My Tin Dispatch Box

With the winter months on us and it is cold, snowing and a generally inhospitable time of the year as far as the weather is concerned, I like nothing more than curling up on the couch in front of a warm fire and a good old horror story or supernatural themed tale. And I do enjoy a good story involving vampires! So I knew that I would enjoy reading another tale of Sherlock Holmes battling vampires! It is not the first time I have done so. I have thoroughly enjoyed several versions, Sherlock Holmes and The Lyme Regis Horror being one by David Ruffle, Sherlock Holmes and The Affair In Transylvania by Gerry O’Hara being another, likewise Sherlock Holmes and The Whitechapel Vampire by Dean Turnbloom and another of my favourites, Sherlock Holmes and The Tangled Skeinby David Stuart Davies.

This time it was the turn of Sherlock Holmes vs Dracula. The story starts not in Baker Street but in Whitby when on a dark and stormy night a boat is washed up with the Captain is found lashed to the wheel and a mysterious black dog is sighted and the hold of the boat containing boxes of nothing but soil. The case is soon brought to the attention of Sherlock Holmes and as he investigates what he thinks to be a fairly straightforward case soon becomes apparent that it is nothing of the sort and is in fact an investigation into a very ancient evil that has now unleashed itself on England and even the safe sanctuary that is 221B Baker Street. As the story progresses we see both Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson placed in extreme danger and a familiar character in the form of Van Helsingalso joins the fray as the hunt for Count Dracula intensities. Can Sherlock Holmes defeat the evil that threatens to destroy all that stands in its way?

I enjoyed this story very much and was pretty much hooked all week reading it. Even my work colleagues were amused by my updates on events in the story when I came back from lunch break having been away in the fog filled streets of London chasing vampires with Sherlock Holmes! My favourite scenes in the book has to be where Dr Watson takes himself out onto a common where sightings have occurred of a woman in white and where murders have taken place. It is here that his life is endangered and there is powerful imagery used to describe the events that take place. I also enjoyed the confrontation between Holmes, Watson and Count Dracula in Baker Street itself. It is very spine chilling indeed and even had my hairs at the back of my neck stand on end. And I liked the build-up to the finale in which Dr Watson’s worse fears are realised when his wife is abducted and both Holmes and Watson goes after Count Dracula in pursuit.

However despite a gripping read and exciting plot, I felt somewhat let down by the finale of the story. There was no final confrontation with Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula. I would have liked to have read that. I do feel that the end of the story was rushed by the author which was a pity as I really enjoyed this story a great deal.

Nevertheless if you want a good supernatural tale involving Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson then you will not be bored by this story. Just one word of advice, be sure to have a silver crucifix, clove of garlic and a wooden stake on hand, just in case Count Dracula decides to look over your shoulder and read along with you!

I have to confess I have never read The Three Gables. I really must get round to doing so and I am now inspired to do so after reading Samuel Williams Jr’s Anomalous.  The first time I encountered Steve Dixie was when I watched Granada’s Sherlock Holmes and was greeted with Dixie pinning Holmes to the wall with Watson entering the room in time to prevent Holmes from being hurt! It is a dramatic scene and I thought to myself what a wonderful villain Steve Dixie was. I never imagined therefore that one day someone would rise to the challenge and have Steve Dixie as a leading character of a story!

Anomalous is a story set in both Chicago and England just before the start of World War One. The main story sees Jack Johnson, a former champion boxer become embroiled in a robbery of which he had no part and is forced to flee to England after he is accused of a separate crime which was fuelled by the racial prejudice that was sadly all to prevalent in the USA, an issue that is referred to throughout the story.  Jack Johnson befriends the mysterious Altamont whilst in America little realising Altamont’s true identity! It is whilst in America and mixing with Chicago gangsters that Johnson comes into contact with Steve Dixie and when in England Altamont/Sherlock Holmes forms an alliance with both Dixie and Johnson when the security of England is at stake.  We are also introduced to a very young Al Capone as well as the formidable Lady Hebron and Tex Cody.  

