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Interview with Dicky Neely the author of The Case of The Grave Accusation, a Sherlock Holmes mystery

26 Jun

Dicky Neely is an internationally recognised illustrator from Texas and life-long Sherlock Holmes fan. His first book, The Case of The Grave Accusation covers Sherlock Holme’s most important mystery ever. We caught up with him in between scribblings to ask him about the book and his passion for Holmes.

What was the main inspiration for the book?

I was surfing the net some years ago and I came across the story about a man who was attempting to discredit Sir Arthur Conan Doyle concerning his authorship of the Hound of the Baskervilles as well as accusing him of wife stealing and murder concerning Bertram Fletcher Robinson and his wife Gladys. The man’s premise for his claims seemed pretty thin to me and I immediately thought “This sounds like a case for Sherlock Holmes!”

Which is your favourite aspect of the book?

I enjoyed thinking about what Holmes might have accomplished with modern contrivances such as computers, cell phones and other such things. I had no doubt he would be a computer geek if he had the chance.

Of all the Holmes stories which is your favourite and why?

The Hound of the Baskervilles is my favorite. It combines all of the elements of Holmes’ abilities and methods along with the supernatural tales of the West Country wilderness. I found that fascinating.

When did you first become interested in Sherlock Holmes?

I was an avid reader as a youth and the Sherlock Holmes movies, such as the 1959 Hound of the Baskervilles with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee and of course the movies with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce sparked my interest which led me to the written works.

If you could meet Arthur Conan Doyle, what would you ask him?

What effect did your invention of Sherlock Holmes have on his life? Was it for personal good or ill?

What are you reading at the moment?

The Autobiography of Mark Twain.

What’s the best aspect of being a Holmes author?

I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to make a small contribution to the body of work of Holmsian authors.

Which of the Sherlock Holmes stories do you feel is the best and why?

I think the best story is “The Blue Carbuncle.” This story is a bit more light hearted than most of the canon but it has charming qualities and illustrates Holmes’ powers of deductions at their finest.

Who is your favourite support character in the Holmes stories?

That would have to Dr. Watson. He is, after all, the teller of most of the stories and he clearly is a fine and honest person and is wholly dedicated to his friend Sherlock Holmes.

What is you most treasured illustration and why?

I guess you mean my own illustrations?This was my first illustration and I had never previous considered doing any Holmes pictures. It was fun, just as was the writing of my story.

The Case of The Grave Accusation is available from all good bookstores like Amazon, via Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, iBooks (iPad/iPhone) and several other formats.

 
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Posted by on June 26, 2011 in Author Interviews, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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The History of Sunderland Rugby Football Club RFC by Keith Gregson nears completion

24 Jun

A History of Sunderland RFC

MX author Keith Gregson is currently putting the final touches to his history of Sunderland RFC ‘in its historical context’. Keith says that he is really pleased with the outcome.

“At first I thought that it would only be the Victorian and Edwardian periods that would be appealing with rugby union’s battle with soccer,  rugby league and  the question of professionalism, However I have found equal interest in the lmost recent  three or four decadeswith the reality of rugby union leagues, union professionalism and the growth of mini and junior rugby. Also what has happened to those in the older age brackets who now want to keep on playing competetive rugby till pensionable age”.

Keith’s book is timed nicely to be published during October’s World Cup and is already available on Amazon UK .

 
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Posted by on June 24, 2011 in Book Launches, Rugby History, Sport

 

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Review of Watsons Afghan Adventure by Kieran McMullen from The Ill Dressed Vagabond aka Phil Jones

18 Jun

Watson's Afghan AdventurePhilip K Jones is one of the most respected, and meticulous Sherlock Holmes reviewers in the USA. Here he casts a close eye over Watsons Afghan Adventure, the debut Holmes pastiche from Keiran McMullen.

