Sherlock Holmes & Thomas Aquinas

 In my latest book, Sherlock 6, Sherlock Holmes references Thomas Aquinas twice. 

I am republishing a former blog about Sherlock Holmes and Thomas Aquinas.

I believe that one of the most appealing aspects of detectives--and I put Sherlock Holmes first on this list---is the use of reasoning in crime solving. That was the main thing that attracted me to Thomas Aquinas as a detective. In my latest book The Medieval Adventures of Thomas Aquinas, the medieval theologian/philosopher uses reason in the solving of mysteries.

Reason in man is like God in the world, is a well-known quote of Saint Thomas. He was the man who tried to show the harmony between faith and reason. Thomas believed that God, nature and human beings could be understood through reason. Or as Sherlock Holmes said, There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion. Thomas would agree. 

We cannot have knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.

Thomas was more than a reasoning machine, of course, for he said, Love takes up where reasoning leaves off. And one of my favorite quotes of his is, Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a warm bath and a glass of wine.
Sherlock Holmes said, Work is the best antidote for sorrow.

I enjoyed learning about Thomas Aquinas and his writings and found it challenging incorporating his teachings into the series of stories in my book.

Stephen Gaspar's books can be found on Amazon.

I found the two had other attitudes they shared.

In their viewpoint toward woman, both Aquinas and Holmes have come under some criticism as misogynists.

Holmes: Women are not to be entirely trusted—not the best of them. 
—The Sign of Four

Aquinas: Among perfect animals the active power of generation belongs to the male sex, the passive power to the female.
—Summa Theologiae 


Holmes: Women are naturally secretive, and they like to do their own secreting.
—A Scandal in Bohemia

Aquinas: As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten...
—Summa Theologiae 


Both Aquinas and Holmes were philosophers and Godly men acknowledging God in the world

Holmes: God help us!... I never hear of such a case as this that I do not think of Baxter's words and say: 'There but for the grace of God, goes Sherlock Holmes.
—The Bascombe Valley Mystery

Aquinas: ... man needs the help of grace in order to be moved by God to act.
—Summa Theologiae 

Holmes: What is the meaning of  it, Watson? What object is served by this circle of misery and violence and fear? It must tend to some end, or else our universe is ruled by chance, which is unthinkable.
—The Cardboard Box

Aquinas: Therefore, God alone can satisfy the will of man...
—Summa Theologiae 

Stephen Gaspar's Books Can Be Found On Amazon!

Sherlock Holmes & Scandal

 Sherlock 6 is my latest book which consists of Sherlock Holmes adventures told in the canonical tradition of the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

In The Hound of the Baskervilles Watson alludes to Sherlock Holmes's involvement in the affair of exposing the atrocious conduct of Colonel Upwood in connection with the famous card scandal of the Nonpareil Club.

In this particular story I blend two famous Victorian scandals: The Royal Baccarat Scandal of 1890, sometimes referred to as the Tranby Croft Affair, involved some royal personages that culminated in a trial.

The second Victorian scandal was the Cleveland Street scandal of 1889. Police discovered a male brothel, and the government was accused of covering it up to protect royal personages and prominent patrons.

Here is an excerpt from a chapter in Sherlock 6 entitled The Nonpareil Club Scandal. 

IF I WERE to choose the one thing that helped make England

notable among great nations, I would have to say that it was the

spirit of Victorian morality inspired by that distinguished lady

who had sat upon the throne for many decades. For me she

was the only queen I had ever known, and was herself,

responsible for England’s code of truthfulness, duty to one’s

country, personal responsibility and a strong work ethic.

Along with those qualities was a chivalric ideal left over from

our illustrious past, along with a disdain and repulsion for law

breakers and those who indulged in sexual promiscuity.

    Many in England, regardless of their social standing, found

their strength and guidance for British moral behaviour in their

religion and in the good Book. One could find solace in these

societal norms and strict codes of conduct which became

ingrained in the British heart and mind. Many lived out these

mores with personal pride, and accepted them as a way of life.              

    Then there was Sherlock Holmes. 