Anomalous is a fast paced story. Its focus is on action and adventure rather than the friendship between Holmes and Watson. It certainly starts with a bang an impressive beginning when we see Jack Johnson lynched and Altamont emerging from the shadows as a witness to the whole event. It is a most memorable beginning to a Sherlock Holmes story I have read in some time.  Dr Watson does feature in the story but not until the later chapters. Normally I would have missed Watson’s presence in any Sherlock Holmes story but as Anomalous is so full of action suspense and adventure the reader is left entertained until his arrival. But being loyal to Dr Watson I did let out a cheer when he did eventually arrive on the scene in time to save Dixie from the clutches of two unsavoury characters! An ironic intervention indeed if you have watched Granada’s The Three Garrebids in which Watson was attacked by Holmes!

Samuel Williams Jr paints a marvellous portrayal of Johnson and Dixie and you are left cheering when both characters show integrity, courage and a willingness to be on the right side of the law, particularly in the case of Steve Dixie whose life is changed when he meets Johnson and once more Holmes, especially when both Holmes and Watson helps Dixie when his cousin faces a mortal threat.  I liked the scenes in which Altamont is served a local recipe by Johnson in his restaurant/café and one cannot help but wonder had Johnson not chosen boxing as his career, he would have been a renowned chef instead! I would have liked to have seen Holmes box and spar with either Dixie or Johnson but understandably Holmes is now of the age where such a feast is no longer an easy option. Perhaps the author might do a flashback memory of Holmes sparring with Dixie if he were to ever write a sequel to Anomalous! That would be a real treat indeed! 

As I mentioned earlier the issue of racial abuse that was so sadly prevalent in not just American society but in English Society too is very sensitively handled. I liked how Watson is used to portray the old colonial values and thinking of the era in relation to this and how over the course of the story his views change. Although his suspicions and dislike of gangsters per se still remain.  It is Holmes who defuses the tense situation between Watson, Dixie and Johnson and the author cleverly utilises the idea of a blood bond to unite Holmes with both Dixie and Johnson. 

A character also introduced to us is that of Lady Hebron. I could not help but think of Kitty Winter in many ways. Lady Hebron is formidable and strong and has strength of character whose qualities are also found in Kitty Winter. And like Kitty Winter, Lady Hebron also hides a secret as well. She quickly gains the respect of all involved.

My favourite character out of all the characters bar Holmes and Watson is that of the young Al Capone.  As much as I loved Jack Johnson and Dixie Green and they left a very strong impression in my mind, it is the sinister foreboding Al Capone that grabbed my attention! Although he is only fourteen in the story it is clear he is not one to be trifled with, an observation Watson makes early in the story and whose suspicions are proven correct towards the climax of the story. 

I enjoyed Anomalous.  Its strength lay in action and adventure rather than on the friendship between Holmes and Watson. There is a rich tapestry of scenes to enjoy and an adventure that keeps you up late at night turning the pages. If you like boxing, gangsters and turn of the century adrenalin this is the book for you! Just don’t get caught up in a sparring match with either Jack Johnson or Steve Dixie!

Anomalous – The Adventures of Sherlcok Holmes is available from bookstores including in the USA Barnes and Noble and Amazon, in the UK Waterstones, Amazon and Book Depository (free worldwide delivery) and in electronic formats – iTunes (iPad), Kindle, Nook and Kobo.

Sherlock Holmes And The Lyme Regis Trials is the last time we see Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson visit Lyme Regis to embark on yet another adventure. It was with a heavy heart that I took it upon myself to read this over the Christmas holidays but I am glad I did.  As someone who lives by the sea, the tale of submarines, espionage and all things nautical appealed to me immensely.  I was also thrilled to see a name in the story which is of personal interest to me as I am a relation!  So it made reading this final instalment of the Lyme Regis Trilogy all the more pleasurable.

In Sherlock Holmes And The Lyme Regis Trials, Sherlock Holmes is called upon by his brother Mycroft to go down to Lyme Regis to act on his behalf to ensure that the trials of a new submarine goes smoothly and to watch for any spies or acts of espionage that may prevent this from happening.  Holmes is accompanied by Dr Watson who travels down to Lyme Regis with his wife.  Those familiar with David Ruffle’s earlier works will delight in seeing favourite characters such as Nathaniel and Elizabeth take a prominent role in this new adventure.   As the story progresses the subterfuge increases and separate strands of investigations are launched when threats are made on both the lives of Sherlock Holmes and a young Police constable who is stationed in Lyme Regis.  There is also an apparent haunting that takes place when sightings of a female ghost occur during a performance of a one woman show takes place over a few nights in Lyme Regis.  As Sherlock Holmes once famously remarked in The Speckled Band, “These are very deep waters…” and it certainly could not get deeper in mystery and intrigue than as what takes place in Lyme Regis!