“This is the only Sherlockian book I know of by this author.  It is Watson’s own tale of his experiences in Afghanistan.  The narrative is a very realistic exposition of a British Doctor’s life during the Second Afghan War.  I am not sure of the details of the campaigns involved, but the presentation is an accurate and intelligent view of what Watson would have seen and experienced.

The Watson presented here is very much the Watson who wrote the Canonical tales.  He is inherently good and caring but also intelligent and observant.  Some of the details differ from those in the Canonical accounts but all the disagreements are well explained and logical.  The tale told is well written and intriguing, with a variety of characters and locations.  The bumbling Watson presented in the Canon, of course, never existed, but this Watson has all the heart and courage displayed in the Canonical tales along with the attention to detail and intelligence required by their author.

Good and evil are displayed by most of the characters.  The wide range of the noble aspirations, lofty ideals and gross excesses of ‘The Raj’ are displayed as well as the nobility, humanity and venality of the native population.  Most of the characters are interesting and the story told is a fascinating combination of a treasure hunt and an exposé of the details of the British domination of the Subcontinent.  As ever, Watson maintains his ideals, observes his fellow travelers and tries to help whomever and wherever he can.

There are a few irritating details in editing that occur throughout the book.  Most are substitution of homonyms for the proper spellings but there are also a few specific mis-usages and errors in details.  A careful edit should catch the majority but they are, at most, a minor distraction.  In a literature that is plagued by poor editing and gross mis-spellings the errors in this book are truly small change.  Some purists may disagree with the details of Watson’s history provided, but no real violations of the Canon are included.  This is an interesting and thought provoking addition to the Canon that is well worth reading.”

Kieran’s own blog is becoming very popular – especially his recent series of articles on the different actors that have played Dr.Watson.

Watson’s Afghan Adventure is available from all good bookstores and on Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, iBooks (iPad and iPhone) and other formats.

 
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Posted by on June 18, 2011 in Book Reviews, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Review of Rendezvous at The Populaire a Sherlock Holmes Novel by Kate Workman from The Ill Dressed Vagabond

08 Jun

Rendezvous at the PopulairePhilip K Jones is one of the USA’s leading Sherlock Holmes reviewers. Here he casts a comprehensive eye over Kate Workman’s debut novel (the first in a series of five) pastiche ‘Rendezvous at The Populaire’. New Jersey based Kate is getting much acclaim for the novel and Phil admits “she has talent” and overall seemed to enjoy the book saying it is ‘readable’ and inventive’.

“This is the first book in a projected series of Sherlockian tales by Ms. Workman.  This tale has a small number of editing errors, mostly misused words or terminology.  In any case, editing is not a major concern, as it has been for so many new authors lately.  Another characteristic is that the book ‘reads’ as if it had been translated from the French.  This is odd, but it has the ‘feel’ of a number of Sherlockian tales I have read that were so translated.  Also, a few of the terms used were ‘out of context.’  

The author credits Sam Siciliano’s “The Angel of the Opera” which involves Sherlock with ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ as an inspiration, but I found this book to be more interesting.  On the other hand, I never really enjoyed Mr. Siciliano’s effort in the first place.  For Sherlockians, the Holmes they meet in this book is a new person.  The utter self-confidence and disdain for others that pervades the Canonical Holmes is absent here.  This Holmes is chastened and unsure of himself.

I have never read the original “Phantom of the Opera,” by Gaston Leroux nor have I ever seen any of the Plays built on the character.  From that viewpoint, this is a relatively new story for me, so I have no preconceptions or emotional ties to the tale.  This book has an original approach to the classic tale and draws serious lines between the characters of Erik and Sherlock.  I am unsure of the degree of culpability that Erik’s original had, but this book presents him as a sympathetic character whose violence is only used to protect others or to prevent his own destruction.