    The London consultant, as I have stated elsewhere, loathed

certain forms of society with his whole Bohemian soul. I like to

think that I had a somewhat positive influence upon him in the

few years we spent together, but more often than not Holmes

fought against convention. He would keep irregular hours,

sometimes sleeping till noon. He could be the most untidy

person, allowing our rooms to degenerate into disarray.

Holmes could be sullen and taciturn one minute and launch

into a lengthy discourse on medieval architecture the next.

He could be quite charming to a young lady who came to

consult him on a minor problem, but be dismissive to heads

of state who graced our Baker Street room and sought his

counsel upon a pressing problem of national importance.

    Holmes was quite brilliant though, and through our long

association I took him to be unparalleled in his abilities.

    It was November 16, 1888, when I first learned of The

Nonpareil Club, and now that a full decade has passed,

I feel secure to record how a scandal shocked London,

and brought an end to this prestigious club.

A Sherlock Holmes Case of Madness

 Sherlock 6 by Stephen Gaspar is the new Sherlock Holmes book containing six Sherlock Holmes short stories in the canonical tradition taken from the original stories themselves. 

Watson begins The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb by stating:

Of all the problems which have been submitted to my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, for solution during the years of our intimacy, there were only two which I was the means of introducing to his notice—that of Mr. Hatherley’s thumb, and that of Colonel Warburton’s madness. 

In Sherlock 6 reader learn of the renown Colonel Robert Warburton and the madness that threatens him.

Excerpt from Colonel Warburton's Madness.

Anyone who has some sense of recent history of India and Afghanistan would surely know the name of Col. Robert Warburton, KCIE, CSI, who won accolades and acclaim for his role in numerous campaigns and filial duty to the Empire. In my short tour of duty I actually had the good fortune to meet Col. Warburton once and the added privilege to shake his hand. The last I had heard of the man was that he had returned to England in 1885 with little pomp and ceremony and retired to a house in Kensington.

    To be honest the name Col. Robert Warburton had totally left my mind until the spring of `89 when the very man was sitting in my consulting room. It had been a decade since I had seen Col. Warburton face-to-face, and I had to look at him three times to see if it were indeed the same man. The Col. Warburton I member was a mature but virile man, healthy and solidly built. The man who sat in my consulting room now looked like he had aged thirty years, and those thirty had not been kind. I remember him being about my height, but now appeared to have shrunk a bit. His hair was grey and thin, as was his wide-sweeping military mustache. His once sharp eyes now reflected fear and doubt. His handshake was not as strong as I remembered it. 

    The man appeared weak and feeble and a bit confused and his face was careworn.

Click here for Sherlock 6!

Sherlock 6 now on Kindle!

Sherlock 6 by Stephen Gaspar is now available on Kindle for a fraction of the cost of the paperback.

This is the Kindle cover designed by Greg Maxwell.

 Sherlock 6 by Stephen Gaspar is the new Sherlock Holmes book containing six Sherlock Holmes short stories in the canonical tradition taken from the original stories themselves. 

Sherlock 6 is available on Amazon!

Sherlock Holmes and the Terror

 Sherlock 6 by Stephen Gaspar is the new Sherlock Holmes book containing six Sherlock Holmes short stories in the canonical tradition taken from the original stories themselves. 

In The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax, Holmes is sending Watson off to Lausanne.

The detective feels he cannot go himself:

You know that I cannot possibly leave London while old Abrahams is in such mortal terror of his life.  Besides, on general principles it is best that I should not leave the country.  Scotland Yard feels lonely without me, and it causes an unhealthy excitement among the criminal classes.

In Watson's absence Holmes receives a visit from Henry Barclay of the North-West Mounted Police whose first appearance was in The Canadian Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and returned in Cold-Hearted Murder, A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.

Barclay agrees to assist Holmes in discovering what is plaguing old Abrahams. Is it something from his past? Very likely.

Excerpt from The Mortal Terror of Old Abrahams.

