Showing results by author "Dick Gillman" in All Categories

Ever since the opening of John Watson’s tin despatch box of unpublished cases, followers of the great man, and his constant companion, have been eager to discover more. In this twelve story volume, more intriguing tales are presented for your enjoyment. From the theft of an Imperial Chinese artefact to mass poisonings, the blackmail of a Bishop to a Royal assassination attempt at a masked, Venetian Ball, this collection of stories by the English author, Dick Gillman, has it all. These twelve stories cover the period from 1889 to 1919 and provide the reader with a rare glimpse of the ...

Shopping for a Christmas gift for Holmes exposes Watson to an underworld that he had hoped had disappeared with the death of James Moriarty. The New Year brings even greater peril as an attempt is made on Holmes's life and once again the shadow of James Moriarty seems to be reaching out. Revenge is clearly the motive but who is seeking to finally destroy Holmes? In order to solve the mystery, Holmes must offer his life in order to attempt a grand deception.

It was in May, 1902 that the life of Julia Moriarty, the evil sister of Professor James Moriarty, was finally snuffed out. After the demise of her brother at the Reichenbach Falls, she had tirelessly sought revenge on Sherlock Holmes. Resurrecting her brother’s criminal network, she became the one opponent who seemed worthy to challenge the intellect of Holmes. Equally as intelligent as her brother, although, perhaps, lacking his finesse and menace, Julia Moriarty reigned for eight years. Throughout that time, she was driven by a single thought, to destroy Holmes, the man she blamed for ...

In these stories, author Dick Gillman introduces the character of Julia Moriarty. Holmes and Watson become acutely aware of her existence in 1894 in the story aptly recorded by Watson as that of "The Shadow of James Moriarty". Shopping for a Christmas gift for Holmes exposes Watson to an underworld that he had hoped had disappeared with the death of James Moriarty.

A dying man with a terrible secret is brought to 221b Baker Street by London cabby, Henry Wiggins. So begins the case of The Bulgarian Clockmaker. It is to involve Holmes and Watson in a desperate search for a young girls killer and to foil a Fenian dynamite plot. A visit to Scotland Yard and Inspector Lestrade frustrates Holmes. Watson, however, is intrigued by a mysterious engine which is the 'prime mover' in this fast paced story. Only Holmes's intellect and deductive powers can save the Prime Minister from destruction.

The receipt of a mysterious package, sent to Holmes from Pentonville prison, begins a case that should it not be resolved, our great nation with its proud naval tradition, might founder. A brilliant naval engineer, Benjamin Stewart, who has been detained for his own protection, contacts Holmes in an ingenious manner, asking for his help. However, before Holmes can take up the case, the man is murdered. In his message to Holmes, Stewart has implicated his brother who resides at an unknown address in Chiswick and it is now a concern that the brother's life may also be in danger. Stewart's ...

Holmes returns angry and disturbed after a visit to Hammersmith mortuary at the end of a particularly tiresome case. Whilst at the mortuary, Lestrade shows him the body of a young woman who has taken not only her own life, but that of her unborn child. So begins a tale that highlights the exploitation of vulnerable women through quack medicine and blackmail in a scheme of unbelievable proportions. Julia Moriarty, the sister of the late Professor James Moriarty is suspected to have a hand in the affair and Holmes must involve Lestrade in a bid to apprehend the perpetrators. Lestrade springs ...

A chance find of a gold pocket watch at the Reichenbach Falls brings Holmes and Watson to the 1902 'Paris in London' exhibition. The watch belonged to none other than the evil James Moriarty and is seen, by Holmes, as a way to exploit his perception of the Achilles heel of his equally wicked sister, Julia Moriarty. Indeed, Holmes believes the watch to be "The Holy Grail", the one thing that Julia Moriarty MUST possess. Holmes must now devise a grand deception that is totally without guile, using the watch to lure Julia Moriarty to her destiny with the gallows. To accomplish this, Holmes ...

In May, 1911, Holmes and Watson begin a troubling case when a dismembered body is found in a Gladstone bag at Waterloo Bridge. A find by Holmes in the victims clothes reveals a mysterious code that, in turn, deepens the mystery as foreign spies and a medical man are implicated. A surgeon and his daughter must try and clear their names and Holmes must face his own demons if justice is to be served.

In May1902, Watson receives a distressing letter from his Aunt Rachel in Lymington. One of her dearest friends has been killed, seemingly by an unearthly presence. Holmes and Watson visit the scene of her death, gather valuable evidence and discover that a fiendish, premeditated murder has been committed. Watson is dispatched to a séance to witness the conjuring of the Emerald Spirit while Holmes’s keen mind devises an intricate plan which requires him to take the law into his own hands. Lestrade is invited to join Holmes and Watson at a final séance where a dramatic turning-of-the-...

