Belanger Books Sherlock Holmes and Other Readings Blog

Sherlock Gnomes: A Review The 21st Century revival of Sherlock Holmes may be reaching its limit. We've had two modern takes on the Great detective ( Sherlock and Elementary ), an action film version (the Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes films), and a traditional take on the detective in Russian (the 2013 series starring Igor Petrenko).  We now have the Gnome version in the children's film  Sherlock Gnomes, a fun if forgettable film with some surprising canonical references.  Please note that this is a film review and some of the information may be considered spoilers. The plot of the film begins with Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emily Blunt) moving to a new "fixer upper" home with their garden gnome family.  While the gnome duo is away at a flower shop, all of their gnome family is kidnapped.  Never fear for Sherlock Gnomes (Johnny Depp) and Dr. Gnome Watson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) are on the case!  Sherlock Gnomes, Watson, Gnomeo, and Juliet t...

The first four Solar Pons books by August Derleth available on Kickstarter til March 28th Last Chance to Back Solar Pons on Kickstarter ! By the time this blog entry posts, there will be about 48 hours left to back the original Solar Pons books by August Derleth on Kickstarter . “Solar Pons came into being out of Sherlock Holmes . . . .” – August Derleth   In 1928, college student August Derleth wrote to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, asking if any more Sherlock Holmes adventures were going to be published. Upon receiving a negative reply, Derleth decided to provide some of his own. However, rather than relating more tales of Holmes and Dr. Watson, he ended up introducing the world to Solar Pons and Dr. Lyndon Parker, living in London during the 1920’s and 1930’s. Pons solved crimes using deduction and ratiocination, often referring to Holmes as “The Master” or “My illustrious predecessor”. Since his first appearance, Pons has been a favorite with Sherlockians. B...

The covers to our new editions of the first four Solar Pons books by August Derleth We have some exciting news at Belanger Books!  Once again, we are partnering with the Estate of August Derleth to bring you more Solar Pons collections. This time, we are publishing new editions of the long out of print original Solar Pons books by August Derleth.  Our plan is to publish the first four books in the series in June, and if all goes well, the remainder of the original seven books (plus an Apocrypha) sometime in the winter.  You can be the first person to get copies of the books (available as ebooks for the first time ever) by ordering from the Kickstarter link below! Solar Pons, Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street, New Editions “Solar Pons came into being out of Sherlock Holmes . . . .” – August Derleth   In 1928, college student August Derleth wrote to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, asking if any more Sherlock Holmes adventures were going to be published...

Hi everyone, Belanger Books is accepting submissions for two exciting new anthologies, one will be a collection of new Sherlock Holmes stories and the other is a collection of new Solar Pons stories. Both books will be edited by the great David Marcum the author of The Papers of Solar Pons, New Adventures of the Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street  and the editor of the Belanger Books anthologies Sherlock Holmes: Before Baker Street , Holmes Away From Holmes: Adventures from the Great Hiatus Volume 1 , and Holmes Away From Holmes: Adventures from the Great Hiatus Volume 2 .  If you are an author or aspiring author, please consider submitting to either of these anthologies.  See the submission guidelines below. Anthology #1 - Sherlock Holmes: Canonical Sequels Continuing the success of recent Belanger Books Sherlock Holmes anthologies, “Holmes Away from Home” and “Sherlock Holmes: Before Baker Street”, both edited by David Marcum, stories are now being solicited for...

This is our last blog entry on gift ideas for the Sherlockian in your life.  Do you have someone who enjoys a quick read? Prefers a short book to a long one?  How about trying out a Sherlock Holmes novella! We have two great reads to offer you. Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance Winter, 1890. 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 p...

There are still plenty of shopping days left til Christmas, especially for those with Amazon Prime.  We have a few more great gift ideas for the mystery lover in your life.  Let's start out with a two volume anthology which was the most successful Kickstarter from Belanger Books! Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of H.G. Wells  This two volume collection of short stories combining traditional Sherlock Holmes pastiches with the fantastic worlds of H.G. Wells is sure to be a big hit with both mystery fans and sci-fi lovers alike.   The World's Greatest Detective in the Realms of the Master of Science Fiction! Imagine Holmes trying to solve the case of an invisible man attacking London - matching wits with a traveler from out of time - tracking down a human/feline hybrid - using his deductive skills to help fight Martian and lunar invaders! These are just some of the stories included in Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of H.G. Well...

Happy Holidays everyone!  Nothing is more appreciated as a a gift than a great book. For your holiday shopping, we wanted to highlight some goodies from the Belanger Books catalog. We will be posting blog updates from or own catalog as well as some books from our friends over the next few weeks. The first entry was for our own Sherlock Holmes books. This entry focuses on our children's books. Sherlock Holmes Children's Books We are best known for our line of Sherlock Holmes books. Here are some suggestions for the mystery lover of any age! The MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes Series What happens when two ten year old twin detectives team up with Sherlock Holmes? Find out in the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes series! This series has been called, "great for introducing kids to Sherlock Holmes and his methods for solving mysteries. The Belanger brothers have evoked the period beautifully," (5 star review by Paula Berinstein ).  You can start th...