P. D. James & Sherlock Holmes

 

Never having read any of P.D. James's detective stories, I did happen to pick up this book years ago. In Talking About Detective Fiction (2009), James traces the detective genre from Dickens and Wilkie Collins to the present day.  

Of Sherlock Holmes, she writes: 

...he remains unique, the unchallenged Great Detective, whose brilliant deductive intelligence could outwit any adversary, however cunning, and solve any puzzle, however bizarre. 

This we know is not exactly true since Holmes admitted to being beaten four times, and was known to draw the wrong conclusion occasionally. 

James writes: Despite the amount of detailed information about Holmes and his habits provided by Watson in the short stories, the core of the man remains elusive.

James lists Holmes's qualities thus: ...clever with a practical, rational, non-threatening intelligence, patriotic, compassionate, resourceful and brave...

He was an expert boxer and swordsman and had a good practical knowledge of the law and of poisons.

She quotes Arthur Conan Doyle commenting on his famous character: ...a man cannot spin a character out of his own inner consciousness and make it really life-like unless he had some possibilities of that character within him. 

 Still, on Doyle, James writes: But his most attractive characteristic was undoubtedly his passion for justice... He imbued Sherlock Holmes with the same passion, the same courage.

James goes on to state that not all of Holmes's qualities were so admirable. ... he spent days on the sofa without uttering a word, regularly injecting himself with cocaine, and with his erratic lifestyle and habit of firing off his revolver in the sitting room...

James lists The Speckled Band as the most popular, best-known, and most terrifying of the stories. She considers Dr. Grimesby Roylott as Holmes's most evil adversary. 

P. D. James writes: ...the Sherlock Holmes canon is still in print and the stories are being read by new generations nearly eighty years after Conan Doyle's death.

 

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Holmes of Baker Street by Stephen Gaspar

 

Holmes of Baker Street by Stephen Gaspar is a collection of short stories in the tradition of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In Holmes of Baker Street are stories referred to in the original canon. 

As with all his books, Stephen Gaspar has gone to great lengths to preserve the characters and settings in Holmes of Baker Street.

Holmes of Baker Street is available in book form and on Kindle at Amazon!

Sherlock Holmes & The Tired Captain

 In The Naval Treaty (1893), Watson writes about three cases of interest. I find them recorded in my notes under the headings of “The Adventure of the Second Stain,” “The Adventure of the Naval Treaty,” and “The Adventure of the Tired Captain.”

In Holmes of Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes investigates the death of a sea captain found dead in his bed. The case leads Holmes and Watson to a well-known philanthropist and an incredible revelation.

Stephen Gaspar's books can be found on Amazon!

 

 

Simpson's-in-the-Strand

"When we have finished at the police-station I think that something nutritious at Simpson's would not be out of place." --The Dying Detective  

In a previous blog, I stated that Baker Street was probably one of the most notable streets in the world. It is for Holmesians, at any rate. Another famous street for Holmes fans is Strand or the Strand. 

The Strand was a great thoroughfare connecting London and Westminster. It ran along the north bank of the Thames, and its name is from the Old English strond, meaning the edge of the river. The Strand was known for its shops, theatres, and restaurants.

The Strand is mentioned periodically in the canon. In A Study in Scarlet, Watson stayed in a private hotel in the Strand before moving into 221B Baker Street. Henry Baskerville bought his boots in the Strand. Holmes and Watson took a stroll through Fleet St. and the Strand in The Resident Patient.

One of the most notable locations in the Strand (for Sherlockians) is Simpson's, one of London's oldest traditional English restaurants, and located at no. 100 Strand. 

In my latest book, Holmes of Baker Street, Holmes, and Watson have lunch at Simpson's. Watson described it this way:

Londoners familiar with The Strand would also be familiar with Simpson’s Divan Tavern west of Waterloo Bridge. Simpson’s dates to 1828 and began as a smoking room, then a coffee house, and by mid-century gained notoriety as a chess venue and restaurant noted for good food at reasonable prices. The ambiance consisted of brass rails, horse-hair stuffed black cushioned chairs, mirrors along the wall, and candelabras hung from the tall ceiling.

We arrived at the restaurant just before one o’clock and we were greeted by the manager Edmund Cathie, who showed us to our table by a ground-glass window. Cathie promised to bring our guest as soon as he arrived. It was 1:17 by the ormolu clock in the room when the dark-eyed Inspector G. Lestrade was shown to our table.

In the canon, Holmes and Watson dined at Simpson's after The Adventure of The Dying Detective and met there during The Adventure of The Illustrious Client.

Holmes of Baker Street is available on Amazon!

Sherlock's on Sheppard

 When Susan and I got married (40 years this Oct.) we honeymooned in Niagara Falls and Toronto. In Toronto, we dined at an elegant restaurant called Sherlock's on Sheppard. The restaurant is long gone, but that night I took an original paper menu (before they went with a less fancy laminated one) for a souvenir.

I had the prime rib, Sherlock's cut, and Susan had the seafood grill. I recall the October night being cool and moody. The restaurant appeared out of place on some nondescript street, but once we stepped inside it was magical. It was a lovely restaurant and I was so happy to be there with my bride.

Here is a picture of my 40-year-old matches and sugar packs.

And here is a glass and my receipt from 1983. Up until then, it was the most I ever paid for a dinner for two.

We returned to Sherlock's on Sheppard a few years later with my brother and his wife. It did not feel the same, of course. The paper menus had been replaced with practical laminated ones, and also, we had gone during the day.

Stephen Gaspar's latest book, Holmes of Baker Street can be found on Amazon.

Holmes and The Abergavenny Murder

 

In The Adventure of the Priory School (1904), Dr. Huxtable request Holmes come to his school in Mackleton. Holmes shakes his head and says, “My colleague, Dr. Watson, could tell you that we are very busy at present. I am retained in this case of the Ferrers Documents, and the Abergavenny murder is coming up for trial.” In this instance, Abergavenny is not the location of the crime as some might imagine, but rather the name of the victim.

In Holmes of Baker Street, Holmes and Watson travel to Abergavenny Hall in the county of Kent to investigate a renowned lawyer who is found murdered in his bedroom.

Stephen Gaspar's books can be found on Amazon!

 

 

NEW! Holmes of Baker Street

Writing the stories for Holmes of Baker Street I decided to continue in the manner that I chose with most of the stories of my previous Holmes book, Sherlock 6. In Holmes of Baker Street, the reader will find stories alluded to in the original canon, and I try to duplicate the style of the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I have endeavoured to be accurate historically, geographically, and with true points of interest.

The title of this book came to me when I was rereading The Adventure of the Reigate Squires (1893). Inspector Forrester said, “I hope I don’t intrude, but we hear Mr. Holmes of Baker Street is here.” After reading that, I was struck that those four words were as good a title as any.

Holmes of Baker Street also has a few original clients from the canon making a reappearance!

Holmes of Baker Street is available in book and Kindle, only on Amazon!

Stephen Gaspar's books can be found on Amazon!