Three May Keep a Secret


Book Description

When a meeting with a client goes disastrously wrong, Sherlock Holmes soon finds himself involved in a case of murder with two dead bodies and too few clues. From some clear pieces of glass and a raven's feather, the Great Detective must divine exactly who the client was and what prompted him to seek assistance at 221B. Fortunately, Holmes has a number of experts upon whom he can rely as well as his own vast store of esoteric knowledge. Treading a twisted path, Holmes soon finds himself matching wits with an unseen criminal, who appears to be the equal of the late Professor Moriarty. At the same time, he is tasked with sparing the monarchy any possible embarrassment that may stem from the investigation. It's a deadly game of cat-and-mouse that finds Holmes and Watson attending underground auctions, using rare and priceless artefacts as bait and holding a late night vigil in anticipation of deterring a theft, all the while trying to understand how a priceless antiquity fits into their investigation. Like his previous books, Richard T. Ryan's Three May Keep a Secret is a deft blend of history and mystery, interweaving real-life personalities and ancient artefacts with the gas-lit streets of Victorian England and the characters of the Canon. The end result is a pastiche that should appeal to anyone who appreciates a tangled skein spiced with a healthy dollop of suspense and intrigue.




The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter


Book Description

The rugby player Staunton is missing. His friend, the rugby team coach, Cyril Overton, reaches out to Holmes and Watson begging them to take up the case. Holmes and Watson find out that the boy went out in a hurry the previous night together with an unknown man. The next step is to find out who this man was and what did he has to do with Staunton. Holmes and Watson will get to the bottom of it. What they will learn is however more than unexpected. "The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter" is a part of "The Return of Sherlock Holmes". Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was born in Scotland and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. After his studies, he worked as a ship’s surgeon on various boats. During the Second Boer War, he was an army doctor in South Africa. When he came back to the United Kingdom, he opened his own practice and started writing crime books. He is best known for his thrilling stories about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. He published four novels and more than 50 short-stories starring the detective and Dr Watson, and they play an important role in the history of crime fiction. Other than the Sherlock Holmes series, Doyle wrote around thirty more books, in genres such as science-fiction, fantasy, historical novels, but also poetry, plays, and non-fiction.




The Vatican Cameos


Book Description

When the papal apartments are burgled in 1901, Sherlock Holmes is summoned to Rome by Pope Leo XII. After learning from the pontiff that several priceless cameos that could prove compromising to the church, and perhaps determine the future of the newly unified Italy, have been stolen, Holmes is asked to recover them. In a parallel story, Michelangelo, the toast of Rome in 1501 after the unveiling of his Pieta, is commissioned by Pope Alexander VI, the last of the Borgia pontiffs, with creating the cameos that will bedevil Holmes and the papacy four centuries later. For fans of Conan Doyle's immortal detective, the game is always afoot. However, the great detective has never encountered an adversary quite like the one with whom he crosses swords in “The Vatican Cameos.”.




Through a Glass Starkly


Book Description

After surviving an attempt on his life in Paris, Sherlock Holmes returns to London, where the Great Detective is almost immediately enlisted by his brother to secure the safety of the delegates at a top-secret peace conference. With Europe a veritable powder keg in the years before World War I, Holmes understands any misstep on his part could prove fatal and possibly plunge the continent into war. However, after pledging to do his utmost for "King and Country," Holmes suddenly finds himself overwhelmed by an onslaught of cases. An old friend requests his assistance in recovering a priceless manuscript which has gone missing from the British Museum. Accused of accepting bribes from a smuggling ring, Inspector Lestrade, who has been suspended from Scotland Yard, turns to Holmes for help. Add in a beautiful newlywed who claims her husband is trying to murder her, and it is easy to see why Watson compares the tasks confronting his friend to the Labours of Hercules. From a secret pied-à-terre in the City of Lights, to the Rare Book Room in the British Museum, to the Whispering Gallery in St. Paul's Cathedral, to the waterfront along the Thames, Holmes and Watson find themselves on the trail of an elusive quarry for whom murder is merely another move in an elaborate game of cat-and-mouse.




