Showing results by author "Barry Clay" in All Categories

Jason Fairfax, a very junior reporter for the Honolulu Gazette, is sent by his editor on an assignment that requires him to travel on the luxury liner, the Oahu Paradise, in the company of a disreputable detective who promises him the scoop of his reporting lifetime—maybe. While on board, he meets a cross-section of people from movie stars to ensigns, but none more intriguing than the world-famous Honolulu inspector, Charlie Chan, and his very large family, who are vacationing on board. But all is not what it seems. Was a murder committed on board two years ago, or was it an accident? Is ...

One of the theological mysteries that every Christian who wrestles with doctrine faces is the tension between predestination and free will. Christians have been arguing over this since the 4th century, with some churches stressing the sovereign work of God and others stressing the free will of man. In this chapter taken from the book "Solid Ground", Mr. Clay explores part of this conflict and attempts to resolve it from a look at what the Bible says on both sides of the issue. Mr. Clay explains that he believes both sides have part of the truth and need to see the entire truth partially ...

From the author of The Darkened Village and The Medium of Death comes four mysteries featuring London’s first consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his faithful biographer, Dr. John H. Watson. While investigating the wrongful incarceration of a young man for murder, Holmes uncovers a tangled web of deception—and makes one misstep with tragic consequences. Long the chronicler and companion of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. John H. Watson has frequently helped his friend investigate mysterious circumstances on behalf of those people beset by them, but now he must apply to Sherlock Holmes ...

The author who discovered manuscripts in an old box and edited from them The Darkened Village and The Leveson-Gower Theft for the reading public now presents Sherlock Holmes and his faithful biographer Dr. Watson again, this time in two novelettes and two novellas. Sherlock Holmes is summoned by Scotland Yard to a sunny golf course that has been the scene of two gruesome murders. But all is, perhaps, not quite what it seems. Can even Sherlock Holmes unravel the tangle of so many conflicting clues? Two elderly ladies visit Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes at 222b Baker Street with an unusual ...

Short, absolutely true reflections about amusement parks from Walt Disney World to the completely unknown, written by a man who dislikes roller coasters -- that is sure to make you laugh. This account is also included in the anthology "Molded by Humor."

"Solid Ground" is the second edition of "Sound Doctrine." Mr. Clay has been a Christian for over fifty years, and he has written an accessible book for those who are interested in knowing more about the Christian faith and what Christians believe. In short chapters, Mr. Clay begins with the basics of Christianity and builds on them to address more controversial topics. His aim is two- fold: he wants to help Christians understand their faith and be better able to respond to God, and he wants to provide a book that someone who is not a Christian can use to understand the Christian religion. ...

In our day and age, the concept of "sin" is considered gauche and repugnant, but to the Christian, our tendency to sin is a sorrow. In this excerpt from his book, "Solid Ground," Mr. Clay discusses our propensity to sin and the provision God has made for us to help us to walk in a manner pleasing to him. And he wrestles with a topic most Christians assume they know they answer to: do we have to sin?

The Bible unabashedly states that the entire universe was created when an eternal God spoke it into existence. But what about evolution? How does that fit in, or does it? This excerpt from the book "Solid Ground" discusses how the universe and our world began. Thick books have been written on this topic, but Mr. Clay presents this discussion in a "Reader's Digest" version designed for Christians and non-Christians like who lead busy lives and don't have the time for a larger treatment of this subject.

Six years ago, Gregory and Georgette Hampton’s adopted daughter, Emily, fell to her death from the staircase of their home. The aftermath of the tragic accident nearly destroyed their marriage and threatened to derail their surviving son’s bright future, but with the help of a parish rector, they recovered from the senseless death. But now Gregory Hampton appears at 221b Baker street. His wife has become convinced that a medium has spoken to their daughter’s spirit from beyond the grave. His wife is becoming increasingly unstable, and he has come to ask Holmes to expose the medium for...

Patience Bellamy is a middle- aged spinster who lives an unremarkable life trying to make ends meet until, one day, she comes home to a basket and several packages on her doorstep. Improbably, there is an infant in the basket, wrapped in a blue blanket. A note pinned to the blanket explains that the parents can no longer care for the child. They implore Patience to provide a home for him, and they further warn her against taking the child to the doctor's office. The note adds, she'll understand once she attempts to feed the baby. This novella has also been collected in the anthology "...

