Bond is not the only agent out there! Doreen Caxton lived a double life. The daughter of Lord Forthmere was also an undercover agent of the ultra-secret government department known as Sector Three, and was close to blowing the Lao Shen drug cartel wide open. Her sudden disappearance caused a lot of concern, it was feared that she had been exposed and possibly murdered. Sector Three couldn't risk her giving away sensitive information under torture, and the operative code-named Robert Lane was sent to effect a rescue - or to ensure her silence. Lane picks up the trail in Milan. With the help of Doreen's colleague, Nadia, he finds his way to a nightclub run by Johnny Santoni, a local drug dealer. Lane is taken prisoner and questioned, and narrowly escapes with his life. He receives word that Doreen has been seen in Malta and, hunted by Santoni's thugs, leaves Milan soon after. In Valletta, attempts are made to convince Lane that Doreen has committed suicide, but he is not deceived. He finds her a prisoner of her ex-husband and a ruthless mercenary terrorist, both working for Lao Shen and under orders to transport her to the cartel's headquarters in South-East Asia for interrogation. After a pursuit to Holland, the success or failure of Lane's mission is decided on the runways of Schipol Airport. Returning to London, he discovers that Santoni has had Nadia killed for her part in drawing attention to his activities. Sector Three warn against any involvement, but Lane returns to Italy intent on bloody revenge.
Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson take on the case of Mr Avery Quill, whose daughter has mysteriously disappeared. The investigation has hardly begun when her body is discovered, and Mr Quill is himself murdered in the same manner. The killer leaves visiting cards, emblazoned with the head of the Gorgon, at the scenes of his crimes, and Holmes connects these to a strange club known as 'The One Hundred per Cent Society'. He learns little there, except that the members are all outcasts from noble families. The following morning a visitor arrives at Baker Street, to tell Holmes and Watson that the Society has a sinister purpose and that its leader has identified them as an obstacle to his plans which must be removed. Thus begins a battle with a new and merciless adversary, whose madness and thirst for revenge threaten to bring about the deaths of an apparently unconnected group of people. The Great Detective pits his skills against an enemy whose very appearance is uncertain.
This is a book of fourteen tales that are bizarre in one way or another. Sherlock Holmes probes the mystery of a tailor's ten near-identical customers; a woman and her lover prematurely celebrate her husband's murder; a space probe returns undamaged - but with the astronaut missing; what happens, when the machines take over everything? These are Facets of Fantasy - flights of the imagination into the realms of the unusual, where the boundaries of reality are suspended.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are visited by Mr Josiah Endicott, an injured enquiry agent who believes that three recent murders are connected. He explains that he was attacked shortly after interviewing a friend of one of the victims and warned to discontinue his investigation. A remark of one of his assailants appeared to confirm that the murders were committed with a common motive and, as his client is clearly unable to proceed, Holmes agrees to assume the case. The duo call upon Miss Daisy Scanlon, the young woman visited by Mr Endicott before he was injured, who was distressed but of some assistance. Returning to Baker Street, it is not long before a message from her arrives requesting a further meeting. Holmes realises at once that the appointment is a trap, but they set out to see what can be learned after ensuring that they are armed. They narrowly escape with their lives, immediately revisiting Miss Scanlon to discover that she has suffered a fatal accident in her home. Although it is not apparent, Holmes deduces that she has been murdered. Consulting the extensive notes left by his client, Holmes then conducts a series of interviews. These lead him to believe that the murders are linked to The Experience Club, an establishment barred to all except gentlemen who have performed extraordinary feats. There he recognises agents of Imperial Germany, and eventually uncovers a plot to assassinate the Queen. It transpires that German agents have abducted a Member of Parliament, in order to gain information, and also his daughter as an incentive to gain his co-operation. Holmes knows, despite discouragement from Scotland Yard and his brother Mycroft, that these incidents also must be addressed, to prevent a blow to our country that would devastate the Empire.
Seven tales that have appeared in various anthologies, including the MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories from master pastiche author Arthur Hall. A client who is uncertain of his brother's demise; a priest with a curious accent; a headless body recovered from the Thames. Is Holmes correct in deducing that these things indicate a threat to the Prime Minister? Why is Mr Michael Burlott constantly stalked by a man he does not know? The Whitechapel murders continue. Is the murderer known as 'Jack the Ripper' still at large? A previous client enlists Holmes' help in convincing his cousin that she is not mad. Why does Miss Elinora Todd deceive her brother by claiming to have meetings with a deceased woman? Miss Laura Willis engages Holmes to discover why she was abducted and left to starve to death. Inspector Lestrade asks Holmes to enquire into the sudden disappearance of a colleague.
Bond is not the only agent out there! An urgent signal is received at the London headquarters of the ultra-secret government department known as Sector Three. Klemperer, their agent-in-place in Tunisia, is sheltering a North Korean diplomat who wishes to defect to the West, bringing with him vital intelligence concerning foreign sleeper agents operating in Britain. The Sector sends out their operative, code-named Robert Lane, who arrives at an hotel specified by Klemperer, to await contact. When he receives no message Lane's impatience grows, then a guest falls to his death from a high window. Lane sees the body and realises that the dead man's appearance closely matches his own. Shortly afterwards a series of attempts on his life begin - Lane has become a target for an unknown enemy, for reasons that he cannot explain. When Klemperer finally makes contact Lane meets him, expecting death at any moment from a ruthless adversary who is becoming increasingly desperate.
