Treachery In Torquay

P. Lawler W.

Description

The year is 1905, and residents along the southern coast of England are experiencing a series of tragic events which threaten the serenity of Torquay. The lovely resort city has long been a favorite destination for those individuals seeking a respite from the smoke and noise of many of the industrial cities of England and the "Continent." Now, however, the townspeople are dealing with a series of brutal crimes, the likes of which they have never seen before! Citizens are living in constant fear. Incidents which have occurred over several months have taken their toll on the collective community psyche, leading to great unrest. What was once an idyllic region has now become a most uncomfortable place in which to live and raise a family.Murder can do that to a community! It is into this dangerous environment that Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson have come. They've been summoned by one of the area's civic leaders who has problems of his own.As they conduct their investigation, they meet a rather unique personality who simply can't keep out of their way. One thing is certain, Torquay will never be the same.

Informations

• Publié par: Andrews UK
• Date de parution: 09 août 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781787053021
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Treachery in Torquay
A Sherlock Holmes Adventure
W. P. Lawler





First published in 2018 by
MX Publishing
335 Princess Park Manor, Royal Drive
London, N11 3GX
www.mxpublishing.co.uk
Digital edition converted and distributed by
Andrews UK Limited
www.andrewsuk.com
© Copyright 2018 W. P. Lawler
Cover design by Brian Belanger
The right of W. P. Lawler to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998.
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without express written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted except with express prior written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended). Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damage. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this book. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not of MX Publishing.
Some of the characters appearing in this work were historical figures. Most, however, are creations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Mr. Lawler. Therefore, there may be resemblances to real persons, living or dead, but most are purely coincidental.




Dedicated to My Friends, Family
&
Sherlockians Everywhere



Preface
For those of you who have not been able to find a copy of my first Conan Doyle pastiche, Mystery at St Andrews , you may be in luck. There are still a few copies available from MX Publishing. It’s a golf mystery which takes place in the “Auld Grey Toon”, St Andrews, and on the world famous Old Course.
Now to be fair, while I had a great time creating the story line and many original characters to interact with some of Conan Doyle’s most famous heroes and villains, there is a lot of golf involved. Strange matches are described along with some very interesting rule interpretations that will have golfers and non-golfers alike very entertained. Still, if you don’t like golf, well, this one might not be for you.
While I will acknowledge that the target audience for my first pastiche was fairly limited, I can proudly state that my latest effort, Treachery in Torquay , should prove to be an enjoyable read for one and all. I’m certain that it will appeal to the true Sherlockian.
As my friends and family know, I’m the type of person who likes to challenge myself. Whether it’s on the golf course trying to shoot a score, composing or learning a new piece of music, or even undertaking the task of writing the history of my golf club, Fox Hill CC in Exeter, Pennsylvania, I find I enjoy projects that require major commitments of time and energy.
Well, not really. I mean if I could just turn out a pastiche just like that, it would be nice, but that’s not the mark of a committed author. There are so many aspects to successful writing that need to be considered, that is, if you want to do it correctly.
Great stories require great plots and interesting characters. Locations for the tales need to be accurately portrayed so that the reader can paint scenes in his/her mind’s eye. If the author is attempting to write a mystery, it’s important to create clues, some necessary to help answer questions and others placed to deliberately mislead. All of these choices are there as the story comes together.
Next, the work must be checked for correct spelling, use of proper grammar, punctuation, and many, many re-writes until the author is satisfied. If you’re willing to put the time and effort into your writing, you may find that you really enjoy what you’ve created!
Those are just some of the steps that most writers take when putting their ideas to paper.
Having read all of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson tales several times over, I thought I might, once again, attempt to emulate his superb writing style in this, my latest pastiche, Treachery in Torquay . Of course, we get to follow Holmes and Watson on another interesting case. Like most of their mysteries, this tale includes plot twists, character development, historical detail, and clever “Holmesian” deductions to capture and hold the reader’s attention.
While our favorite protagonists are busy finding clues and solving puzzles, an effort was consciously made to include real, live, historic figures in this story. We meet residents of Torquay, a resort town on the southeast coast of Britain who become involved in helping Holmes and Watson as they strive to bring criminals to justice. Action takes place in 1905, when a call for help reaches our duo as they languish through another damp winter in their 221B Baker Street dwelling.
It’s a typical Holmes and Watson mystery that begins with an incident that triggers future events. The two will be required to leave London to help a famous lawyer who has received threats that could put his family in great peril. While attempting to track the culprits, Watson and Holmes find themselves helping to solve other crimes that have the citizens of Torquay terrorized. There is a touch of the macabre in the novel as well, that should add some special interest.
I invite all Sherlockians and other mystery fans who have enjoyed reading about the most famous characters in the history of fiction to give this one a try.
W. P. Lawler


