Holmes Away From Home: Adventures from the Great Hiatus, Volume I: 1891-1892Sherlock Holmes!The very name of the world’s greatest detective conjures up images of Victorian London, gaslit streets, hansom cabs, and dense fogs. But there was a time, a dark three-year period, when London had to make do without Sherlock Holmes.From 1891 to 1894, he was presumed to be dead, having perished during the epic struggle with that infamous Napoleon of Crime, Professor Moriarty, atop the Reichenbach Falls. But unknown to most, even his friend Dr. Watson, Holmes survived.During those three years, he roamed the world, acting as an agent for the British Government and using his very special skills along the way. In Volume 1 of Holmes Away From Home, the incredible two-volume collection of new traditional Holmes adventures, we find Our Hero criss-crossing the world – Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States.During this period known as The Great Hiatus, Holmes may have been in disguise, but there is no mistaking the person that Watson described as “the best and wisest man whom I have ever known.” The game is afoot!Belanger Books specialises in Sherlock Holmes fiction, children’s fiction and science fiction. contentsEditor’s Introduction to Volume I:A Different Kind of Adventure by David MarcumA Different Kind of Adventure by David MarcumForeword to Volume I by Mark AlberstatForeword to Volume I by Mark AlberstatThe Final Problem by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThe Final Problem by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleOver the Mountains in the Darkness by Sonia FetherstonOver the Mountains in the Darkness by Sonia FetherstonAn Englishman (or Two) in Florence by David RuffleAn Englishman (or Two) in Florence by David RuffleThe Secret Adventure of Sherlock Holmes by Diane Gilbert MadsenThe Secret Adventure of Sherlock Holmes by Diane Gilbert MadsenThe Harrowing Intermission by Craig JanacekThe Harrowing Intermission by Craig JanacekThe Adventure of the Indian Protégé by Jayantika GangulyThe Adventure of the Indian Protégé by Jayantika GangulyThe Incident at Maniyachi Junction by S. SubramanianThe Incident at Maniyachi Junction by S. SubramanianThe Adventure on the Road to Mecca by Deanna BaranThe Adventure on the Road to Mecca by Deanna BaranThe Adventure of the Dragoman’s Son by John Linwood GrantThe Adventure of the Dragoman’s Son by John Linwood GrantA Murder on Mount Athos by Katie MagnussonA Murder on Mount Athos by Katie MagnussonThe President’s Roses by Stephen SeitzThe President’s Roses by Stephen SeitzAbout the Contributors

Sherlock Holmes himself would have us believe that, once a case was finished, it – or the people involved – never crossed his mind again. “A client is to me a mere unit,” he once told Watson, “a factor in a problem.” And yet, in a career spanning multiple decades and thousands of cases, he must have occasionally re-crossed paths with previous clients – and the occasional villain as well!This anthology, with twenty-nine brand new stories, spread over three volumes, reveals some of those sequel investigations. There are stories ranging from Holmes’s early days in Montague Street, through the legendary Baker Street years, and well into his retirement. We meet former clients with new problems, and former adversaries too. Sometimes we find that the published Canonical version of a story was only the beginning, while other tales in this collection reveal what was really going on during the original narratives.Join us as we return to Baker Street and discover more authentic adventures of Sherlock Holmes, described by the estimable Dr. Watson as “ . . . the best and wisest . . . whom I have ever known.” The game is afoot!Volume I – 1887-1890The Swamp Adder (A Poem) – Rhea BelangerA Gentleman’s Disagreement – Narrelle M. HarrisThe Incident of the Frantic Countess – Arthur HallThe Ten Orange Pips – Jayantika GangulyThe Adventure of the Spectral Menace – Benjamin LangleyThe Greek Murder – Katie MagnussonThe Adventure in Nancy – Stephen HerczegThe Shadow of Malice – Brenda SeabrookeThe Adventure of the Upright Man – Nick Dunn-MeynellA for Argentina – Mike Hogan **

