of Los Angeles.<br />
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Some 30 years ago, when Basil Rathbone's library was being sold, John purchased it all, and donated most of it to Boston University's Special Collections department - now the <a href="http://hgar-srv3.bu.edu/" target="_blank">Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center</a>.<br />
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John wrote, produced, directed and appeared in several movies with his friends spoofing various film genres: Both Shakespeare and mysteries with <i>The Danemark Curse,</i> musicals with <i>John Farrell's Watermusic</i>, Bible epics with <i>The Bible - Condensed</i> and westerns with <i>Ghost Rustlers</i> - in which John, with memorable hilarity, appeared as "Utah Slim."<br />
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St. Patrick's Day was the highlight of John's calendar. For over 40 years his annual Long Beach/Seal Beach St. Patrick's pub crawl was a must, less for drinking than for collecting "swag" - pins, necklaces, t-shirts etc. - offered by breweries that day, the best distributed by Guinness Girls travelling through the area. An array of these pins festooned his soft tweed hat, jacket and vest.<br />
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A few years ago, most gratifyingly for us, a Long Beach restaurant even changed its name to "Moriarty's" just for the day and passed out t-shirts with the name on it to commemorate the event. John was in heaven.<br />
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John was a font of operatic and music hall lore. His knowledge of Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas was profound. His rendition of an old routine: "But I Didn't Want My Cigar to Go Out" was priceless. Our version of "A Policeman's Lot," which we performed at a BSI cocktail party in 1990, is still well remembered by those who saw it.<br />
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Years ago John told me that, of all newspapermen, he most admired Bat Masterson, the former gunslinger turned sportswriter, but only for the manner of his demise. He died, John was fond of saying, exactly as a journalist should die: his body found in his office, slumped over his desk, after finishing his last article.<br />
<br />
John ended his life the same way, dying of a sudden heart attack at his computer while writing one of his reviews.<br />
<div>
<br />
I took this picture of John the week before he died for a new column that was going to run in <i>The Tidings</i>, the Los Angeles archdiocese Catholic newspaper. He was to be the arts critic. Then John took this one of me for my column in the paper.</div>
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[<b><i>Editor's note</i></b>: Sean co-authored <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2YPfEAA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes Cookbook</a></i> with John in 1976.]<br />
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<h3>
From Charlie Power, John's oldest friend, who knew him since the 6th grade</h3>
A mid-year move landed me in a new school in 1964 (6th grade), and I was assigned to share a desk with John Farrell. This resulted in my joining the Lightship crew. John started "The Lightship" as a mimeographed vehicle for his writings and those of the crew, so this is where he started his career as a journalist. After working on the paper, we would retire to the open alley by John's house for our own form of soccer.<br />
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John was a great collector of books (particularly mysteries), walking sticks, hats and other things, most of which he had to put into storage because he ran out of room. I got him in the habit of reading electronic books, but he always preferred the old dead tree type.<br />
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As a freelance journalist specializing in cultural criticism, John was not wealthy, but was often the only critic to cover the amazingly active and avant-garde world of theatre and opera in the Los Angeles area, particularly Long Beach and San Pedro. I know he will be missed; he is unlikely to be replaced.<br />
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[<b><i>Editor's note</i></b>: this was taken from the comments section of <a href="http://www.dailynews.com/arts-and-entertainment/20150508/john-farrell-1951-2015-longtime-southern-california-arts-critic-dies-at-63/1" target="_blank">John's obituary in <i>The Los Angeles Daily News</i></a>.]<br />
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<h3>
From Thierry St. Joanis, BSI ("Monsieur Bertillon") of the Sherlock Holmes Society of France</h3>
John Farrell was my friend since 1993. I met him in Paris in May, on the occasion of the first annual meeting of the Sherlock Holmes Society of France, in the "salons" of a palace (Place de l'Opéra). Under the monumental crystal chandeliers of a Napoleon III ballroom, with walls covered by mirrors, I saw a giant explorer appear. John had just passed through the city, dressed as a Professor Challenger's companion. I immediately felt that I would love this guy.<br />
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<br />
I knew John by reputation. Since his trip to the United States to participate at the BSI Annual Dinner, our mutual friend Jean-Pierre Cagnat told me about that "Tiger of San Pedro," a kind of Californian Yeti, a giant who came down from the sky along a beanstalk, who made his living as a theater, opera and classical music critic for the Los Angeles News Group, probably attracted on the West Coast by the sound of a magic harp.<br />
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For a thirty year-old French guy like me, this "Tiger" was America of my dreams and he made my dreams a reality.<br />