The plot moves right along and the characters are mostly well drawn.  One almost feels that the heroine is really more than a pretty face attached to a pretty voice and the hero actually attains a sort of stature at the end.  I must admit that it took a while to see him as a serious person and I’m not sure that the impression will last.  Mostly, this book concerns Holmes and Erik so that their confrontations, both with their own inner demons and with each other are the actual tale told here.  The other supporting cast members are mostly interesting and even attractive, in a perverse way.  I especially liked the managers, for whom the phrase “dumb as a box of rocks” may have been invented.

As a first effort, this book is good.  As a Sherlockian pastiche, it is readable and inventive.  The author’s vision of Holmes in the grip of misfortunes is compelling. Although it contradicts the Canonical presentation, it presents a number of intriguing points and it seems to have a good amount of legitimacy if one accepts the author’s premises.  It has become common practice for authors to submit their manuscripts to a group of knowledgeable fans for discussion and error checking before publication.  This author would benefit from wider early exposure and discussion.  She has talent and good ideas but could use more active discussion in advance of publication.”

Rendezvous at the Populaire is available from all good bookstores including Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Kobo and iBooks (iPad and iPhone).

 
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Posted by on June 8, 2011 in Book Reviews, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Review of The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes from Tony Reynolds, by An Ill-dressed Vagabond

05 Jun

Philip K Jones (aka The Ill Dressed Vagabond ) is one of the leading Holmes reviewers in the USA. Here is his recent review of ‘The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes’ by Tony Reynolds.

This is the first Sherlockian writing I have found by this author. It is a collection of eight short novellas, each set up similarly to the Canonical tales. Other than the language, which seems a bit modern, these tales read a lot like their originals.

`The Giant Rat of Sumatra” takes place in London and migrates from a tale of murder to a story of a curiosity and then to a true tragedy. The explanation offered is plausible and the events are reasonable. “The Adventure of the Gypsy Girl” reads very well. Holmes always seems a step ahead of the reader and gives his client what she asks for. It is quite well executed and seems to unfold naturally.

“The Adventure of the Amazon Explorer” recalls a couple of the Canonical tales and includes several excellent deductions by Holmes. Again, Holmes satisfies his client’s needs, if not those of the Metropolitan Police. “The Adventure of the Medium” starts out as if it is another fraud debunking as in the earlier “Gypsy Girl” tale. It ends up as a tale of Holmes’ compassion and understanding.

“The Adventure of the Russian Anarchist” has Holmes requested by a high Government Official to help prevent the assassination of a visiting diplomat. Holmes manages to do so, despite the advice and help provided by his client and by Inspector Lestrade. “The Adventure of the Eminent Collector” involves Holmes in an inexplicable robbery. The stolen object and the pains taken simply do not match, so Holmes finds the explanation.

“The Adventure of the Pawnbroker’s Wife leads Holmes and Watson into an increasingly dark and involved situation. Their client’s suspicions seem to be confirmed and then magnified as the case progresses. “The Mystery of the Missing Rubies” introduces us to a family of Holmes relatives. Sherlock and Watson travel to Yorkshire to spend the Christmas holidays with some Holmes cousins and Mycroft joins the party. This is not a Mycroft I recognize, but the crime is explained so a good holiday can be had by all.

The individual stories are all reasonably framed and well-written. I found only a handful of errors and disliked only the characterization of Mycroft in the final tale. All were enjoyable, moderately complex and believable. Perhaps they are not Canonical, but they make a very nice substitute.

The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes are available from all good bookstores worldwide, on Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books and iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

 
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Posted by on June 5, 2011 in Book Reviews, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Wilkinson wins 6th British Archery Title Using Sports Performance Secrets

05 Jun

Jackie Wilkinson won her 6th British Archery title last week and she revealed that she used her sports performance techniques to beat some very tough competition. Jackie documented her techniques, which can be applied to all sports, in her book ‘Succeed In Sport’.

In an interview a few years ago, Jackie admitted that before she used sports performance monitoring she was “just an average archer”. By applying the techniques, which enable you to track and improve your performance, she went on to win several titles including European medals.