Sherlock Holmes himself would have us believe that, once a case was finished, it – or the people involved – never crossed his mind again. “A client is to me a mere unit,” he once told Watson, “a factor in a problem.” And yet, in a career spanning multiple decades and thousands of cases, he must have occasionally re-crossed paths with previous clients – and the occasional villain as well! This anthology, with twenty-nine brand new stories, spread over three volumes, reveals some of those sequel investigations. There are stories ranging from Holmes’s early days in Montague Street, through the legendary Baker Street years, and well into his retirement. We meet former clients with new problems, and former adversaries too. Sometimes we find that the published Canonical version of a story was only the beginning, while other tales in this collection reveal what was really going on during the original narratives. Join us as we return to Baker Street and discover more authentic adventures of Sherlock Holmes, described by the estimable Dr. Watson as “ . . . the best and wisest . . . whom I have ever known.” The game is afoot! Volume II – 1894-1902 CONTENTS Introductions Canonical Sequelsby David Marcum Foreword by Nicholas Utechin Going Beyond the Canon by Derrick Belanger The Great Detective (A Poem) by Rosie Mower Adventures The Adventure of the Empty Cell by Kevin P. Thornton The Case of the Mysterious Horseman by Roger Riccard The Adventure of the Third Traitor by Craig Janacek A Frail Thread by Jacquelynn Morris Mercy Unwilling to Trust by Thomas Fortenberry The Captain in the Duke Of Wellington’s Regiment by Tim Symonds The Fear of Retribution by Craig Stephen Copland The Case of the Stratford Poisoner by Mark Mower The Musgrave Burden by John Linwood Grant Another Man’s Poison by Paul Goodenough The Mysterious Client by Derrick Belanger About the Contributors

Sherlock Holmes himself would have us believe that, once a case was finished, it – or the people involved – never crossed his mind again. “A client is to me a mere unit,” he once told Watson, “a factor in a problem.” And yet, in a career spanning multiple decades and thousands of cases, he must have occasionally re-crossed paths with previous clients – and the occasional villain as well! This anthology, with twenty-nine brand new stories, spread over three volumes, reveals some of those sequel investigations. There are stories ranging from Holmes’s early days in Montague Street, through the legendary Baker Street years, and well into his retirement. We meet former clients with new problems, and former adversaries too. Sometimes we find that the published Canonical version of a story was only the beginning, while other tales in this collection reveal what was really going on during the original narratives. Join us as we return to Baker Street and discover more authentic adventures of Sherlock Holmes, described by the estimable Dr. Watson as “ . . . the best and wisest . . . whom I have ever known.” The game is afoot! Volume III – 1903-1921 Sherlock Holmes (A Poem) – Phoebe Belanger The Unsettling Matter of the Graveyard Ghoul – Will Murray The Adventure of the Star-Crossed Lovers – Daniel D. Victor The Pearls of Great Price – Deanna Baran The Adventure of the Crown Diamond – Ann Margaret Lewis The Adventure of the Gnarled Beeches – Robert Perret A Ghost from the Past – Nick Cardillo Another Problem at Thor Bridge – Geri Schear The Pegasus Affair – Tim Symonds The Brook Street Mystery – David Marcum **

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson:The Early AdventuresThere is a persistent and incorrect idea, reinforced by countless film misrepresentations, that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were always staid and dull British chaps of middle years (or older), with Holmes a spry, cranky, and impatient eccentric, and Watson a white-haired and portly Boobus Brittanicus, a la Nigel Bruce. Students of the true and Canonical Sherlock Holmes know this to be a falsehood. When we first meet them on January 1st, 1881, Holmes is still 26 years old (although he will turn 27 in just a few days), and Watson, already a wounded war veteran, is only 28. During the three year period between early 1881 and late 1883, through all of the early adventures which cemented their lifelong friendship, Holmes was still in his twenties, with Watson just a little over a year older. This idea is difficult for many to accept as they cling to the image of Our Heroes as senior citizens. This volume, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson: The Early Adventures, is an amazing collection of some of Holmes and Watson’s fascinating cases that occurred during those first three years in Baker Street, when Holmes was creating his unique profession of consulting detective, while Watson was still recovering from the war wounds that he’d received in Afghanistan and slowly returning to the business of being a civilian doctor. Included are 31 new stories in three companion volumes by some of today’s best Sherlockian pasticheurs, as well as an excerpt from the beginning of A Study in Scarlet, detailing the initial meeting of Holmes and Watson in early 1881, as well as possibly the most famous Canonical tale, “The Speckled Band” (occurring in April 1883) and “The Resident Patient”, with its original restored opening text, as it first appeared in The Strand magazine, indicating that this adventure occurred toward the end of the first year of Holmes and Watson’s residency at 221b Baker Street.Join us as we climb the seventeen steps to Our Heroes’ sitting room. You’ll find that they haven’t lived there quite as long in these early days, and possibly they aren’t as quite as old as you might have pictured them . . . . contents They Were Young Once Too . . . . by David Marcum The Adventure of the Three Fakirs by Annette Siketa The Mystery of MacLean House by Kevin Thornton The Adventure of Percival Dubois by Ian Ableson The Distressing Matter of the Missing Dispatch Case The Disappearance of the San Sebastiano by Will Murray The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Case of the Missing Waistcoat by Emily J. Cohen The Mystery of the Missing Will by Tim Gambrell The Adventure of the Persecuted Accountant by Arthur Hall The Bizarre Challenge of Strange Mr. K by GC Rosenquist The Broken Watch by M.J.H. Simmonds The Colchester Experiment by David Marcum About the Contributors A Special Thank You to Our Backers