On reading the story I was impressed at how the reader is drawn in as if to make you feel you were actually in Lyme Regis. This is cleverly done with the use of newspaper reports with tales of a runaway horse, boating lakes, landslips caused by local flooding and so on. And as the story progresses, the reports also serves as updates to the activities of the Navy and Admiralty officials.  Another amusing anecdote is the introduction of Angel, a puppy that Nathaniel and Elizabeth acquire much to the chagrin of Dr Watson! But I can’t see Watson holding a grudge for long as his heart is a kind one and I suspect he will have made a fuss of the puppy but chosen not to mention this to his loyal readers!  The hauntings that take place are effective and I can’t help but think that in the description of the ghost that there is a nod to The Woman In Black, which is a chilling story and whose ghost I certainly would not want to meet on a dark bleak winter’s night.  As to the outcome of Holmes’s investigations we learn that instead of a foreign spy, Holmes’s discovers that the threat to the Lyme Regis Trials lies much closer to home and there is a surprising finale to the story in regards to this.

But just as you think Sherlock Holmes and The Lyme Regis Trials is ended there is another surprise with the inclusion of a bonus story called The Grosvenor Square Furniture Van. David Ruffle has a love of all things ghostly and supernatural as those familiar with his stories will testify and this story will appeal to anyone wanting a good haunting tale over Christmas! Dr Watson’s faithful writing bureau has to be replaced due to wear and tear and Sherlock Holmes has an opportunity to surprise Watson with a replacement bureau when he investigates unusual goings on with a removal van, for which even he cannot offer an earthly explanation. Dr Watson is at first surprised and pleased with the unexpected gift but then this soon turns to surprise, concern and ultimately danger for Watson as he finds his new desk to be disconcerting and then starts to act out of character and dangerously so, even threatening his long-time friend and colleague.  It is up to Sherlock Holmes to rescue Watson from the malevolent force that threatens to consume Dr Watson. As great a threat that Holmes faced with Professor Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls.  I enjoyed this story which includes a cameo appearance from Mrs Hudson, who must be the most patient landlady in all of London. What made this story so good was the ghostly feel to the story and one can feel the hairs on the back of the neck rise. I suspect even Edgar Allan Poe would have felt the chills down his spine on reading this story too! It is a story that will now be remembered every time I see both Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson appear on television or indeed Sydney Paget drawings in which Dr Watson’s writing desk is shown.

I shall miss reading of the adventures and mysteries that both Holmes and Watson encounter in Lyme Regis.  It has been a joy to read them.  The Lyme Regis Trilogy has its spot on my bookshelf and justly deserves the praise it has received. Lyme Regis also now has a special place amongst the many stories written of Sherlock Holmes. It would not surprise me if it were mentioned in another Sherlock Holmes story. However I hope that it will not be the last of the Sherlock Holmes stories we are gifted with from David Ruffle. I hope there will be tales to come! Until then the Game will always remain afoot.

It’s the time of the year when the rain is pouring, the leaves are falling down from the branches and the distinctive chill in the air has you turning up your coat collar and reaching for a scarf to keep out the cold.  With the weather being so horrid what is better than snuggling up with a Sherlock Holmes pastiche and banishing those autumn blues! And as if on cue Paul D Gilbert has gifted us with his fourth publication The Annals Of Sherlock Holmes.

There is something very inviting about holding a hardback book, with Paul D Gilbert we are also treated with what one could describe as his signature cover featuring Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes. His previous covers were wonderful and in The Annals of Sherlock Holmes there is one again a fabulous cover.  This is appealing and a treat to all those who regard Jeremy Brett as the definitive Sherlock Holmes! Another feature to point out is the dedication at the start of the book which is heartfelt and moving and one I applaud whole heartedly.

But that is just the cover and first pages! What of the stories? Well it seems Paul D Gilbert has once again been digging deep into Watson’s tin dispatch box and we are treated to three stories that are often referenced to in the canon but readers have never have had the chance to read until now.  To my squeal of delight when I turned to the contents page and saw the three stories on offer to read, the first story is based on The Politician, The Lighthouse and The Trained Cormorant.  I have often wanted to read the story behind this as it sounded so intriguing.

