Synopsis

When a meeting with a client goes disastrously wrong, Sherlock Holmes soon finds himself involved in a case of murder with two dead bodies and too few clues.

From some clear pieces of glass and a raven’s feather, the Great Detective must divine exactly who the client was and what prompted him to seek assistance at 221B. Fortunately, Holmes has a number of experts upon whom he can rely as well as his own vast store of esoteric knowledge.

Treading a twisted path, Holmes soon finds himself matching wits with an unseen criminal, who appears to be the equal of the late Professor Moriarty. At the same time, he is tasked with sparing the monarchy any possible embarrassment that may stem from the investigation.

It’s a deadly game of cat-and-mouse that finds Holmes and Watson attending underground auctions, using rare and priceless artifacts as bait and holding a late night vigil in anticipation of deterring a theft, all the while trying to understand how a priceless antiquity fits into their investigation.

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Guest Post

The Secretive Writer

by Richard T. Ryan

I am of the firm belief that writing is an intensely personal experience. As a result, writers are filled with idiosyncrasies, and many are slaves to a routine. Some have to write 1,000 words a day; others have to finish three pages. Some need absolute quiet while others compile playlist to inspire them during their daily sessions at the keyboard.

While I am not slave to any set schedule, I do have my preferences in that I prefer quiet and I think I do my best work late at night. However, I can write with the TV on in the background and when inspiration strikes, I head to the computer no matter what time it is.

However, I do have one hard and fast rule that I stick to while I am writing. I never discuss the plot with anyone. Fortunately, I have a very understanding wife in that regard, and since she’s the first to read my finished manuscripts, she knows she’ll find out what I’ve been up to before anyone else.

I adapted this practice after talking with a friend of mine who was a very successful playwright. I asked him what he was working on and he wouldn’t tell me. At the time, I wasn’t writing novels, but I was working for a newspaper and turning out weekly articles and editing copy.

However, I filed that nugget away and since I’ve started my Sherlock Holmes books, it has stood me in good stead.

Now, why so secretive? As my friend explained, your friends will either praise your work, in which case that might be all your ego needs so there’s no need to finish. On the other hand, the criticism, although well-intended, might cause you to doubt yourself and thus undermine your confidence.

At any rate, not discussing the plot keeps everything neutral. I don’t have to consider pluses and minuses; I just have to keep writing.

In the past, I’ve often observed that writing is a lonely profession, and keeping secrets just makes you feel more isolated.

However, when the final reveal comes and I deliver a finished book to my wife and my Beta readers that no one knows anything about, it’s refreshing and stimulating to get their honest responses – and some of these have been critical. Still, their reactions are totally forthright in that they haven’t been tainted by expectations based on what they thought of the plot or expected from it. All things considered, that’s the way I’d prefer it.

About the Author

A lifelong Sherlockian, Richard Ryan is the author of “The Vatican Cameos: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure,” “The Stone of Destiny,” “The Druid of Death” and “The Merchant of Menace,” and “Through a Glass Starkly,” all from MX Publishing. “Three May Keep a Secret” is his sixth Holmes pastiche, and he is currently at work on his seventh.

He has also written “B Is for Baker Street (My First Sherlock Holmes Book),” an alphabet book he penned for his grandchildren.

Among his other credits are “The Official Sherlock Holmes Trivia Book,” a book on Agatha Christie trivia and the well-received murder mystery “Deadly Relations” that has been produced twice off-Broadway.

He pursued his graduate studies at the University of Notre Dame, where he majored in medieval literature. To this day, he remains a die-hard fan of the Fighting Irish.

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Giveaway

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Three May Keep a Secret: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure by Richard T. Ryan Book Tour Giveaway