A deep freeze has fallen upon London, and its citizens remain huddled indoors. But the cogs of the criminal underworld never stop turning, and Holmes and Watson find themselves embroiled in a crime that rocks the centre of the art world. Sir Wellington is disturbed in the middle of the night, apprehending a thief attempting to steal his rare and valuable 14th portrait of King Edward III. In the kerfuffle that follows, the painting is set ablaze and the thief escapes. When the police track down the criminal to take him to the station, he is fatally shot by an unknown assailant. But the labyrinth of deceit grows even more impenetrable, as the painting’s provenance is called into question and Holmes and Watson find themselves in the midst of a vast conspiracy. It seems that this incident is just one of many at the hands of a powerful crime syndicate, duping the London’s wealthy into buying imitation artwork – with the renowned National Portrait Gallery supposedly at the centre... With usurped identities, shootings, chases and conspiracies, Holmes and Watson find themselves enmeshed in a tangled web of theft, forgery and murder. Can the famous duo untangle the mystery and expose the criminal network before it is too late? Or will this case prove too complex for even their brilliant minds? Praise for The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance: “… Derrick Belanger has once again created his own unique doorway into the world of Holmes and Watson. He makes you feel as if you’re in Victorian London, and the story’s twists are both surprising and satisfying.” - David Marcum, author of The Papers of Sherlock Holmes "... well-paced, with just enough action to balance the domesticity and deduction, and the plot is cleverly executed." - ihearofsherlock.com blog “This author truly captures the storytelling virtues with which Doyle imbued Dr. Watson. Belanger’s tale pulls you in from the first paragraph, and keeps you at Holmes’s side as this marvelous new tale unfolds step-by-step. If you love Holmes, you’ll love The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance.” - Kim Krisco, author of Sherlock Holmes: The Golden Years Derrick Belanger is an author and educator most noted for his books and lectures on Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Both volumes of his two volume anthology A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural were #1 best sellers on the Amazon Sherlock Holmes book list, and his MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes chapter book, Attack of the Violet Vampire! was also a #1 bestselling new release in the UK. Mr. Belanger’s academic work has been published in The Colorado Reading Journal and Gifted Child Today. Mr. Belanger is also a teacher at Century Middle School in the Adams 12 Five Star School District, and he resides in Broomfield, Colorado with his wife, Abigail Gosselin, and their daughters, Rhea and Phoebe.

    Auguste Dupin.Introducing to literature the concept of applying reason to solving crime, these tales brought Poe fame and fortune, although much less of the second during his lifetime. Decades later, Dorothy Sayers would describe “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” as “almost a complete manual of detective theory and practice.” Indeed, Poe’s short Dupin mysteries inspired the creation of countless literary sleuths, among them Sherlock Holmes. Today, the unique Dupin stories still stand out as utterly engrossing page-turners.Librarian's note: this entry is for a collection of C. Auguste Dupin short stories under the above title. There are three stories in the series: 1. “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” 2. “The Mystery of Marie Rogêt,” and 3. “The Purloined Letter.” Entries for the individual stories are located elsewhere on Goodreads.

    He also becomes attentive to one woman's (and suspect's) charms. But charm gives way to terror when Holmes goes up against an arsonist called the Red Demon.

    Inexplicably, Holmes agrees to help, even though the Prime Minister of England and his cabinet need Holmes to solve a murder case that could threaten a high-stakes meeting with John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan. The clock is ticking. Holmes will need all his physical and deductive powers to preserve innocent lives and prevent political and economic chaos on both sides of the Atlantic. Yet even Holmes cannot foresee how much the ultimate outcome will depend on a mother's sacrifice, a daughter's hopes, and on the true identity of the last Moriarty.

    Georgie is uncertain why she was invited, until she learns that the royal family intends to marry her off to a foreign prince, one reputed to be mad.When the prince, dressed as the devil, rescues her from an embarrassing situation at the ball, Georgie is surprised to find her unwanted suitor to be a dashing, charming man—especially when he pulls her aside and gives her the kiss of a lifetime. But as the time comes for the unmasking, Georgie’s rescuer vanishes and the party is thrown into chaos, making it clear that everything at Broxley Manor is not as it appears…Includes a preview of the latest Royal Spyness mystery, The Twelve Clues of Christmas, available November 2012.

     Fans of James Patterson, Harlan Coben, John Grisham, David Baldacci, Lydia Davis and Stephen King will love this collection of exclusive short stories that will be sure to leave you breathless.  The award-winning and best-selling authors in this collection turn up the heat - it's pedal to the metal break-neck action from start to finish! The short story is back with a vengeance! Murder, mystery, suspense, chills, thrills and kills this collection has it all!  About the Stories What Money Can’t Buy – by Paul Casselle Are you a bad person trying to be good or a good person that sometimes does bad? It’s a difficult question to answer, but that doesn’t stop life asking regularly! The Butcher – by Will Patching Not all of us are ‘normal’. Some of us are stone cold killers… Collin O’Connor by Ernest Dempsey In a world where terrorist attacks seem to cover the front page of every news outlet, the people of Earth need a new kind of hero. The planet needs someone who isn’t afraid to do whatever it takes to bring justice to those who would harm the innocent. We need Collin O’Connor. A Love Affair by Leah Monroe Have you ever asked yourself, "What am I here for?" Is it wealth? To leave a legacy? Or perhaps you're playing with the cards life deals you. One man comes face-to-face with this age old question and his decision will leave you speechless. Downside Up by Jane Thornley She climbs roofs at night but how could she know how far she’ll have to fall to find the truth? The Son-in-Law by Craig Hart Can you go straight by committing murder? One man is about to find out-if he lives long enough. Linking Arms with the Devil by Michael Maxwell They tell us, “You can’t take it with you”. Maybe you can if you link arms with the devil. Red Eyes – by Terry Keys A small town middle-school teacher suddenly vanishes and returns six months, six days, and six hours after he disappeared. But now he is hiding a terrible secret, and only the next victim can see the . . . Red Eyes.