The Dundas Separation Case is a story is set at the height of Christmas in which Holmes and Watson investigates blackmail and a dangerous spy who threatens the security of the nation. The story is a three-part one. It centers on the aforementioned politician, who is the target of a spy trying to coerce him to reveal state secrets. The politician’s wife is greatly distressed by his behaviour and is forced to leave the household. That is when Holmes and Watson are called in.The lighthouse holds a sinister secret and we also see what the purpose of the trained cormorant is! Holmes himself is placed in danger and there is a heart stopping cliff hanger moment in the story as it reaches its climax.

In The Abernetty Mystery Holmes and Watson visit old friends and whilst on their way down to see them they stop off to visit an old friend of Watson’s whom they find dead on arrival. The centrepiece of the mystery surrounds a butter dish, poison and a houseful of guests who all have motives to commit the murder. It is up to Holmes to determine what has happened and who is responsible. The story is fast paced and the conclusion is an exciting one. The story also shows just how skilful Holmes is in coming to logical conclusions that shows he truly is the Master Detective!

In The Adventure of The Reluctant Spirit it is Dr Watson himself who engages Holmes’s help in assisting an old family friend, Mrs Cecil Forrester who was responsible for introducing Watson to Miss Mary Morston, both characters who we encounter in The Sign of Four.  Holmes is apparently loath to take the case on; dismissing the idea of the dead being contacted much to Watson’s chagrin. However Holmes is shown to be on the case after all without appearing to be so and as an additional treat the reader is reacquainted with another lesser known but formidable character whom Dr Watson is not entirely convinced of in both reputation and intent! I won’t spoil the story and say who it is but I think those familiar with the canon will be pleased. The story is a clever one and by far my favourite. It is one I think that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would approve of as it involves spiritualism and a séance. Both of which Doyle was heavily involved in and advocated in.  The story does have a twist that is perfect for Halloween which is fast approaching as I write this and perfect for those cold winter nights in front of the fire!

Throughout the stories Paul D Gilbert masterfully brings both Holmes and Watson to life and the attention to detail is marvellous, the attention to Holmes’s body language such as the half smiles, the flick of the wrist and perfect reasoning that Jeremy Brett so definitely portrayed as Holmes which Paul D Gilbert has so masterfully woven into his Holmes using his skill and prowess with his pen!  The Annals of Sherlock Holmes is a lovely book which carries the spirit of Sherlock Holmes throughout. It was well worth the wait for this book just in time for the run up to Christmas and would make a fine Christmas present for readers of Sherlock Holmes of all ages. In fact it would be safe to say that Dr Watson himself would be sitting by the roaring fire in 221B Baker Street with a glass of cognac and cigar avidly turning the pages with Sherlock Holmes playing his Stradivarius in the background! I eagerly await the next publication with anticipation and take another stroll back in time with Paul D Gilbert to the foggy streets of London and to the welcoming front door of 221B Baker Street where it will always be 1895!

storyquine asked: any chance you could review my play? "Sherlock Holmes & the Adventure of the Jacobite Rose" published by MX Publishing. I'm a new Sherlockian author, Fiona-Jane Brown

Of course! I am steadily reading my way through a big pile of  deliciously wonderful Sherlock Holmes books and will be delighted to do so! :) Probably will be November though! :)

When I was approached by David Ruffle to do a pre publication review of Sherlock Holmes And The Missing Snowman, I was thrilled. I have already read his popular Sherlock Holmes novels, Sherlock Holmes And The Lyme Regis Horror and Sherlock Holmes And The Lyme Regis Legacy both books which I enjoyed immensely and whose name had been mentioned to me in one of my own recent book signings and I had to smile at the success he has clearly had with these books.

In his latest book Sherlock Holmes And The Missing Snowman, David Ruffle has had very young readers of Sherlock Holmes in mind when he wrote this book and the theme of the book is a charming tale of a very distraught young client who comes to Sherlock Holmes at the height of the Christmas festivities with a singular case of a missing snowman which had disappeared in mysterious circumstances! It is a story in which we see Holmes’s great heart come into play as he agrees to take on the case much to Dr Watson’s initial chagrin! We see both Holmes and Watson take on the snowy streets of London in search of the missing snowman much to the relief of their young client.  I won’t spoil the story by giving away the ending but it is a delightful one that would bring a smile to  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself!