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson:The Early AdventuresThere is a persistent and incorrect idea, reinforced by countless film misrepresentations, that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were always staid and dull British chaps of middle years (or older), with Holmes a spry, cranky, and impatient eccentric, and Watson a white-haired and portly Boobus Brittanicus, a la Nigel Bruce. Students of the true and Canonical Sherlock Holmes know this to be a falsehood. When we first meet them on January 1st, 1881, Holmes is still 26 years old (although he will turn 27 in just a few days), and Watson, already a wounded war veteran, is only 28. During the three year period between early 1881 and late 1883, through all of the early adventures which cemented their lifelong friendship, Holmes was still in his twenties, with Watson just a little over a year older. This idea is difficult for many to accept as they cling to the image of Our Heroes as senior citizens. This volume, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson: The Early Adventures, is an amazing collection of some of Holmes and Watson’s fascinating cases that occurred during those first three years in Baker Street, when Holmes was creating his unique profession of consulting detective, while Watson was still recovering from the war wounds that he’d received in Afghanistan and slowly returning to the business of being a civilian doctor. Included are 31 new stories in three companion volumes by some of today’s best Sherlockian pasticheurs, as well as an excerpt from the beginning of A Study in Scarlet, detailing the initial meeting of Holmes and Watson in early 1881, as well as possibly the most famous Canonical tale, “The Speckled Band” (occurring in April 1883) and “The Resident Patient”, with its original restored opening text, as it first appeared in The Strand magazine, indicating that this adventure occurred toward the end of the first year of Holmes and Watson’s residency at 221b Baker Street.Join us as we climb the seventeen steps to Our Heroes’ sitting room. You’ll find that they haven’t lived there quite as long in these early days, and possibly they aren’t as quite as old as you might have pictured them . . . . contentsThey Were Young Once Too . . . by David Marcum. The Adventure of the Substitute Detective by I.A. Watson The Adventure of the Resident Patient by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Locked-Room Mystery by D.J. Tyrer The Adventure of the Missing Shadow by Jayantika Ganguly A Diplomatic Affair by Mark Mower The Adventure of Stonehenge in London by GC Rosenquist The Doctor’s Tale by David Marcum The Finding of Geoffrey Hobson by David B. Beckwith The Adventure of the Last Laugh by Tracy J. Revels The Penny Murders by Robert Stapleton The Adventure of the Disappearing Debutante by Stephen Herczeg About the Contributors A Special Thank You to Our Backers

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson:The Early Adventures There is a persistent and incorrect idea, reinforced by countless film misrepresentations, that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were always staid and dull British chaps of middle years (or older), with Holmes a spry, cranky, and impatient eccentric, and Watson a white-haired and portly Boobus Brittanicus, a la Nigel Bruce. Students of the true and Canonical Sherlock Holmes know this to be a falsehood. When we first meet them on January 1st, 1881, Holmes is still 26 years old (although he will turn 27 in just a few days), and Watson, already a wounded war veteran, is only 28. During the three year period between early 1881 and late 1883, through all of the early adventures which cemented their lifelong friendship, Holmes was still in his twenties, with Watson just a little over a year older. This idea is difficult for many to accept as they cling to the image of Our Heroes as senior citizens. This volume, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson: The Early Adventures, is an amazing collection of some of Holmes and Watson’s fascinating cases that occurred during those first three years in Baker Street, when Holmes was creating his unique profession of consulting detective, while Watson was still recovering from the war wounds that he’d received in Afghanistan and slowly returning to the business of being a civilian doctor. Included are 31 new stories in three companion volumes by some of today’s best Sherlockian pasticheurs, as well as an excerpt from the beginning of A Study in Scarlet, detailing the initial meeting of Holmes and Watson in early 1881, as well as possibly the most famous Canonical tale, “The Speckled Band” (occurring in April 1883) and “The Resident Patient”, with its original restored opening text, as it first appeared in The Strand magazine, indicating that this adventure occurred toward the end of the first year of Holmes and Watson’s residency at 221b Baker Street.Join us as we climb the seventeen steps to Our Heroes’ sitting room. You’ll find that they haven’t lived there quite as long in these early days, and possibly they aren’t as quite as old as you might have pictured them . . . . contentsThey Were Young Once Too . . . . by David Marcum A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Adventure of the Persistent Pugilist by Thomas A Burns, Jr. The Two Bullets by David Marcum Brother’s Keeper by Robert Perret Bad Blood at Barts by Harry DeMaio The Inside Men by M.J.H. Simmonds The Adventure of the Villainous Victim by Chris Chan The Cable Street Mummy by Paula Hammond The Piccadilly Poisoner by Roger Riccard The Adventure of the Modest Inspectors by Derrick Belanger The Case of the Melancholic Widow by Deanna Baran Angelique by Mike Hogan About the Contributors A Special Thank You to Our Backers

