Armchair Mysteries
of
Sherlock Holmes
Edited by
Alan Downing
Welcome to the Armchair Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes. This
collection of pastiches was a labor of love that the authors may
one day pursue getting published. The authors would greatly
appreciate any feedback that you can provide by sending email to
[email protected], posting feedback, or rating the stories
or book.
The current average rating for the book is 4.3 out of 5 stars.
The pastiches in this collection span over many years of Sherlock
Holmes's career and are presented in approximate chronological
order. The collection covers a wide range of well-researched themes
based on turn-of-the-century forensic science, historical events
and unusual true cases. Each story features interesting and logical
deductions that often allow the reader to match wits with Sherlock
Holmes. If you're not going to read the stories sequentially,
Spontaneous Combustion and The Case of the Decorative Button are the highest rated (see current ratings for more details.) The Typewritist is the shortest of the stories
at 680 words while The Adventure of the Monolithic Stones and
Spontaneous Combustion are the longest stories at over 6,200 words each.
Alan Downing
is the author of fourteen pastiches in the collection. Ronald
Downing contributed The Fremont Brothers and The Seance.
Without further ado, here is a short synopsis of the stories,
their ratings and their links:
- Editor's Notes: This
introduction describes how the stories were discovered in a Sussex
cottage and outlines the stories to the reader.
- The Baker's Bread:
In one of the earliest cases witnessed by Watson, a baker consults
Holmes about mysterious disappearing loaves of bread. This brief
introduction to Sherlock Holmes is currently rated 3.7 stars.
rate
- The Eye Witnesses:
A man was murdered in view of several eye witnesses, but none
of them agree on the details. Currently rated 4.2 stars.
rate
- The Doctor: Holmes deduces
the innocence of an arrested doctor based on a brief newspaper
article. Currently rated 3.8 stars.
rate
- The Miser: Holmes dons one
of his favorite disguises to help an old man who threw his dentures
at his wife after every meal. Currently rated 4.2 stars.
rate
- The Missing Fiance:
A young woman requests Holmes to locate her missing fiance,
but Holmes deduces much more. Rated 3.7 stars.
rate
- The Seance: Can the occult cure Sherlock Holmes of
the vice that threatened to end his career in March, 1889? Rated 4.4 stars.
rate
- Ophelia: The message "Ophelia. Today. Ewell."
foretells a tragic mystery requiring Dr. Watson's knowledge of
the classics and Holmes's understanding of human nature. Rated 3.9 stars.
rate
- The Adventure of the Monolithic Stones: The search
for a missing girl leads Holmes to an ancient circle of stones.
Currently rated 4.1 stars.
rate
- A Walk in the Park: Watson challenges Holmes to demonstrate
that his powers of observation can still be applied in a changing
London. Rated 4.5.
rate
- The Fremont Brothers: Holmes takes on a pair of swindlers. Rated 3.3.
rate
- The Diamond Jubilee: Holmes profiles an anarchist who
threatens the Queen on her Diamond Jubilee in the summer of 1897. Rated 3.0.
rate
- The Case of the Decorative Button: Holmes methodically
attempts to identify a French spy as requested by his brother
Mycroft with a button as his only initial clue. Rated 4.5.
rate
- Spontaneous Combustion: Holmes investigates the possible
spontaneous combustion of a cantankerous old man. Rated 4.4.
rate
- The Typewritist: Holmes amazes Inspector Lestrade with
his deductions about a typewritten memorandum. Rated 3.4.
rate
- The Case of the Invisible Marks: Holmes solves one
of the earliest cases involving latent prints, but not in the
manner he expected. Rated 4.0. Reprinted in the January 2003 edition
of Fingerprint Whorld (the journal of the UK Fingerprint Society)
and Minuti� Issue #76.
rate
- The Politician: This story examines the motivation
behind Holmes's early retirement using a simple case involving
a member of parliament. Rated 3.7.
rate
- Epilogue: A short conclusion that opens the door for
a sequel.
- Acknowledgments
- Selected Bibliography
Email the authors | Recommended pastiches on the web