What makes this story stands out however are the absolutely superb colourful illustrations presented throughout the book. They are rich in detail and obviously done with much love of the characters portrayed.  Children will love seeing these pictures and will come back to them over and over again to take in and enjoy the attention to detail of the artwork done.  Even adult readers of Sherlock Holmes would appreciate them for the quality of the illustrations. It might be my imagination but I can’t but help think that there is a whiff of Sydney Paget in the illustrations! I particularly like the clever way in which some of the illustrations have a sepia quality to them, allowing the reader to feel as if they are looking back on Victorian London! My favourite one has to be of both Holmes and Watson in Baker Street, definitely a place to be on a cold Christmas morning! There is also a cameo appearance by Mrs Hudson as well which is a delight to see.

Sherlock Holmes And The Missing Snowman will make a fine addition to the Christmas stocking of  young readers of Sherlock Holmes and I can see this book doing well, not only in the children’s section of bookshops up and down the country but also in libraries and schools too, particularly in the run up to Christmas. It would also read and look well on e readers such as the Kindle, Kobo and all other good e readers too.  Had this book been given to me when I was a child at Christmas it would have been a very quiet Christmas morning as I would have been well absorbed into the book! It would certainly have been amongst the favourite of my children’s books as well! I will certainly be recommending this book to friends who I know have children and are desperately looking for something to get them for Christmas. It will make a lovely alternative to the video games and toys one gets for Christmas.  On a final thought, it would not surprise me if this book and superb illustrations was snapped up by an eagle eyed film animator. I feel it would be a complimentary foil to Christmas classics such as The Snowman for example.  It does have the quality and potential to make it from book to big screen!

Ever since I read David Stuart David’s excellent A Tangled Skein and David Ruffle’s The Lyme Regis Horror I have always enjoyed a good vampire story with Sherlock Holmes. Indeed Doyle himself could not resist the possibilities of playing with supernatural elements such as vampires when he himself wrote The Adventure of The Sussex Vampire.  So it was with excitement that I picked up Dean Turnbloom’s The Whitechapel Vampire and immersed myself once more in fangs, dark capes and of suspense and horror.

The story itself is focused on two young Italian immigrants who come to London in search of work and a new life. They obtain tickets for the boat bound for London, where one of the immigrants called Carlino falls in love with a beautiful young passenger on board and begins an illicit affair during the sea voyage much to the disapproval of her parents. However darker forces are at work on board when murder takes place and a mysterious passenger remains reclusive and forbidding. However this is just a subplot as gruesome murders are taking place in Whitechapel and the bodies begin to pile up. Under pressure from the Scotland Yard Commissioner, Inspector Abberline is forced to consult Sherlock Holmes to get to the bottom of the case. Both Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson soon find themselves in dark waters and their very lives are put at risk as they come to face a great Evil that has taken over the streets of London.  Can Holmes and Watson solve the case and put an end to the horror?

I enjoyed this tale of vampires, forbidden romance and horror.  When reading the story I very much sensed that Basil Rathbone’s version of Holmes is very much present in the story with a less of a buffoonish Dr Watson as portrayed by Nigel Bruce! One huge giveaway is the use of old boy by Holmes, but perhaps a bit overused though. But I did very much enjoy the Rathbonian feel to the story!  One of my favourite parts of the book is when both Holmes and Watson are patrolling Whitechapel in search of their quarry and Watson does not recognise Holmes in disguise. The scene is both amusing and one is made to feel sorry for Watson who loses a few coins in the process. His kind heart blinding him to the fact that it is Holmes he is speaking to!

Throughout Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire there is a strong sense of malevolence. I loved the many reference to Jack The Ripper which worked well in this vampire setting. The ending of this excellent and menacing story is a good one and worth waiting for, albeit with some pathos which was unexpected. I felt that it did leave open possibilities. Or perhaps that is just my own overactive imagination at work! Or even it is a story which as Sherlock Holmes himself once aptly said

“…a story for which the world is not yet prepared” (The Adventure Of The Sussex Vampire)

On completing reading Darlene A Cyper’s The Crack In The Lens I was left hoping there was to be a follow up to the exciting story. Indeed there was a hint in the final pages of the book that did suggest this might happen. I was then delighted to discover that there was. The Consulting Detective Trilogy, Part I University is as the title indicates the first of three stories which goes on to chart Holmes’s life from student to detective.