    Watson, it is only now that, owing to his recent death, the full biography and facts of his life can be brought before the public. This volume brings together for the first time every known fact that can be fully authenticated about the life of one of the world's most extraordinary men, and reveals much more about him that has not been heretofore generally known. From twenty years' research into every possible source, the author has written as definitive an account as could ever be assembled. Sherlock Holmes was born on January 6th, 1854, the third and last son of Siger and Violet Holmes, of North Riding, Yorkshire. He traveled widely on the continent as a boy, where he learned six languages. Displaying most unusual talents at an early age, he attended an English boarding school, and in 1872 entered Oxford. He soon decided to train himself to become a consulting detective, and before long he was starting to take cases. Except for a period when he was an actor, he pursued his chosen career thereafter and of course became famous after Dr. Watson started to write about him. This book reveals far more than Watson ever could, including the whole story of his running battle with the infamous Professor Moriarty, his dangerous brush with Jack with Ripper, his long association and love for Irene Adler, the question of his own son, and the story of his retirement, the writing of his great book, and the circumstances of his death. In short, this book contains everything that can be told about Holmes. It is a marvelous reconstruction from very scattered sources, and the amazing but always scrupulously accurate story of a great man.Contents:1: Genteel gypsies: 1854-64 --2: Old Sherman, Winwood Reade, Maitre Bencin, and Professor Moriarty: 1864-72 --3: Oxford and Cambridge: 1872-77 --4: Montague Street: 1877-79 --5: On stage and off in England and America: 1879-81 --6: Early days on Baker Street: 1881-83 --7: First Mrs Watson: 1883-86 --8: Woman: November 1886-May 1887 --9: Orange Pips, red-headed men, and a blue carbuncle: May-December 1887 --10: Back to Baker Street: January 1888 --Interruption: Three stories from the London Times: August 10, September 1, September 10, 1888 --11: To meet Mr Mycroft Holmes: Wednesday, September 12, 1888 --12: Sign of the four: Tuesday, September 18-Friday, September 21, 1888 --13: Dr James Mortimer and Sir Henry Baskerville: Tuesday, September 25-Saturday, September 29, 1888 --Interruption: Two stories from the London Times: October 1 and 2, 1888 --14: Horror Hound: Sunday, September 30-Saturday, October 20, 1888 --15: Jack the Harlot Killer: Friday, November 9-Sunday, November 11, 1888 --16: Second Mrs Watson: 1819-90 --17: Final problem? Friday, April 24-Monday, May 4, 1891 --Entr'acte: Dr Watson, writer --18: Meeting in Montenegro: June 1891 --19: Venture into the unknown: 1891-93 --20: Return of Sherlock Holmes: Thursday, April 5, 1894 --21: Game's afoot again: 1894-95 --22: Crowded years: 1896-1902 --23: Third Mrs Watson: July 1902-October 1903 --24: Sussex Downs: 1909 --25: His last bow: Sunday, August 2, 1914 --Epilogue: Sherlock Holmes walks at sunset: Sunday, January 6, 1957 --Appendix 1: Chronological Holmes --Appendix 2: Bibliographical Holmes: a selective compilation.

    Throughout the summer of 1944—until one father forbids it—the subterranean space becomes their "secret garden," where the friends play games and tell stories.Six decades later, beneath a house on the same land, construction workers uncover a tin box containing two skeletal hands, one male and one female. As the discovery makes national news, the friends come together once again, to recall their days in the tunnel for the detective investigating the case. Is the truth buried among these aging friends and their memories? This impromptu reunion causes long-simmering feelings to bubble to the surface. Alan, stuck in a passionless marriage, begins flirting with Daphne, a glamorous widow. Michael considers contacting his estranged father, who sent Michael to live with an aunt after his mother vanished in 1944. Lewis begins remembering details about his Uncle James, an army private who once accompanied the children into the tunnels, and who later disappeared.In The Girl Next Door Rendell brilliantly shatters the assumptions about age, showing that the choices people make—and the emotions behind them—remain as potent in late life as they were in youth.

    From humble origins as a Cumbrian woodcutter's son, he has risen to become a successful entrepreneur, happily married to the girl of his dreams. A knock on the door one morning ends it all. Universally reviled, thrown into prison, abandoned by friends & family, Wolf retreats into silence.

    As a matter of routine, or so it seems, the case passes across the desk of Detective Sergeant Smith, recently returned to work after an internal investigation into another case that has led to tensions between officers at Kings Lake police headquarters. As an ex DCI, Smith could have retired by now, and it is clear that some of his superiors wish that he would do so. The latest trainee detective to work with him is the son of a member of his former team, and together they begin to unravel the truth about what happened to Wayne Fletcher. As the investigation proceeds, it becomes clear that others are involved - some seem determined to prevent it, some seem to be taking too much interest. In the end Smith operates alone, having stepped too far outside standard procedures to ask for support. He knows that his own life might be at risk but he has not calculated on the life of his young assistant also being put in danger. He might still get his man but at what cost?