Belanger Books Sherlock Holmes and Other Readings Blog

  Hi everyone,   It is a busy August for Belanger Books! We currently have three Sherlock Holmes related crowdfunding campaigns. On Kickstarter we have the new card game  The Great Game of Sherlock Holmes  as well as a campaign for two  Sherlock Holmes Advent Calendars . We also are running our first ever Indiegogo campaign for the anthology  In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson . Unlike Kickstarter, Indiegogo allows us to run a crowdfunding campaign that is a charity fundraiser. In this case, we are raising funds for the Beacon Society. Read more about the campaign below: In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes and Dr.Watson Belanger Books is proud to present a collection of seventeen all new Sherlock Holmes stories written specifically for young adults. The anthology contains some of the best known Sherlockian authors as well as first time young adult authors. The story collection is written by professional writers such as  David Marc...

Introducing The Great Game of Sherlock Holmes Hi everyone, I want to start this blog post with exciting news! Now on Kickstarter is the first ever Sherlock Holmes game from Belanger Books. The Great Game of Sherlock Holmes is an easy to learn card game similar to Pokemon and Top Trumps. It is fast paced, fun, and features all 60 stories in the Sherlock Holmes canon! Each card covers one story and features a vintage illustration originally published in London's Strand Magazine.     There's a brief synopsis of each crime-cracking chronicle which will jog the memories of lifelong Sherlockians, or provide an exciting first dip into Holmes's adventures for newcomers.  A vast and exhilarating universe of deduction and master storytelling -- still years ahead of its time -- will fall open for you!  Game Play is simple. Each player is given an equal number of random cards.  All players pick the top card from their own piles. Player One selects the highest ranking ...

Join Five Miles From Anywhere - a new Online International Scion Society One of the very few positives to come out of the pandemic is how we Sherlockians have connected online. Many scion societies like my own  Dr. Watson's Neglected Patients  in Denver moved our monthly meetings to Zoom. I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere has had some interactive recordings through Facebook Live, and the summer conference A Scintillation of Scions has moved to a virtual format for 2020. With all of these wonderful virtual Holmesian events, a few of us thought it was time to start an online only Scion Society. Thus, Five Miles from Anywhere was born. The Board of the group is made up of members from four continents. We will hold monthly meetings the first Saturday of the month alternating between 5 pm Eastern time and 5 pm London time (BST).The format is that we read and discuss a Sherlock Holmes story either from the canon or a pastiche. A speaker starts the meeting by giving a 1...

Trying to find a gift for that certain someone?  Want to indulge yourself with a fun purchase?  Step outside of 221B Baker Street for a change and try one of Belanger Books’ new releases --- perfect for the holidays!   Elizabeth Varadan’s latest thriller  Deady Vintage   is a classic whodunit murder mystery.  Carla Bass, an interior decorator and wannabe sleuth, moves to Braga, Portugal for her husband’s career.  When a nervous wine seller accidentally slips a bottle of Port into Carla’s bag, she later attempts to return it to him – only to find his body slumped behind the counter.  Unable to leave the country, Carla must crack the case herself before she becomes the next victim of the criminal conspiracy! “This is a fine tale of mayhem and the setting is almost palpable, a heartfelt look at Portugal, plus the glorious tastes, including a tawny Port.  For a tense, twisty mystery and a sampl...

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!   For this holiday of giving thanks, we wanted to highlight some Belanger Books publications and some publications from our friends at MX publishing where the proceeds of the books are donated to charitable causes.  As you start your holiday shopping, please consider these books as gifts. You will be buying excellent story collections and also helping children, schools, and other worthy causes throughout the world. Belanger Books for a Cause - The Beacon Society We donate the proceeds from the following books to The Beacon Society , a Sherlock Holmes Scion Society which gives grants to teachers, libraries, and Sherlock Holmes organizations to help introduce students to Sherlock Holmes. The New Adventures of Solar Pons In the 1920's, 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 ...

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...