An attack upon an eminent forensic photographer, who has sought Holmes’ help, leads to his murder. Holmes is joined in finding the killer by a young Frenchman who, in turn, proposes a new and intriguing theory and will go on to make his name as ‘The French Sherlock Holmes’. The fallen photographer’s own work provides clues which point towards the shadowy world of espionage that Mycroft inhabits. Deduction, disguise and deception lead to a final denouement where Watson stands alone, a hair trigger away from certain death.

Little Alfie of the Baker Street Irregulars seeks the help of Holmes and Watson as his cousin Flora has been arrested and accused of a double murder. The investigation gets underway with a trip to the scene of the crime. Holmes is suspicious and, together with Watson, he travels incognito to The Imperial Gasworks. Their visit is both informative and productive involving a little deception and some slight of hand by Watson to obtain some Rattle-Jacks. The postmortem confirms Holmes suspicions but he now has to gather sufficient evidence to convince the Coroner and the jury that this is not ...

A visit by Mycroft Holmes to Baker Street begins a case that threatens to take Sherlock Holmes from us. Mycroft enlists the help of his brother, Sherlock, to investigate the passing of sensitive information from The Bank of England. Holmes discovers that a senior figure at the bank is being blackmailed by none other than Julia Moriarty and deaths soon follow. Bodies bound with rope, and tied with a peculiar knot, are retrieved from the Thames. Investigating further, Holmes appears to fall into the deadly trap set by Moriarty and,as a result, a body is recovered from the Thames. Watson is ...

The disappearance on stage of a magician's assistant is the beginning of a case that draws Holmes and Watson into the world of international intrigue. A German pianist, a diplomat working as an aide to the Kaiser is enraged by Holmes's activities during the investigation. However, this chance meeting inadvertently saves Holmes from certain death. A secret deal struck by the British Government with an old foe threatens to tear Sherlock and Mycroft apart. Only Holmes's unique skills of observation and deduction coupled with swift action can halt a very public assassination and avert war in ...

A visit from Mycroft Holmes with a request from the Prime Minister embroils Holmes and Watson in the pursuit of a blackmailer. Threats against the British population have been made and indeed carried out as a stark message that the blackmailer means business. Holmes and Watson travel to Truro in Cornwall where the blackmailer says he will strike next. The townspeople are already falling ill and Holmes must act quickly to save lives. Finding the source of the illness, Holmes is able to prevent further deaths and has a lead to the blackmailer. A visit to a business in London and an intriguing...

Holmes and Watson become involved in the very early days of flying when guests of the wife of a French flyer fall ill at a society tea party. A fearful crash landing, an injured pilot and a sketchbook full of secrets gives Holmes the ideal opportunity to investigate further. Watson is reminded of his Army days in India and Holmes has his suspicions but he must act quickly to prevent a scandal.

Watson's keen interest in learning to sail prompts Holmes to take a rare break from Baker Street. Arriving in Lymington, Holmes intends to instruct Watson in the finer points of sailing. However, this is thwarted when Holmes falls desperately ill and poisoning on a grand scale is suspected. As Holmes recovers, Watson is tasked to gather evidence and a visit to his aunt exposes the true extent of the horror. Holmes's deductions and a reminder of Watson's embarassing exposure in old case inspires Holmes to present chemical solution.

Holmes and Watson are invited to the preview of an exhibition of Chinese antiquities at the Victoria and Albert museum. The star exhibit is the Zhou bell, a priceless artifact on loan from the Chinese emperor himself.Trouble looms as the bell is stolen and Holmes and Watson become involved in Imperial intrigue as they try to retrieve it.

Holmes and Watson's evening is disturbed by a gruesome find by cabbie Henry Wiggins. A cryptic note and a freshly severed finger triggers a desperate search for its owner. Mycroft is summoned when the involvement of Julia Moriarty is discovered. Holmes has a tense encounter with Moriarty and must balance an arms shipment to a potential enemy against a mans life. Finally, it appears that Julia Moriarty has defeated Holmes...but all may not be as it seems.

Ben Grissam is a PhD student finishing his studies. His final flight to complete his thesis is wrecked by a cataclysmic navigational error caused by a fellow student. He awakes from the turmoil to find his damaged craft is in orbit around the sea world Saline. Light years from home and with little chance of survival, his only hope is to board an abandoned alien mining vessel. The intrigue begins as Ben's presence initialises the dormant crafts systems. Ben explores the ship and triggers the awakening of the vessel's hologram Science Officer, Kira. Together they piece together the grim story...