A - - Ashfield
B - - Torre Abbey
C - - Spanish Barn
D - - Kents Cavern
E - - Daddyhole Plain
F - - Imperial Hotel
Main locations for the story:
- Arrow shows the route from Torre Abbey to ( A )Ashfield - Gray paths show location of tunnels



And So It Begins...
Wednesday, October 18 th , 1905
The sounds of waves breaking over the stony shoreline shattered the evening’s silence along an isolated byway on the outskirts of the peaceful seaside village of Torquay. Peeking through the racing clouds, a gibbous moon shone overhead, helping to light the way for a solitary pedestrian, lantern in hand, who was making his way home along Meadfoot Road. His day’s work done, this man began to smile as he realized that he would soon be sitting by a cozy fireside. There, by his side, would be his doting wife, Emma, seeing to his every need.
“Ah,” he whispered aloud for his own amusement. “Soon I’ll be resting in my comfortable chair. Won’t that be nice? Perhaps, I’ll even have some of Emma’s plum pudding.”
As he continued on his way, a small gust of wind, swirling up from the coast below, served to answer his quiet reflection. The mild zephyr hissed as it rattled among the bare branches, stirring up many of the leaves that had recently fallen beneath a small stand of maple trees. Nature’s response seemed to please him, and he smiled once more resuming his walk up the winding slope and around a large hillock.
Over the last several weeks, this fellow had noticed that many of the sections of this roadway had fallen into terrible disrepair. He soon became acutely aware of that fact when, in the blink of an eye, his left foot caught a half-buried stump, sending him stumbling into a hedge by the side of the road. Somewhat stunned, he rested for a few moments until he had regained his composure. When he stood, with the help of a burly oak branch lying nearby, he laughed softly at his clumsiness. It was then that he noticed one of his boots was missing.
“Well, it appears that my boot has gone ahead without me...” he joked, jovially. “Now that’s not good... not good at all! I’m lucky that nobody was present to witness my silly fall!”
It was now getting more difficult to see, and he surely didn’t wish to go the rest of the way with only one boot. He did have his lantern though, and he gently pulled a small box from his pocket, struck a match and lit the wick. With the help of the illumination, he began his search for the missing boot, waving the lamp this way and that. Fortunately, he was soon able to locate the missing item, spying it a few yards ahead, sitting atop a small bush. After slipping it on, he secured the laces and continued his trek.
As he walked, he noticed that every step seemed to be accompanied by a dull echo. He decided to use the sound to help him maintain a consistent cadence as he moved through the brisk fall air. It reminded him of the way he used to march in his younger days when he had answered his country’s call to military service. Oh, that seemed like only yesterday...
Looking back over his shoulder, our traveler could see the lights from the streetlamps reflecting off the cobblestone roads. He loved this peaceful little town, hard by the southern edge of the English Channel. Having lived his entire life in Torquay, he knew everything about the area. Such happy thoughts made his daily walk to and from the bank a most pleasant task, though not so enjoyable when the chilly, winter winds began to blow.
Turning his thoughts back to this night’s trip, he found he was slowly being enveloped by the arrival of a foggy mist that frequented this quaint little coastal community, particularly at this time of year. The man paused to gaze at the sky, watching the twinkling stars as they slowly disappeared behind a swiftly moving band of clouds, surely a sign of worsening weather.
“Better get a move on,” he coaxed, moving forward.
As he rounded another sharp bend on this isolated byway, he was pleased that he had remembered to bring along his plaid mackinaw. Residents of this region of Devon were well used to this kind of nuisance precipitation and were usually prepared for it.
The moon’s light was now completely obscured by the fog, making the roadway barely nav