David Ruffle

In 1936 an elderly Doctor Watson sits at his desk with a dictation machine, over a two week period, recounting the significant moments in his life. The expected publication of his autobiography never materialised. But in 2017 the wax cylinders containing Watson's words appeared and have at last been made available to the general public. This, then is life of Doctor John H Watson.

On the eve of Sherlock Holmes's retirement Watson pays a final visit to 221b Baker Street. Their quiet conversation is interrupted as other guests drift in and out of the 221b sitting-room... Also included here is the account of a visit made by Holmes and Watson to Inverness and a record of a strange tale set in Borley Rectory, once believed to be the most haunted house in England.

This, the final book in the Twist of Lyme series, takes another comic look at the Hamilton family's life in Lyme Regis. Michael attempts to get to grips with local politics and the fact his daughters have grown up too quickly in his view, Judy gets to grips with bringing the curtain down on her writing career. Katy and Annabelle get to grips with Jake and Stefan? Will it be for keeps though? Is progressive rock really progressive? Are croquet matches really that much fun? How will Michael and Judy cope with growing old?

Has Katy inherited Johnny Norfolk's unerring left foot skills? Will Annabelle's shins ever recover? Just what do you wear to a Basque Night? Why doesn't Michael find anything easy? Why doesn't Judy enlist the aid of Johnny Stevens in writing her tennis/espionage novels? Why is life unfair for Katy? All these questions will be answered as we meet the Hamiltons once more, along with a few laugh and the odd recipe or two!

Who are the 'men in the garden'? Was Chipping Norton really once the centre of the universe? What part do dodgy knees have to play? Just who are Johnny Norfolk and Johnny Stevens? What is W. A. S. T. E.? What connects the Cotswolds, Venice, East Molesey and Lyme Regis? Why would anyone pay to see 'Ophelia get Your Gun'? And just what is the appropriate response to virtually everything? Some of these questions may be answered...some may not in this comic tale of family life in this, David Ruffle's first foray into contemporary fiction.

1903. Lyme Regis. The Royal Navy comes to town. As do Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. And Mrs Watson. And Lydia. And a ghost. And a dog. And a man with murder on his mind. This, the last of the trilogy of Sherlock Holmes in Lyme Regis pastiches is bright, breezy and fun.

Volume 2 includes more Sherlock Holmes and Watson tales collected by David Ruffle from writers around the world.

1915. Sherlock Holmes to Watson: 'Stand with me here upon the terrace for it may be the last quiet talk that we shall ever have'. 1929. A small hospital somewhere in Dorset. An ante-room off a dimly lit corridor. It is night and there is not even the smallest amount of light penetrating the room. In the room itself a dim light enables us to see a figure in a bed. The pipes, tubes and all the trappings we associate with keeping someone alive have been removed. The man, for it is a man, lies prone and still. Still, but not silent. 1929 The last quiet talk.

There is melancholy here; there are laughs, tears and numerous flights of fancy. Did I mention weirdness? The overall content of the forum is varied in the extreme, covering every aspect of Holmes and Watson's lives and careers and along the way we have set ourselves various challenges such as writing pieces on a Holmesian theme for Christmas and Easter. Many of the pieces in this collection sprang from such challenges and there were many more that could have been included, but had to be omitted for reasons of space etc. (Volume Two anyone?)

The year is 1898. Doctor Watson is once more in Lyme Regis to visit the lady in his life, Mrs Beatrice Heidler. A gruesome death with echoes of one of Sherlock Holmes previous cases brings Holmes himself down to Dorset. In the company of an old friend, they encounter an old enemy with vengeance on his mind. A tale of revenge, violent deaths and plum puddings.

The year is 1896. Doctor Watson is invited to the Dorsetshire coast by an old friend. To Watson's surprise he manages to persuade his good friend, Mr Sherlock Holmes to accompany him. This hitherto unknown tale of Watson's involves romancing, dancing, occasional glasses of cider, but the holiday turns into a nightmare as the two old friends encounter an unimaginable evil which threatens their very souls. Can they triumph? - Fully revised and expanded 2nd edition.