Böcker av Hugh Ashton

Every good city deserves a good murder … and Lichfield is no exception. When Henry Taylor of Lichfield comes to 221B Baker Street with the news that his young wife has been murdered, apparently by his son from his first marriage, Sherlock Holmes takes the train from Euston to investigate. What he discovers comes as a surprise to everyone, except to (of course) Sherlock Holmes himself.Hugh Ashton, a Lichfield resident, is the author of many volumes of Sherlock Holmes adventures, in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which have received praise as being true to the spirit of the original stories. He is a member of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London and the Watsonian Society. More on these stories at 221BeanBakerStreet.info"Hugh Ashton is today's Arthur Conan Doyle." (Amazon review of The Lichfield Murder)

Each of the tales I have selected to recount here was mentioned by Watson in previous adventures, but only in passing, and the sketchy references have long been a source of curious speculation by students of the work of Sherlock Holmes. The Case of Colonel Warburton's Madness is one of the few cases recorded by Watson as being one that he introduced to Holmes (The Engineer's Thumb being the other). The Mystery of the Paradol Chamber is strangely named, and the mystery itself is a strange one where Holmes' talents are needed to unravel a classic "locked room" murder puzzle. Finally, the definitive story of The Giant Rat of Sumatra has come to light. There are obvious reasons why this story was withheld from the public for so long. Even with the pseudonyms that have been so obviously employed, this story could have shaken the respectable world of English politics to the core if released.These latest tales that I have unearthed will, I am confident, provide both enjoyment and instruction to all those who study and cherish the work of Sherlock Holmes. I hope to provide even more such tales, following further exploration of the contents of the deed box.

The deed box of Dr. Watson, presented some time ago by a friend who rescued it from the archives of a London bank, continues to produce treasures. The stories in this collection, Secrets from the Deed Box of John H Watson MD, all represent some aspect of Holmes and his adventures that has previously been undiscovered. In many ways these are (with the possible exception of The Bradfield Push, which Watson left unpublished for personal reasons) somewhat darker in tone than the stories that he did release to the public and publish in the Strand magazine.For some reason, Watson failed to date most of Holmes' adventures, and we must therefore make a guess at the chronology of these stories through their allusions to other cases.The first of these tales, The Conk-Singleton Forgery Case, is mentioned by Watson. He gives no other details in The Adventure of the Six Napoleons, and the story was presumably withheld from the public on account of Holmes' brush with the police as described here. The story provides excellent examples of Holmes' skill in deduction from seemingly trivial observations, as well as details of his methods of working a case.The next story, The Strange Case of James Phillimore, is likewise mentioned in passing by Watson. James Phillimore is described as stepping into his house to retrieve his umbrella, never to be seen more in this world. This brief description implies a somewhat supernatural twist to things, but the truth of the matter is even more surprising. The open antagonism between Sherlock Holmes and some officers of the Metropolitan Police Force may come as somewhat of a surprise to those who have always regarded him as an unflagging ally of the official guardians of law and order.In The Enfield Rope, we enter unknown territory.Watson never alluded to this case. The principals here were far too well-known to Watson's public to allow of this case's publication, even with pseudonyms, and re¬spect for the British Establishment would have restrained Watson in this instance. Holmes' sense of the dramatic is shown here, and his admiration and liking for a member of a part of society that was often shunned at that time shows a human, more attractive side to Holmes than is often portrayed by Watson.The Bradfield Push is an early case of Sherlock Holmes, where Watson loses both his heart and his watch. Holmes can retrieve one, but not the other.

Sherlock Ferret, the world's cutest detective, solves mysteries with the help of his friend Watson Mouse, and their friend Lestrade, who is a rhinoceros (though not a very big one). Together, they take on such nefarious characters as Moriarty Magpie, Colonel Sebastian Moorhen, Pablo Pigasso (yes, that Pigasso!), some scurrilous beasts from South America, and a mysterious photographer who is annoying Mr. Montague Mole.The adventures in this book are:The Missing NecklaceThe Multiplying MasterpiecesThe Poisoned PondThe Phantom Photographerwith a bonus story of Vinnie the Visitor.Sherlock Ferret adventures are enjoyed by children between 7 and 11 - as well as being suitable for reading to younger children. Adults also enjoy the sly humour and the references to Sherlock Holmes.