A Case of Identity


Book Description

"A Case of Identity" is a classic Sherlock Holmes mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle. Miss Mary Sutherland seeks Holmes' help to find her missing fiancé, Mr. Hosmer Angel, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. As Holmes investigates, he uncovers a web of deceit and familial intrigue that reveals unexpected truths.




The Adventure of the Three Students


Book Description

Professor Hilton was reviewing passage of Greek that was going to be translated during an examination. He left his study for a while and after he came back, he saw the keys to the study in the lock. Someone had apparently copied a part of the translation and there were some clear evidences. The professor turned to Holmes and asked for his help. Can some of the students that were about to take the examination have copied the text? Will Holmes solve the case before the exam the next day? "The Adventure of the Three Students" is a part of "The Return of Sherlock Holmes". Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was born in Scotland and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. After his studies, he worked as a ship’s surgeon on various boats. During the Second Boer War, he was an army doctor in South Africa. When he came back to the United Kingdom, he opened his own practice and started writing crime books. He is best known for his thrilling stories about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. He published four novels and more than 50 short-stories starring the detective and Dr Watson, and they play an important role in the history of crime fiction. Other than the Sherlock Holmes series, Doyle wrote around thirty more books, in genres such as science-fiction, fantasy, historical novels, but also poetry, plays, and non-fiction.




The Devil's Disciples


Book Description

In the early- and mid-1880s, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, the forerunner of the modern IRA, waged a bombing campaign that terrorized the citizens of London for more than four years. Explosives were detonated in such places as the Tower of London, the House of Commons, Victoria station and at the London Bridge. The bombings were carried out in an attempt to secure Ireland's freedom from England. The Fenians, as they were called, hoped citizens would put pressure on the government to resolve the dispute. Implored by the government to end the reign of terror, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson take up residence in a doss house in Whitechapel, which would achieve even greater notoriety a few years later courtesy of Jack the Ripper, posing as dock workers in order to learn more about the shadowy group and ingratiate themselves with its members. When Holmes learns a new bomb-maker is on the way and the bombings will increase in frequency, he understands time is running out. Despite proving his bona fides by bombing 10 Downing Street, Holmes is still held at arm's length by the group's leader Michael. As plans for the extensive new bombing campaign are formulated, Holmes realizes that he must act quickly in order to stop the terror. However, as clever as Holmes is, Michael is his match. The Devil's Disciples pits Holmes against an adversary who is every bit as cunning as he - but far more ruthless.




The Poisoned Pawn


Book Description

A quiet morning at Baker Street is thrown into turmoil by the arrival of Inspector Lestrade who informs Holmes a man's body has been discovered in the Tower Bridge which was then under construction. That grisly event proves to be the opening salvo in a terrifying game of wits between Holmes and an unknown adversary. Determined to make Sherlock Holmes suffer, the ruthless foe launches a campaign of terror against the Great Detective. However, instead of striking at Holmes directly, this nemesis targets those in the Great Detective's limited circle of friends and acquaintances. Stymied, Holmes must first ascertain why he has been targeted because he cannot retaliate until he discovers who is behind this persecution. With moves and countermoves, gambits declined and accepted, the struggle soon evolves into a human chess game between Holmes and a grandmaster of evil - where each move might have untold consequences on the lives and reputations of those on both sides.




The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual


Book Description

Reginald Musgrave, a school friend of Holmes, saw his butler searching through private family papers. The butler Brunton got caught red handed with an ancestral ritual of the Musgraves as well. The ritual seemed worthless to the family but Brunton was determined to decipher it. A few days after Brunton disappeared. "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual" is a part of "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes". Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was born in Scotland and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. After his studies, he worked as a ship’s surgeon on various boats. During the Second Boer War, he was an army doctor in South Africa. When he came back to the United Kingdom, he opened his own practice and started writing crime books. He is best known for his thrilling stories about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. He published four novels and more than 50 short-stories starring the detective and Dr Watson, and they play an important role in the history of crime fiction. Other than the Sherlock Holmes series, Doyle wrote around thirty more books, in genres such as science-fiction, fantasy, historical novels, but also poetry, plays, and non-fiction.




The Adventure of the Dancing Men and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories


Book Description

Title story plus three others featuring the peerless sleuth and his faithful sidekick: "The Adventure of the Dying Detective," "The Musgrave Ritual" and "The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans."