Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Sherlock Holmes and The Birchwood Affair
    Sherlock Holmes and The Birchwood Affair
    Sherlock Holmes and The Birchwood Affair
    Ebook51 pages46 minutes

    Sherlock Holmes and The Birchwood Affair

    By Dick Gillman

    4/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    A personal visit from Mycroft Holmes with a request from the Prime Minister embroils Holmes and Watson in the pursuit of a blackmailer. Threats against the British population have been made and carried out as a stark message that the blackmailer means business.

    Holmes and Watson travel to Truro in Cornwall where the blackmailer says he will strike next. The townspeople are already falling ill and Holmes must act quickly to save lives. Finding a common thread to the illness, Holmes is able to prevent further deaths and has a lead on the blackmailer.

    A visit to a business in London and an intriguing trap identifies the culprit but a rare error by Holmes may allow the blackmailer to escape and avoid the gallows.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDick Gillman
    Release dateDec 13, 2012
    ISBN9781301447312
    Sherlock Holmes and The Birchwood Affair
    Author

    Dick Gillman

    Dick Gillman is a Yorkshireman in his 70's. He retired from teaching Science in 2005 and moved from the UK to Brittany, France, in 2008 with his wife Alex, Truffle, the Black Labrador and Poppy, the cat. As well as writing, he is an accomplished digital artist and lives near the coast where the rugged landscape and the Atlantic Ocean influence his artwork. He still has strong links with the UK where he visits his two grown up children and his four grandchildren.During his retirement he has written well over thirty Sherlock Holmes short stories, many of which are published here. Successfully publishing both e-books and paperbacks, he has also been selected to contribute many stories to the superb, World Record beating and ongoing MX Sherlock Holmes anthology. His stories appear in several volumes published by MX Publishing and also in the monthly case solving letters entitled 'Dear Mr Holmes' published by Letterjoy. More are to follow in the latest volumes by MX and Letterjoy.Watch out for further Sherlock Holmes short stories throughout 2022 and treat yourself to his very latest seven story collection, 'Julia Moriarty - in memorium' which contains all seven stories in which Holmes crosses swords with the beautiful, but deadly, Julia Moriarty. This is available an e-book and can be found as a paperback at all major online bookstores.

    Read more from Dick Gillman

    Related to Sherlock Holmes and The Birchwood Affair

    Related ebooks

    Mystery For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      I, Spy

      Aug 7, 2018

      Many things happened to me for the first time on a night in April 1944. I rode in a Black Maria; I jumped from a bomber with a tangled parachute; and I began my mission in wartime France as a British secret agent. We drove in the Black Maria from Int

      17 min read

    • Article

      Lethal Intrigue

      Mar 15, 2020

      Lethal Intrigue
      12 min read

    • Article

      79 The Terrible Grinning Men

      Sep 10, 2020

      79 The Terrible Grinning Men
      8 min read

    • Article

      Will the Real Sherlock Holmes Please Stand Up?

      May 6, 2019

      The sensational real-life murder trial in 19th-century Scotland that cast a light on the extraordinary genesis of Conan Doyle's most famous character. The post Will the Real Sherlock Holmes Please Stand Up? appeared first on The Millions.

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Man Who Knew Too Much

      May 30, 2020

      Like with any great tragedy, we know the end. Henry VIII will turn on his beloved advisor, Thomas Cromwell, and have him beheaded. But the gory spectacles of history are not what preoccupy Hilary Mantel, whose acclaimed historical trilogy has finally

      2 min read

    • Article

      The 31 GREATEST BOOKS FOR MEN

      May 1, 2019

      Meet Rob. He’s the manager of a London record shop in which he and his sad friends make top-five lists, talk about mix tapes and obsess over albums by dead blues musicians. Then Rob decides to get in touch with five of his ex-girlfriends to find out

      8 min read

    • Article

      The Old Un's Notes

      Jun 28, 2023

      If you want to be a bestselling writer, get on the GCSE syllabus. That's the message from the Bookseller magazine. It reports that the top-selling book on the syllabus is An Inspector Calls (1945) by J B Priestley, selling 123,059 copies this year th

      6 min read

    • Article

      A Brief Ghostly Encounter…

      Nov 30, 2020

      A Brief Ghostly Encounter…
      7 min read

    • Article

      Cromwell Pulled The Strings. Now The Strings Ensnare Him.

      Mar 4, 2020

      Hilary Mantel follows the waning fortunes of Thomas Cromwell, fixer to Henry VIII, all the way to the Tower in the riveting “The Mirror & the Light."