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John was an official representative of the BSI at the inaugural session of our club, in the auditorium of the Museum of Natural History in Paris, amid dinosaur skeletons. John "Challenger" was my Sherlockian godfather, one of the 3 Magi came from the ends of the earth with arms full of gifts.<br />
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He thus inaugurated my Holmesian collection with objects that now call  the "Sherlockonneries" - objects of little use, sometimes very cumbersome, but also valuable - such as a ring marked with the seal of the Master. John brought all this bric-a-brac in his carry-on luggage:<br />
<ul>
<li>a decorated doormat showing a "Sherlock" dog as wide as the carpet of a large living room</li>
<li>an edition of a rubber Hound of the Baskervilles to decorate a dog house</li>
<li>red silk short pants, illustrated with Mickey Mouse dressed as Sherlock Holmes - which has since become the meeting Uniform for our own Sherlockian scion society we have created, "The Red Panties-League"</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JAliPjJBjuC7XQuM-DRCLTFni2087Wy8RbZWNifWQpVYUnS70NIifSfO7HSztlYBXtOTPc-1STMHcYIakjI6fmA9JSimu_R_USCWKxilkwlgFqR9P2lA8U_SGLAIBb26xvhSfmG2qxjg/s1600/Nielsen+-+Farrell+-+St.+Joanis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JAliPjJBjuC7XQuM-DRCLTFni2087Wy8RbZWNifWQpVYUnS70NIifSfO7HSztlYBXtOTPc-1STMHcYIakjI6fmA9JSimu_R_USCWKxilkwlgFqR9P2lA8U_SGLAIBb26xvhSfmG2qxjg/s640/Nielsen+-+Farrell+-+St.+Joanis.jpg" width="608" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inaugural members of the Red Panties League Bjarne Nielsen, BSI ("The Veiled Lodger"), John Farrell and Thierry St. Joanis</td></tr>
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John was generous and gave everything he had, even if he did not have much. When he came to see me in Paris, he stayed with me in my living room reconstitution of Baker Street. I lived on the 5th floor ... no elevator! We had almost an hour to climb the stairs. That gave us time to talk like concierges. Once at the top of my Everest, the base camp was tailored to fit the morphology of the Tiger (a king-size mattress on the floor). For him, it must have seemed that I lived in a hobbit hole where everything was too small, too low, too narrow. In the morning, John could not stand without help, so I reached out to lift him from the ground, and when he was on his feet, he could touch nothing except the stars. I understood why his shoes were never laced ...<br />
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For a superman like John, daily life was not easy, but I've never heard him complain. He had the elegance of a gentleman, the hero of my books, and he knew how to put me in a position of comfort making my life always nice.<br />
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When John was there, I was quiet and safe. In New York, every time I came to participate at the BSI weekend, I remember moments of solitude spent on the sidewalk of the 44th Street in front of the Algonquin Hotel, intimidated, lost and uncomfortable with my "bad" English, surrounded by Sherlockians who do not speak French, until I saw the silhouette of my giant friend advancing, far out there on Times Square, wearing a top hat, a reflecting monocle illuminating his pleased eye. For a week, John was the friend of everyone, but I felt like the only one that counted. He taught me how and where to eat "the best BBQ in NYC" and that a good pint of beer had to be drunk at McSorley's Old Ale House, this saloon with a floor covered with sawdust.<br />
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Together we toured the Holmesian world, from New York to Paris, London to Meiringen. And it is with him that I climbed the slope leading to the Reichenbach Falls in the Swiss mountains, and we celebrated our arrival at the summit by improvising a duel with our sword sticks, before finishing by sharing a flask of whiskey, lying in the grass, me, a Mowgli resting her head in safe on the side of a tamed Shere Khan.<br />
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It's simple: with John, I've never done anything ordinary.<br />
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My regret is that I wasn't able to see more of him, as he lived in California and I in France. If we were less Sherlockian, we both would be richer, and we would have been able to see each other more often. But there was a continent and an ocean between us. So, with the help of our memories, we console ourselves with exchanges via the Internet until the day that John will come to spend several months at my home, in the French countryside where I live today.<br />
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The house is large and there are no stairs to climb to get to bed. He must come, I have no doubt or fear. It's just a matter of time. It is what he said each July 14th, when John would send me his "Vive la France!" for the annual Bastille Day.<br />
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Look, it's weird, here we are on the 13th of August and I have not yet received his 2015 "Vive la France!" greeting. John may have been a failure with the Internet - unless - my friend may have returned to the land of the giants, up there... Well, then I'll have to find a magic bean to join him.<br />
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The game's afoot!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sketch of John by John-Pierre Cagnat</td></tr>
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Remembering John Farrell, BSI

"he must certainly have been a giant" [WIST] John Farrell, BSI ("The Tiger of San Pedro") passed away in May at the...