Revelations from the despatch box of Doctor John Watson. These seven stories previously featured in various volumes of The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories and other anthologies. They come together in their own collection for the first time. The Incident of the Absent Thieves Holmes, left alone temporarily by the newly-married Watson, narrates an early episode in his career. While living in Montague Street he is approached by the wife of a well-known thief to discover the whereabouts of her husband and son. It seems that, two months previously, they had entered premises in Whitechapel with the intention of stealing a private art collection - and disappeared from the face of the Earth. The Adventure of the Ten Tall Men Mrs Fanshawe, a middle-aged resident of the Kent village of Tarnfields, tells Holmes of her curiosity about the ten near-identical men who, one after another, repeatedly visit the local tailor's shop for no apparent reason. The Adventure of Canal Reach Mycroft's clerk relates a strange experience. While on holiday, he met a man who befriended him and insisted, to his astonishment, on paying all his expenses. On responding to his new-found friend's invitation to visit him at a later date, he is astonished to find that the address is a derelict house beside a canal. The Adventure of Marcus Davery A client relates the story of his son's demise. It has been accepted as suicide as a result of mounting gambling debts, but Holmes is asked to investigate the case as one of murder. The alleged perpetrator, Marcus Davery, is a man without conscience who openly boasts of his scandalous behaviour and the lives he has wrecked. When Holmes refuses to abandon his investigation, Davery requests a meeting to discuss the matter after completing preparations to murder once more. The Adventure of the Phantom Coachman Mycroft enlists his brother's aid in the case of Rodney Trasker, a fellow member of the Diogenes Club. His sleep disturbed during the night, Trasker discovered his newly-hired coachman ransacking the library. Faced with a drawn pistol, he struck the man, accidentally killing him. Three nights later, he was again awakened, this time by his sister's screams at midnight. He entered her chamber to be directed to the window, from where he looked down to the road in astonishment. The slain coachman leered up at him, apparently fully restored, before whipping up the horses and vanishing into the night. Trasker, still suffering from severe shock witnessed the same scene the following night with no less astonishment. The coach appeared once more at the same time on the night after, but this time Trasker was ready. He discharged both barrels of his shotgun, blowing the coachman to pieces as the horses bolted. The next day was spent in a worried and puzzled state, but Trasker convinced himself that the coach could not now return. And yet, promptly at midnight it stood outside his house as before, again seemingly unaffected. Holmes is at first unimpressed by the tale, until his brother confides that agents of Imperial Germany are somehow involved. He resolves to discover how this coachman can continue as if indestructible and concentrates his powers on what proves to be an extraordinary case. The Adventure of the Frightened Architect A fake séance sets Holmes and Watson on the trail of a multiple killer obsessed with revenge. The Adventure of the Moonlit Shadow A dark and stormy night finds Holmes and Watson in Norfolk, on their way to visit Lord Trentlemere who has obtained proof that his daughter was murdered. Because of the weather they are obliged to approach Trentlemere Hall by way of a windswept wood and a field, where they experience several strange and apparently inexplicable events. Holmes insists that nothing unnatural has occurred, but Watson is far from convinced.
Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are summoned to Theobald Grange, the Warwickshire home of Lady Heminworth. Being of a nervous and superstitious disposition, her Ladyship lives in fear. Her husband and elder son were recently murdered, apparently by the ghost of a court jester who was executed on the site centuries before. The apparition has warned that she, too, is to die. Holmes rejects a supernatural explanation, although his adversary seems unaffected by gunfire and is able to take flight and disappear. The Great Detective brings his powers to bear, but still the killings continue...
Additional revelations from the despatch box of Doctor John Watson. These seven stories previously featured in various volumes of The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories and other anthologies. They come together in their own collection for the first time. The Adventure of the Disappearing Prisoner The Adventure of the Drewhampton Poisoner The Adventure of the Returning Spirit The Adventure of Miss Anna Truegrace The Adventure of Mr Fairdale Hobbs The Adventure of the Conk-Singleton Forgery The Adventure of the Grand Vizier
Inspector Lestrade brings Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson an account of six murders. The only fact common to them all is that the victims had all served terms of imprisonment for serious crimes. It appears that someone believes that they should have suffered execution, and has set out to take the law into his own hands. A note is found, signed ‘The Justice Master’, warning that he will not be deterred from his purpose, nor does he spare anyone who gets in his way. The inspector is angry with his superiors because he feels that their efforts to apprehend this man have been insufficient, hence his consultation with The Great Detective. The murders continue and Holmes, with the occasional interference of an Old Bailey solicitor, Mr David Grantly-Knight, resolves to bring the killer to justice. The Justice Master proves to be as elusive as he is merciless, and narrowly escapes a trap set by Holmes and Lestrade. Then comes an encounter near Plantain Castle.
Holmes and Watson journey to the Lake District at the bidding of Squire Foley, who claims to be tormented by a man he believes he has killed in a duel. After an unsatisfactory conclusion they return to London, where they investigate the abduction of a woman in most peculiar circumstances. Next, Inspector Lestrade brings them news of queer goings-on in the National Gallery, before a perplexed priest requests their help with the curious behaviour of his colleagues. Early on, Watson realises that a common thread runs through these events, and Holmes sets out to bring to justice 'probably the most evil woman I ever hope to encounter'.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.