Jackie said of her record 6th win:

I thought the course at Petersfield was difficult but the one they laid on at Castle Wellan was international level severity!  Some people complained that it was too hard but many of us loved the challenge.  I had a lead of 10 points on the first day but the second placed lady started strongly the following day.  I had to draw on all the work I’ve been doing to stay strong and keep making good shots.

Thousands of archers around the world use Jackie’s performance measurement techniques to improve their shooting. The techniques can be applied to most sports and the book has a wide variety of sports in it including golf, cycling, badminton, karate, running and many others.

Suceed In Sport is available from good bookstores worldwide and also in Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books and iBooks (iPad/iPhone) formats.

 
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Posted by on June 5, 2011 in Sport

 

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Interview with Dr Dan Andriacco author of Baker Street Beat a collection of Sherlock Holmes articles, essays and radio plays

04 Jun

Dan Andriacco, D.Min., of Cincinnati, OH, USA, is a former journalist and mystery fiction reviewer. His book Baker Street Beat: An Eclectic Collection of Sherlockian Scribblings is a delightful grab bag of essays, short stories and radio plays, plus a helpful annotated bibliography.  We cornered him in his library (don’t call it a collection) of Sherlock Holmes books to answer a few questions.

What was the main inspiration for the book?

I’m not sure, but it may have been our trip to the Reichenbach Falls in 2008. It was certainly around that time that I began to pull together various things I had written about The Master over the years, as well as a new essay on the Reichenbach pilgrimage and a nostalgic piece about my long acquaintance with Sherlock Holmes and his world.

Which is your favourite aspect of the book?

The variety of genres represented.

What is your favourite piece from the collection?

I loved the two new essays that I mentioned above, but I’m proudest of my radio play “The Wrong Cab.” I think the premise was original, the Holmes dialogue sounds right to my ear, and the mystery plot was rather good. All in all, there’s a lot going on in that half-hour play.

Of all the canonical Holmes stories which is your favourite and why?

I usually say The Red-Headed League or The Hound of the Baskervilles, but that’s not quite true. It would be more accurate to say those are my favorite Holmes mysteries. My favorite Holmes story is His Last Bow. I love the sense of Holmes acting for king and country and Watson coming in at the end as the old trouper. The friendship that is so evident between the two men and the wonderful monologue that ends the story – beginning with, “Good old Watson! You are the one fixed point in a changing age” – is just magic. I’m also very fond of The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton in which Watson is once again a trouper and there’s another wonderful ending.

Which of Conan Doyle’s characters is your favourite?

Sherlock Holmes! But, really, the Holmes stories are replete with memorable characters. I’m sure I’m not the only reader with a soft spot for John H Watson, M.D., who Loren D. Estleman affectionately called Knight of the Battered Tin Dispatch-Box.  And let’s not forget Mycroft, Moriarty, Moran, Milverton – and those are just the ones who names begin with the letter M!

How do you view the new adaptations of Holmes – the BBC’s Sherlock and the Guy Richie directed movies?

Put me in the minority of Sherlockians who didn’t care for the Guy Rtchie film at all. To me the pacing was off so that it managed to be somehow both boring and frenetic – stretches of inaction followed by camera shots that were so fast my brain couldn’t process them. More importantly, it wasn’t true to the characters of Holmes and Watson. Perhaps surprisingly, I did enjoy and admire the BBC production. It seemed to me faithful to the characters as they would be if they had arrived on the scene today instead of in the 19th Century.

Which other modern day Holmes writer do you most enjoy?

Although I wrote a pastiche and won an award for it, I like Sherlock Holmes stories that are not pastiches – that is, they are not written from Watson’s point of view and in imitation of the original author’s style. And I’ve also been fascinated to image Holmes’s post-Baker Street years, about which we know so little. Those being my preferences, my offbeat answer to your question is Michael Chabron in his beautiful little book The Final Solution. It takes place in World War II and Sherlock Holmes is 89 years old. Both times I read it I found myself thinking, “Yes, that’s what he might be like at that age.”

When did you first become interested in Sherlock Holmes?

That’s the subject of the first essay in Baker Street Beat, so I don’t want to say too much except that it happened about a half-century ago. Maybe the most important thing is that my mental image of Sherlock Holmes was formed by the original stories and by the Sidney Paget illustrations before I ever saw an actor in the role. I’m grateful for that.

What are you reading at the moment?

Right now I’m reading Chronicles of Solar Pons, the gift of a dear friend, and a book about T.S. Eliot. I just finished reading a mystery novel I myself wrote nearly 20 years ago and then forgot about. Before that I read The Sherlockian, which my wife and I enjoyed. I also liked Resurrection Day, an alternative-history thriller I read recently about a world in which the Cuban Missile Crisis triggered a nuclear war.

What’s the best aspect of being a Holmes author?

It’s fun! In fiction writing, I especially like creating characters and giving them appropriate names. When writing about another author’s characters there’s an interesting challenge in trying to make them true to the original. I think that’s more craft than art, but it’s still quite satisfying if you think you’ve pulled it off.

What else are you working on at the moment?

I’m updating that old novel of mine that I mentioned earlier. It has a strong Sherlockian connection that I think would be fun for the readers of Baker Street Beat. And reading it with the objectivity of years, I think it’s pretty good. But it was written before cell phones were common and DVD players were invented. Everyday life has changed a lot in two decades and the revised manuscript will reflect that. I also have in mind a historical mystery set in 1921 featuring a retired beekeeper and a historical personage that, so far as I know, has never before appeared in a Sherlock Holmes story. Stay tuned. Of course, before I forget I am busy writing my blog ‘Baker Street Beat’ – feel free to drop by and comment.

Baker Street Beat is available from all good bookstores worldwide including Amazon, on Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, and iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

 
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Posted by on June 4, 2011 in Author Interviews, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Review of A Study In Crimson, the 2nd Female Sherlock Holmes Story from Molly Carr, by An Ill-dressed Vagabond

02 Jun

A Study In CrimsonPhil K. Jones aka An Ill-dressed Vagabond is one of the USA’s leading Holmes reviewers – here is his take on ‘A Study in Crimson‘.

“This is the second book in Molly Carr’s ‘Watson – Fanshaw Detective Agency’ series. It follows events in The Sign of Fear rather directly and continues in much the same vein. Again, Watson natters, Holmes is always out on some sort of business, Lestrade needs help and odd clients turn up in the strangest places (or is that strange clients in oddest places?).

It is difficult to be more specific as the author wanders from situation to situation in a random fashion. Evildoers rush in and take captives, innocents escape miraculously and the police are baffled with a great deal of regularity. Most new clients seem to lead to old crimes and very few people are what (or who!) they seem. For example, ‘the old Russian woman,’ cited in “The Musgrave Ritual,” is not really so old, is definitely a woman, and is STILL not who she seems to be.

The author continues in her casual attitude toward the Canon. It is hard to keep track of which printed tales actually happened, which were invented by Holmes and who was actually responsible for which crimes. At any given time, it is hard to keep track of which adventure is being investigated, one of the Canonical, but unreal tales or one of the Untold, but actual tales. The same uncertainty applies to persons. Black Gorgiano’s grandson wanders in from nowhere accompanied by The Pinkerton Detective, Mr. Leverton, neither of whom is what he seems to be. The Poirots, pere et fils, turn up with disturbing regularity, again, not whom they seem to be.

Old school chums, and some never known in ANY school, appear and disappear at inconvenient moments. Clients turn into criminals and, of course, criminals into clients. It is not always clear when these changes occur, but occur they do, even if only for a little while. Meanwhile, Mary and the Nipper soldier on while Watson huffs, puffs, worries, bets on the ponies and runs the odd errand for Holmes. Emily keeps bringing in new clients, some of whom are legitimate and Neville St. Clair seems to have gone straight. At least, he is no longer begging for a living, but what he is really doing is more a mystery than ever.

There is really no point in detailing the events, because I’m sure they will manage to change again before you see this review. Of course, the character set remains the same, or changes as the spirit(s?) move them. Scorecards are NOT provided so readers must make up their own lists. Please note that the Circus is not REALLY the best place to eliminate criminal pursuers and there IS a cave on Long Island, or there was.”

A Study in Crimson is available from all good bookstores worldwide including Amazon, also on the Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, and iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

 
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Posted by on June 2, 2011 in Book Reviews, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Interior of 221b Baker Street – Can you find the links in the Sherlock Holmes canon?

30 May

Click on the image to enlarge….

The interior of Sherlock Holme’s residence in Baker Street was featured in The Strand magazine. There are dozens of references and links in the canon of novels and short stories. Tony Reynolds, author of ‘The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes’ comments;

“You’ll see that Watson has his own bookcase. Now, in the Hound of the Baskervilles, Watson writes: “from my small medical shelf I took down the Medical Directory” from which I deduced that the good doctor had only a single shelf of books and had Watson use it in one of my stories. Any ideas?”

Let us know any interesting links to the floor plan that you have unearthed – you can post comments on the Forum on SherlockHolmes.com, contact us at MX Publishing – or get involved with The Great Sherlock Holmes Debate.

 
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Posted by on May 30, 2011 in Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Review of ‘In Search of Dr Watson’ from Molly Carr by An Ill-dressed Vagabond

28 May

An Ill-dressed Vagabond is one of the most respected Sherlock Holmes reviewers in the USA. Here is his review of Molly Carr’s fascinating biography of Dr.Watson from May 2011.

“This book is a study of the sources and uses of John H. Watson as presented in the sixty Sherlockian tales written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The author examines the relationship between the characters of Holmes and Watson in a careful fashion to determine why Doyle chose to create Watson as both a foil and a counterpoint for Holmes and how that choice affected the style and development of the stories over the forty years in which they were written. In addition, similar characters in Literature are discussed and analyzed to provide examples of alternative methods and the problems involved in using such figures.

While this seems to be a simple task, it is really anything but simple. The unique nature of Sherlock Holmes as an Archetype of Literature, ‘The Great Detective,’ is actually dependent on the methods Doyle used to present him. These methods all come down to using Watson as narrator, question asker, foil and stalking horse. The two personas of Holmes and Watson together allow the author to select the data to be presented to the readers in a very careful fashion. Holmes can maintain his own counsel without revealing answers before the author is ready. In addition, space and time can be devoted to various items of byplay between the two that constitute ‘filler’ for the stories that would otherwise be rather dry and dull.

In addition to a discussion of the methods Doyle used in writing and the uses he made of Watson, the author needs to discuss the many controversial features of the Sherlockian tales. These include time and dating problems, names of both persons and places, and identification of real events and persons, either included in or excluded from the tales. Most of these discussion items are familiar to Sherlockians, but are presented here in a comprehensive fashion with analyses of several different approaches and aspects. Total agreement is not really possible, but the author works to untangle the mare’s nest and to explain many of the sources of the problems.

Finally, the inspiration for names and places mentioned is examined and several ideas are offered that may help readers to understand what might have been in Doyle’s mind at various times. Several surprising triggers are identified and others proposed as real world inspirations for places, persons and events that showed up in the tales.

This is an interesting and well-written summary of the data available about John H. Watson. It covers a lot of territory and does so in a readable and interesting fashion. Experienced Sherlockians will recognize many points of discussion and readers new to ‘The Grand Game’ will find a strong introduction to Sherlockian ‘higher criticism.’”

In Search of Dr Watson is available from all good bookstores and in all formats worldwide including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books and iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

 
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Posted by on May 28, 2011 in Book Reviews, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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