Belanger Books Sherlock Holmes and Other Readings Blog

WARNING:  this article contains spoilers for both the Sherlock Holmes canon and the Twin Peaks series.  DO NOT READ THIS if you're not caught up with Twin Peaks or haven't read Arthur Conan Doyle's "A Scandal in Bohemia". "...she is always the  woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name." --Dr. Watson, A Scandal in Bohemia "I carry a log -- yes.  Is it funny to you?  It is not to me." -- Margaret Lanterman, aka The Log Lady,   Twin Peaks season 1 DERRICK:   The Woman!  To Sherlock Holmes, Irene Adler will always be  the woman.  To Twin Peaks fans, Margaret Lanterman, the Log Lady, will always be the woman.  She was the heart and soul of the series.  Both characters were a step above the men around them.  They knew much more than they were given credit for; even the detectives were always a few clues behind them. Sadly, now both characters have passed away.  Irene Adler died...

Episodes 12 & 13:    The Distinction Is Clear WARNING:  Do not read this article if you haven't been watching up through episode 13 of Twin Peaks: The Return.  We don't want to spoil your fun! “You see, but you do not observe.   The distinction is clear.”             --- A Scandal In Bohemia Brian: Things are speeding up as we enter the final third of Twin Peaks: The Return.   While some earlier episodes… have… seemed… mmm… padded (and that’s putting it kindly)… the last few episodes have roared to life, tantalizing us as plot threads intertwine and hint at possible resolutions.    Of all the recent surprises, none have been more welcome for me than the return of fan-favorite character Audrey Horne.   Her scene is split between the last two episodes, and reveals such a wealth of information that it demands special attention. First, to see; then to ...

Today is August 9th, the 221st day of the year!  To celebrate this singular day, the Beacon Society , a scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars which focuses on exemplary educational experiences that introduce children and young adults to Sherlock Holmes, proudly launches the Junior Sherlockian Society .  The society invites children and youth to complete Junior Sherlockian Training- an in-depth study of Sherlock Holmes’s character traits, observational skills, capacity for critical thought, and inductive and deductive reasoning. During the online training, Sherlockians-in-Training complete the 2-2-1-b tasks to explore , experience , and extend their understanding and appreciation of the great detective. Upon completion of the tasks and submission of “training evidence,” a certificate of completion is granted. This is pretty much the Sherlockian equivalent of the Junior Ranger's program available through the American National Parks Service. All teachers wh...

If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan (and if you are reading this blog, you must be), you should be well aware that the greatest collections of Sherlock Holmes stories published since the original canon are the volumes of The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories.  I am proud to have stories in over half of the volumes (Volumes I, IV, V, VI, and VIII to be exact and a poem in the forthcoming Volume IX). These volumes contain new traditional Sherlock Holmes pastiches and the caliber of the stories is incredible. As a bonus, all the proceeds from the sales of the books go to the Stepping Stones School at Undershaw.  This is a school for special needs students housed at the former estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Currently available on Kickstarter  is Eliminate the Impossible, which contains Volumes VII and VIII of the MX books.  These stories are a treat in that they have to deal with the supernatural though they still have to have some connection to the rationale...