Holmes Away From Home: Adventures from the Great Hiatus, Volume II: 1893-1894The second volume of Holmes Away From Home is here...Sherlock Holmes! The very name of the world's greatest detective conjures up images of Victorian London, gaslit streets, hansom cabs, and dense fogs. But there was a time, a dark three-year period, when London had to make do without Sherlock Holmes.From 1891 to 1894, he was presumed dead, having perished during the epic struggle with that infamous Napoleon of crime, Professor Moriarty, atop the Reichenbach Falls. But unknown to most, even his friend Dr. Watson, Holmes survived. During those three years, he roamed the world, acting as an agent for the British Government and using his very special skills along the way.Holmes Away from Home, Volume II: 1893-1894 contains a collection of new traditional Holmes adventures. contentsEditor’s Introduction to Volume II:A Different Kind of Holmes by David MarcumA Different Kind of Holmes by David MarcumForeword to Volume II by Ron LiesForeword to Volume II by Ron LiesThe Adventure of the Old Brownstone by David MarcumThe Adventure of the Old Brownstone by David MarcumThe Adventure of the Flaked Breakfast Cereal by Mark LevyThe Adventure of the Flaked Breakfast Cereal by Mark LevyFor Want of a Sword by Daniel D. VictorFor Want of a Sword by Daniel D. VictorThe Case of the Fragrant Blackmailer by S.F. BennettThe Case of the Fragrant Blackmailer by S.F. BennettA Case of Juris Imprudence by Robert PerretA Case of Juris Imprudence by Robert PerretA Most Careful, Strategic, and Logical Mind by Derrick BelangerA Most Careful, Strategic, and Logical Mind by Derrick BelangerThe Aviator’s Murder by C. Edward DavisThe Aviator’s Murder by C. Edward DavisThe French Affair by Mark MowerThe French Affair by Mark MowerThe Woman Returns by Richard PaolinelliThe Woman Returns by Richard PaolinelliThe Adventure of the Melting Man by Shane SimmonsThe Adventure of the Melting Man by Shane SimmonsThe Adventure of the Empty House by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThe Adventure of the Empty House by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleAfterword by Derrick BelangerAfterword by Derrick BelangerAbout the Contributors

221b Baker Street! Just the mention of those words is enough to suggest mystery and adventure and heroism. Over many years, this humble London address was the destination of so many people – clients and policemen, the rich and the poor, those needing help and those with a secret. This famed location is known all over the world, for it’s the one most associated with the legendary . . . Sherlock Holmes! But there was a time before Sherlock Holmes moved to Baker Street, before his fame had grown, when he was still learning his craft and struggling to create his unique profession – the first of its kind – Consulting Detective! Join some of the finest Sherlockian writers as they explore those early days Before Baker Street. Read about when Holmes was still a boy, learning from his older brother Mycroft, or later, when he had moved to London, living in Montague Street, just 'round the corner from the British Museum, waiting for the next adventure to begin . . . . The Game is afoot! CONTENTS Editor’s Introduction – Before Baker Street 1 by David Marcum Foreword 11 by Steven Rothman The Adventure of the Bloody Roses 15 by Jayantika Ganguly The Vingt-un Confession 37 by Derrick Belanger The Adventure of the Gloria Scott 51 by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThe Affair of the Aluminium Crutch 82by S. Subramanian The Adventure of the Dead Ringer 97by Robert PerretThe Devil of the Deverills 122by S.F. BennettThe Painting in the Parlour 157by David Marcum The Incident of the Absent Thieves 190by Arthur HallMr. Chen’s Lesson, 209by Derrick Belanger(Continued on the next page . . . .)The Adventure of the Amateur Emigrant 234by Daniel D. Victor The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual 263by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleA Day at the Races 292by Mark Mower The Strange Case of the Necropolis Railway 314by Geri SchearAppendix: No. 24 Montague Street 341 by David Marcum Afterword 355 by Derrick Belanger