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by Francine Kitts

Espionage: The Spies Among Us

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<span style="text-align: start;">'We are spies in an enemy's country' [REDH]</span></h4>
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The young woman who led me to the steel interrogation chair was pleasant, but firm. If I would sit down and obey instructions, she wouldn't have to strap me in. I sat, and a male voice began asking me questions through a crackly intercom. I answered them. I had to: I was shown a shower pipe above my head and told that nasty things might come out of it. Uh-huh, the pleasant young woman nodded, it could happen. I answered more questions.<br />
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And I knew for certain that I was in this predicament because a close friend — a woman, I need hardly say — had handed me over for interrogation just for the fun of seeing whether I would crack.<br />
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While I was the focus of attention in this way, I was, unsurprisingly, not thinking about Sherlock Holmes. That came later. Certainly none of the authentic Holmes stories present such a cold-blooded and technologically enhanced interrogation scene. The steel chair and the intercom were of a 1960s, Cold War vintage, I'd say.<br />
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Still, think of Sherlock Holmes in his identity as Altamont, a double agent for the British and the Germans in the months leading up to World War I, as described in "His Last Bow." If a woman had betrayed him, he might well have ended up under ruthless interrogation, something involving knives and fists more likely than shower pipes. Such things did happen, as Holmes hints — but they did not happen to him: "Agents were suspected or even caught."<br />
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<h4>
"spies and secret agents" [SECO]</h4>
Spies figure in several other canonical stories, of course. Think in particular of "The Second Stain", published in 1904, in which a valuable state document is missing. "To whom would the thief take it?" Holmes asks rhetorically. "To one of several international spies and secret agents, whose names are tolerably familiar to me. There are three who may be said to be the heads of their profession." He names them: "Oberstein, La Rothiere, and Eduardo Lucas." The villain proves to be Lucas, who has blackmailed a politician's idiot wife into removing the letter from her husband's dispatch-box — a honey trap in reverse, one might say.<br />
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Published four years later, but set in surely the same era, is "The Bruce-Partington Plans", in which a traitor makes off with working drawings for a submarine, and turns them over to — whom? Holmes asks his brother, who sometimes is the British government, for "a complete list of all foreign spies or international agents known to be in England, with full address", and gets three names in return. Interestingly, two are La Rothiere and Oberstein, who are familiar to him from the previous case. Lucas, having perished in the course of the "Second Stain" events, has been replaced by "Adolph Meyer, of 13 Great George Street, Westminster."<br />
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Spies are implicit, though not mentioned, in "The Naval Treaty," and it is not difficult to see the presence of secret agents in at least three other tales, involving respectively Bohemia, Russia and San Pedro. (Details may be left as an exercise to the reader.) But for the most part Holmes's career involves crime rather than espionage — his war service as Altamont was a dramatic break with his previous work. (It is only fair to note that, <a href="http://kspot.org/holmes/spy.htm" target="_blank">in an article dating from 1994, Sherlockian scholar Carl Heifetz disagrees</a>, calling Holmes "the world's first and most preeminent master spy".) Sherlock Holmes as an international agent really came into his own in the 1940s, with the later Basil Rathbone films in which Nazi agents are foiled time and time again.<br />
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<h4>
"realism pushed to its extreme limits" [IDEN]</h4>
The incident that I describe in the opening sentences of this report really did take place, by the way. I found myself under interrogation in the concrete cellar beneath a notorious watering-place in downtown Milwaukee, an establishment known as the <a href="http://www.safe-house.com/" target="_blank">Safe House</a>. <br />
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I was taken to the Safe House (I might almost say lured there) by a beautiful woman, a well-known Sherlockian in fact. She whispered a password to the staff member monitoring the entrance, and slipped inside leaving me to the fate of those who have to get by on sheer bluff. <br />
<br />
I did make my way into the bar eventually, and had time to enjoy a drink and a slice of carrot cake (as well as the establishment's incredible decor of spy memorabilia, trickery, false doorways and surprises) before my companion gave me away. The walk down the metal staircase to the basement followed. As for the rest of the events, we must have an amnesty in that direction, I think.<br />
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