Ever since Christianity began, the Bible has had a special place in the Christian religion. Its teachings span centuries and consist of histories, poetry, laws, proverbs, and letters. No one can understand Christianity without an understanding of the book Christians call the Word of God. This excerpt from the book "Solid Ground' explains the Bible for believers and unbelievers alike, covering who wrote it, under what circumstances, translations, and how to read it to obtain the most benefit from it. Mr. Clay warns against the pitfalls that many unwittingly fall into when trying to read the ...

When Mycroft Holmes visits his brother, Sherlock, at 221b Baker Street, it is certain to both Sherlock Holmes and John H. Watson, M.D. that something monumental is at hand. They are astonished -- not to say skeptical -- to learn that Mycroft merely wants his brother to investigate the theft of a necklace. Lord Benedict Leveson-Gower, soon to be called as ambassador to the Kingdom of Romania, is accused by his wife, the lady Allegra, of replacing her very expensive, prize necklace with a paste imitation. If possible, Mycroft wants his brother to exonerate Lord Benedict Leveson-Gower of the ...

Deciphered from a recently acquired manuscript, this previously unpublished novel of Sherlock Holmes by his chronicler, John H. Watson, M.D., is sure to delight fans of the first "consulting detective." The curate of Wenlock Edge and his wife are embarrassed to ask for help from Sherlock Holmes. They are aware that their problem appears trival, but ask they do. Fortunately for them, there is an unusual item in their story that piques Holmes's interest, and he accepts their case. Anticipating that the solution shouldn't be too difficult, dangerous, or unusually time consuming, Holmes ...

From the author of The Darkened Village and The Medium of Death comes two new novellas detailing the exploits of the world’s first consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his faithful chronicler, Dr, John H. Watson. In “The Extraordinary Disappearance of the Carstairs Special,” Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard hires Sherlock Holmes to find a train commissioned by a rich man that disappears—along with its passengers and crew—between two railway stations, vanishing without a trace. Someone proposes an unlikely solution to the mystery: Martians. Sherlock Holmes is not amused. ...

Most of what every Christian believes about the Holy Spirit is believed by most Christians, but not everything. There is one boulder sized controversy surrounding the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This title includes two chapters from the book "Solid Ground", and Mr. Clay jumps feet first into that controversy. While many books (some of them very thick books) have been written on both sides of the controversy, Mr. Clay handles it in the same manner as all his "Solid Ground" works: with honesty, dispatch, and experience. And as a bonus, he covers the aspects of the Holy Spirit that aren't ...

From the author of "The Darkened Village: a Sherlock Holmes adventure" comes a new, different novel that blends fact and fiction into a compelling story that speaks to us today about faith, humanity, and compassion ... and about the clash of cultures and religions that can result in implacable sorrow. Shortly before the turn of the 20th century, the Tehuchian family lived in Turkish controlled Armenia. Their father, a barber, served the residents of the town of Marishka and the soldiers of the nearby Turkish garrison, walking a fine line between the Muslim oppressors and the Christian ...

"How does good literature get lost?" Barry Clay asks in the forward of "The Adventures of Romain Kalbris." Clay has rescued a nearly forgotten work of the popular French children's author, Hector Malot, the "Rick Riordan" of his day. Clay has translated and adapted it for a modern audience with new illustrations by Joshua McClymont. "The Adventures of Romain Kalbris" tells the story of a boy who wants nothing more than to follow in is father's footsteps and be a sailor. But when his father dies at sea, heroically saving members of a crew in mortal peril, his mother sends him to live with ...

Spiritual Authority is not a topic of most sermons and generally absent from any discussion of Christian life, and yet it is essential in many ways to the challenges facing the Christian in the 21st century. In this excerpt from his book, "Solid Ground", Mr. Clay explores 1) how authority works for the church, home, and world, 2) how these spheres differ, and 3) how the Christian should interact with them - particularly when they are wrong. If you have ever wrestled with obeying authority in your life, this is a title that will help you understand what God would have you do.

Suspecting that their parents may not approve, seven teenagers decide to consult a Ouija board -- just for fun. The game quickly degenerates into an unexpected encounter with the supernatural in ways they could not have expected, with results that appear as final as they are ambivalent. This novelette is also collected in the anthology "Brushes with the Supernatural".

The Psalmist asked "What is Man that You are mindful of him?" This excerpt from the book, "Solid Ground" explores that topic thoroughly but briefly. Drawing from the statements in the Bible, Mr. Clay reveals how man was created and how man has changed since the day of his creation.