"Have you ever seen a ghost, Mr. Holmes?" asks Victoria Temple, and Sherlock Holmes, at the height of his powers in 1898, must face a new challenge, one that plunges the great detective into the realm of the supernatural. Miss Temple has been found guilty—but also insane—at her trial for murdering a child under her care. She is locked away in the Broadmoor lunatic asylum, and worse still, she believes fully in her own guilt. But were the hauntings at the Elizabethan manor house of Bly a vision of the walking dead, perhaps, rather than delusions of her tormented mind? Or could it be that a criminal conspiracy is to blame for the psychic phenomena, as well as a second murder cunningly concealed in the past?
In the company of Dr. Watson, the indefatiguable Holmes will track down the perpetrators through the occult underworld of Victorian London.
Next, on the eve of World War I, Holmes is confronted with fraud and forgery at the Royal Naval Academy in "The Case of a Boy's Honor." While back in London, behind the scenes of the Herculaneum Theatre in the Strand, "The Case of the Matinee Idol" embroils Holmes and Watson directly in an apparent onstage murder. How did poison get into two Shakespearean goblets when only the victim, now dead, had access to them and the most likely suspect was a mile away with an unthinkable alibi?
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"I can't tell you how happy I was to have found another author who writes Sherlock Holmes stories. Sir Doyle lives on! I absolutely loved the quirky story twists. The stories were original, well thought out, and a refreshing change to the same old murder mystery. "
— Shawna (4 out of 5 stars)
“Superb…Sherlockians will hope Thomas continues to turn out these faithful and imaginative re-creations for years to come.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Donald Thomas is the all-time best at Sherlockian pastiche.”
— Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine" Not up to Sherlockian standards. "
— astrangerhere, 8/2/2013" Interesting. If you didn't know Doyle hadn't written them you'd be wondering where they have been all this time. "
— Lorraine, 4/29/2013" I can't tell you how happy I was to have found another author who writes Sherlock Holmes stories. Sir Doyle lives on! I absolutely loved the quirky story twists. The stories were original, well thought out, and a refreshing change to the same old murder mystery. "
— Shawna, 11/4/2012" The main story is a pastiche of Henry James' "Turn of the Screw." Thomas does a great job of making it a showcase for Holmes and Watson. I have read other anthologies by Thomas and enjoyed them also. "
— Kel, 10/21/2012" After reading House of Silk, I wasn't sure how well other "non-Doyle" stories would hold up. This was a nicely done collection. My only gripe is that Watson refers to his and Holmes' detective business. I am pretty sure he wouldn't have phrased it that way. "
— Shawn, 3/31/2012" fairly true to the conan-doyle tradition. "
— Michele, 2/9/2012" Serviceable new Holmes and Watson. "
— Cathyhajo, 9/24/2011" Love Sherlock Holmes and Thomas does a very good job. "
— Diane, 7/16/2011" Uneven. Much of the dialogue did not ring true to the Holmes tradition. "
— Clewis53, 5/15/2011" Though Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has been dead for more than 80 years, there are writers who imitate his style with new stories starring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. This is a good one. "
— Joanne, 4/11/2011" Love Sherlock Holmes and Thomas does a very good job. "
— Diane, 1/27/2011" Serviceable new Holmes and Watson. "
— Cathyhajo, 1/20/2011Donald Thomas has published forty books, including poetry, fiction, biography, and true crime. A play based on his work The Return of Sherlock Holmes was produced in Wales. His biography of Robert Browning was short-listed for the Whitbread Award, and he received the Gregory Award from T. S. Eliot personally for his poetry collection Points of Contact. His many Sherlock Holmes novels include The Secret Cases of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and the Voice from the Crypt, The Execution of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and the King’s Evil, and Sherlock Holmes and the Ghosts of Bly. Mr. Thomas lives in England.
John Telfer, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is an actor best known for playing the character of Willy Pettit in five seasons of Bergerac. He has appeared many times in various television dramas, while his parallel theatrical career has involved him in leading roles at the Bristol Old Vic, the Royal National Theatre, the Old Vic in London, and many regional theaters. He has made hundreds of radio broadcasts, and he plays the part of Alan, the vicar, in The Archers.