  Just then there was a peal at the bell. Raised voices were heard, followed by a heavy tramp upon the stairs. An elderly man burst into the room. His large face was flushed and was bathed with perspiration. His tie was loosened about his thick neck and his entire body shook uncontrollably. 

    “Mr. Abrahams!” Holmes uttered and went over to the man who now leaned against the door jamb. “Mr. Abrahams, what is the matter? Come, come sit down for you have worked yourself up into such a state that you may require medical attention.”

    Barclay was by Holmes’s side in an instant and the two led the older man to the basket chair that creaked under his weight. Holmes laid a reassuring hand on Abrahams’s shoulder and spoke calmly while Barclay went to the sideboard and poured the man a glass of water. The man took the glass with two trembling hands and poured the contents into his mouth. Some of the water ran down his chin and onto his clothes. In a moment or two the man’s breathing had returned to normal and he appeared a bit less terrified.

    Holmes sat in his chair and Barclay stood by another.

    “Now, Mr. Abrahams,” said Holmes, in the calmest of voices, “if you feel well enough, can you tell us what has brought you to such a pitiable state?”

    Abrahams handed Barclay the empty glass, and took out a handkerchief to wipe his face. He pulled at his shirt collar, looked up and closed his eyes. His lips moved, but he spoke no words aloud. Barclay suspected the man was praying. Abrahams reached into the pocket of his jacket and withdrew a folded piece of paper which he handed to Holmes with a hand that still trembled.

Sherlock 6 - Book Covers

 No one can argue about the importance of book cover.

For most of my books I have had the good fortune of accessing the talents of Windsor graphic artist Greg Maxwell. 

For my new book, Sherlock 6, I again asked Greg to design the  cover.

In his effort to find the right cover, Greg went through a few different designs.

Here is an early concept which Greg incorporated Big Ben striking 6 o'clock.

I liked this one even though my first name is misspelled.

Here are two that led to the final cover for the paperback.

This next one is the draft for the cover I plan on using for the Kindle version of Sherlock 6

Here are the final designs. One thing I insisted on was that if Big Ben was on the cover, I wanted the clock to strike 6. 

Look for Sherlock 6 on Amazon!

Sherlock Holmes and Ceylon

 Sherlock 6 by Stephen Gaspar is the new Sherlock Holmes book containing six Sherlock Holmes short stories in the canonical tradition takn from the original stories themselves.   

In a Scandal in Bohemia, Watson Ewrites:

From time to time I heard some vague account of his doings: … of his clearing up of the singular tragedy of the Atkinson brothers at Trincomalee … .

The backstory here, of course, takes place in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka.

In The Sign of Four Watson writes: He spoke on a quick succession of subjects... on the Buddhism of Ceylon… .

Conan Doyle himself wrote: ...the tea-fields of Ceylon are as true a monument to courage as is the lion at Waterloo.

Excerpt from The Atkinson Brothers of Trincomalee.

  It was mid-November in 1886 and my wife and I had just

finished breakfast when we heard the sharp clang of

the bell.

The maid shortly brought me a telegram from my

friend Sherlock Holmes, and it ran in this way:

‘Note well the article in today’s paper regarding the

murder of Harold Atkinson. This case may interest you.’  

    I handed the telegram to my wife and picked up the

morning paper. I found the article with the lurid

headline, London Businessman Found Murdered.

The story ran thus:

    ‘Late last evening local businessman Harold

Atkinson, of Atkinson Bros. on Wigmore Street,

was found fatally stabbed to death in his home

in Grosvenor Square. The perpetrator of the crime,

a brown-skinned man with no identification was

also found dead at the scene, fatally wounded by

the gun still clutched in the hand of Harold Atkinson.

Police suspect the unidentified foreigner had broken into

Atkinson’s home to rob him. Atkinson must have come

upon the man who stabbed the owner of the home before

he himself was shot by Atkinson.

Readers will remember that Atkinson’s partner and brother,

Walter Atkinson, was found dead of apparent suicide

just two weeks prior.’ 

    I finished reading the article, not at all surprised that

this tragedy would be of interest to Sherlock Holmes,

but wondered how, if at all, he was connected to

these deaths.