      3 min read

    • Article

      Life Before The Fall

      Mar 19, 2020

      Life Before The Fall
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Sticky Tar Pit of Time

      Sep 11, 2019

      The Sticky Tar Pit of Time
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Final Curtain

      Mar 25, 2020

      The Final Curtain
      7 min read

    • Article

      The William Trevor Reader: “Access to the Children”

      Oct 5, 2021

      In this week's installment of The William Trevor Reader, our own Adam O'Fallon Price examines a classic short story he credits with rewiring his brain as a young writer. The post The William Trevor Reader: “Access to the Children” appeared first on T

      3 min read

    • Article

      Who’s There?: Every Story Is a Ghost Story

      Aug 18, 2021

      Not all writing is cursed, but surely all of it is haunted. Literature is a catacomb of past readers, past writers, past books. Traces of those who are responsible for creation linger among the words on a page. The post Who’s There?: Every Story Is a

      16 min read

    • Article

      Biography & Memoir

      Jun 30, 2021

      Biography & Memoir
      11 min read

    • Article

      Action This Day

      Nov 2, 2022

      Action This Day
      5 min read

    • Article

      Licensed To Chill

      Feb 24, 2022

      Licensed To Chill
      9 min read

    • Article

      Licensed To Chill

      Feb 24, 2022

      Licensed To Chill
      9 min read

    • Article

      Over The Top

      Nov 7, 2017

      Over The Top
      7 min read

    • Article

      Double Takes

      Aug 12, 2021

      At a time when there have been plenty of emergencies of one sort or another being announced, one welcomes the news that the police do not consider being visited by a ghost as a top policing priority. This emerges from a story accompanying the headlin

      9 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Oct 8, 2020

      Thank you for making my life more joyful month after month. I can’t tell you how important to me the Fortean Times is. Kevin Hope By email Regarding Matt Salusbury’s Forum article on sunken bells [FT396:54-55], there is more to the bells of Aberdyfi

      14 min read

    • Article

      Diary Of A Somebody

      Jun 30, 2021

      appendage. Noun. 1. a thing that is added or attached to something larger or more important. That’s me! The appendage, my whole lovely life: daughter of an MP (Sir John Knott, MP for St Ives, 1966-83, and Defence Secretary); wife of one (Sir Hugo Swi

      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Sherlock Holmes and The Birchwood Affair

    4/5

    1 rating0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Sherlock Holmes and The Birchwood Affair - Dick Gillman

      Sherlock Holmes

      and

      The Birchwood Affair

      Second Edition.

      By Dick Gillman

      Copyright 2012 Dick Gillman

      Published at Smashwords.

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite online bookstore and purchase your own copy.

      Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Table of Contents

      Chapter 1 - The letter

      Chapter 2 - Truro

      Chapter 3 - The victims

      Chapter 4 - A common thread

      Chapter 5 - The solution

      Chapter 6- The motive

      Chapter 7- A rare error!

      Chapter 8- The conclusion

      Sherlock Holmes and The Zhou Bell

      Chapter 1 - An invitation from afar!

      The Birchwood Affair

      Second Edition.

      By Dick Gillman

      Copyright 2012 Dick Gillman

      Cover image courtesy of Stock free images.com

      Chapter 1 - The letter

      It was a cold, dreary afternoon on the first of December, 1890 when Holmes and I first became aware of the happenings which were to haunt us for the coming days. A cheery fire was burning in the hearth in our rooms at 221b Baker Street. Holmes was wrapped up in his old dressing gown, playing an aria by Vivaldi on his beloved Stradivarius violin.

      What is that, Holmes? I enquired.

      Holmes glanced across at me and continued playing. I'm surprised you don't know Watson, its L'Inverno, winter, I thought it quite apt.

      I shrugged. Hmpf...I would not say it was obvious.

      Holmes stopped playing. What? You can't hear the thunder and lightening? Springing from his chair he plunged into an energetic display of bowing.

      Ah, yes, I see, said I, waving my hand and hoping to end the tumult of sound now assaulting my ears.

      Holmes stopped playing and looked invigorated by his exertions. He glanced towards the heavily draped windows of our rooms. Hello, we have a visitor. Down in the street a Hansom cab had drawn up to the curb, a tall figure descended and made his way to our front door. Brother Mycroft, if I am not mistaken, said Holmes, putting his violin in its case and flinging off his dressing gown. Holmes walked to the sideboard and brought over a decanter and three glasses.

      After a few moments there was a knock at our door and Mrs Hudson announced Mr Mycroft Holmes to see you sir. and in swept Mycroft.

      Mycroft was dressed in a caped frock coat, top hat and was holding a silver topped black cane.

      Ah, Mycroft, it is so good to see you. This was an unusually warm greeting from Holmes as relations between the two brothers had not always been cordial to say the least.

      Good afternoon Sherlock, Watson, said Mycroft, turning and nodding in my direction.

      Holmes brushed a pile of papers from our red velvet chaise-longue onto the floor saying Please, be seated. A glass of sherry perhaps?

      Mycroft removed his hat and cape and sat facing us both. Mycroft, like Holmes, was not a man to waste time on fripperies and waved a hand at Holmes. Thank you, no, Sherlock. We as a nation have a gun to our head. This letter arrived with the Prime Minister's mail ten days ago.

      Mycroft passed an envelope to Holmes who took

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1