From the very first page,  I could not put the book down and spent an entire week avidly reading the book, had I not been in work I would have spent an entire day curled up on my couch reading it, I was hooked! Darlene Cyper once again has illustrated her talent for painting a very vivid picture of the story in her writings. For example one memorable scene in the book sees Sherlock Holmes climbing the rooftops of Cambridge.  It is very descriptive and you can feel yourself on the rooftops with Sherlock Holmes and admire the Cambridge skyline!

Throughout University however, readers of The Crack In The Lens will recognise and sympathise with Holmes as he struggles to come to terms with the terrible memories of losing Violet, and of what his tutor did to him.  (I am not giving away spoilers; you’ll just have to read The Crack In the Lens to find out what went on!) University can be read as a standalone book, but if you really want to appreciate the impact on Holmes caused by earlier events, I would strongly recommend you read The Crack In The Lens. However Holmes is not alone in his struggle, we see his faithful servant Jonathan handle Holmes’s depression and illnesses with care and dignity. And by the end of the book I am left to wonder if Jonathan will take up the medical profession in some way! We also see the introduction of a new character, Dr Mackenzie. It is he who helps Holmes put back together the shattered pieces of his heart and mind. And it is during the recovery that we see the origins of the famous seven per cent solution come into play.

As to the story itself, Holmes is now at Cambridge and he becomes embroiled in a case in which illegal betting and gambling is taking place. There is also conflict within the walls of Cambridge itself not just between Holmes and fellow students but also with university staff as well. Throughout the book I got a sense that there was a malevolence working at a higher level of authority that is unseen but makes itself felt.  I also got the feeling Sherlock Holmes is aware of it too, but he is distracted by the illegal goings on which he investigates and overcoming his own personal demons which both Jonathan and Dr Mackenzie helps him overcome. It is during his time at Cambridge however that we see Holmes learn the craft of detection and a realisation that this is a career that also not only can he use his formidable mind in a practical way, but also helps him to fight for justice in the light of the tragedy of his earlier life. 

University sees a transformation of Holmes from a troubled boy to the beginnings of the man that would cause him to become the world’s only Consulting Detective.  I await the next stage of the Trilogy, Onstage with much anticipation to see how Holmes builds on the lessons learnt in University.  Or as Holmes would go on to famously declare…The Games’ Afoot!

Holmes And Watson End Peace by David Ruffle is a short but very moving and evocative story which details a conversation between Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson.  It takes place in a nursing home in 1929 where Dr Watson is being cared for. The cover for the book is superbly simple, a deerstalker and medical bag.  For any reader of Sherlock Holmes the symbolism is obvious and it does set the tone for the book. This is a story about Holmes and Watson. No one else is involved.

Holmes and Watson End Peace does take the reader on a journey, firstly a fond reminiscent of old cases Holmes and Watson were involved in and then the conversation takes on a darker turn as the final secrets carried by both Holmes and Watson are gradually revealed and is somewhat shocking in content.  But the secrets are handled sensitively by David Ruffle who also seeks to explain the reasons behind them.  There is also a clever subplot that adds great pathos to the story and as the reader gradually realises what is going on one does feel that they want to hug Dr Watson even more! The seriousness of the story is nicely offset by breaks in the conversation as we are drawn to the lives of the nurses caring for Dr Watson. There is humour and a sense of life carrying on as normal outside the room of Dr Watson.  However even the nurses begin to realise that all is not normal within the walls of Dr Watson’s room as they fret over a chair not being where it should be.

Throughout the story you very much sense the long standing friendship between the two men which transcends everything else. Theirs is a strong bond that can never be broken by anything.  Even in spirit the bonds of friendship remain as strong as ever.  It is a theme that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used very effectively throughout the canon, particularly in The Empty House and The Three Garridebs.  If you want to read a Sherlock Holmes story that is set at the end of the many adventures Holmes and Watson had together, with an added and most unexpected twist then Holmes and Watson End Peace is for you.  A fixed point in a changing age for your Sherlockian/Holmesian bookcase!

garrymgraves asked: How does one get their book reviewed by Tin Dispatch Box?

I write all the reviews and publish The Tin Dispatch Box myself so it would be me! If you want me to review your book by all means give me the details of your book.