The Three Locks: Book 4 (A Sherlock Holmes Adventure)

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This is what was sitting on Holmes’s chemistry table. The Ruhmkorff coil is an early transformer which uses a low voltage direct current to produce high voltage pulses. This technology, in development at the time of this adventure, eventually led to neon lights and x-rays. The glass tubing is a Geissler tube, the precursor to the neon bulb. Different gases would produce different-coloured glowing lights. Holmes queries Dillie on why she would not consider Newnham or Girton. Both were colleges for women at Cambridge founded at roughly the same time, a bit before this story takes place. At the time, women were not allowed at the Universities, although they were allowed to audit classes, providing the professor permitted. In 1863, some girls sat for exams at Cambridge, but no female matriculated from Cambridge until….wait for it….degrees were finally awarded in 1948!!!!!! I enjoy this series and I generally enjoyed this book. The author’s pastiche is well-written and appropriately reverential. That said, there are some bonkers ridiculous plot twists in this one that I’d like to point out. One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.” MOROCCAN TABLE The author has such a wonderful way with descriptive prose and the plot arc is very well controlled and the story itself is engaging and compelling. I stayed up way too late reading this one. The climax, denouement, and resolution are deftly handled. I really couldn't find any problems with any parts of the story or continuity.

At this time, it was common practice to induce sleep in infants with "soothers"—many of which contained laudanum, a strong and addictive depressant. These soothers were available everywhere without a prescription, and heavily marketed. I enjoyed this story and I suspect that most Holmesians will find enough here to keep them entertained. The story is written around a framework of real historical occurrences and the author provides a link in the book to annotations and historical notes which are well worth a read.CHAPTER FIFTEEN - “Bloom Where You Are Planted” The Woodmen of Arden credit Julian Calder photography One might expect that the still youthful (35) Watson and his card-playing cronies would to prefer holiday at the more fashionable and cooler seaside resorts such as Brighton or Bristol rather than Bath, a more staid and traditional spa getaway. He must have gone for the games. The late Victorian era is sometimes called the "Golden Era of Magic". You can find a fabulous collection of posters of the era here: https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/magic

The author uses Victorian Society to show us how men had so much control over the women in the lives, foe example Madam Borelli designs all of her husbands illusions bet he takes all the credit for them and often abuses he for his faults. It is also shown how a young girl is nothing without a man and the lengths one must go to to like their own life. Pope took such a long time to finish his poem that by the time it was published, poor Lord Petre was dead of smallpox and Miss Fermor had married another Here’s a picture of the lady who inspired the poem, Arabella Fermor, who does have rather nice hair. The average depth is about 1.25 metres in the boat channel although some stretches are deeper with the marginal shelves being considerably shallower. Throughout the book, starting with the doll with the broken arm (that was never explained fully IIRC), Holmes is convinced that Dillie is in mortal danger. He seems certain that he has missed something with her case. But, here’s the thing: he hasn’t. She was never in danger! Leo & Deacon both loved her and would never have harmed her. The rich kid was marrying her for political reasons, but seemed to generally like her. Her sister spied on her for fun (and because she was nuts). Her dad was an abusive a-hole but this was not a direct threat.The brougham, (rhymes with “room” or “roam”) was a horse-drawn carriage with four wheels, invented by Lord Brougham circa 1838-9. It had an enclosed carriage and a window in the front, giving the passengers more light and a partial view. It usually seated only two, although larger ones, as pictured, may have had two fold-away seats in the front corners. It would be an expensive item for any family. Presumably the Wyndhams had this type for themselves and their two daughters. In those more literate times, students learned different forms of poetry and were often required to write examples; it would not be unusual for Holmes and Watson not only to be completely familiar with the form, but to have had to cough up a few themselves in their student days. Arthur Conan Doyle himself dabbled in sonnets. Later, during the Italian Renaissance, sculptor Michelangelo was apparently so disturbed by the blank eyes of Greek and Roman statues, that he began carving irises and pupils into the eyes of his own creations, as you can see in his head of David: An object is frequently not seen, from not knowing how to see it, rather than from any defect of the organ of vision.” – Charles Babbage. Madame Borelli would have been much more likely to have taken aim with a Derringer, of convenient size and perhaps an elegant design, such as the one below from 1866, some years before our story.

Deadlatches (Nightlatches) are found on wooden/timber doors and also glass panelled doors. Door Type Commonly Fitted To Thanks to its sheltered location Loch Achray is popular with swimmers and anglers. The loch is home to brown trout as well as pike, perch and salmon. Look out for woodland and water-based wildlife, too, such as red and roe deer, red squirrels and maybe even a red kite flying above or an osprey fishing on one of the lochs. Men’s pyjamas were introduced in Britain in the seventeenth century. They originated in India, where they were worn by both sexes, but were initially called “mogul’s breeches”. They did not gain wide use until the 1870’s and even through Holmes’s time, men primarily wore nightshirts (the illustration shows Holmes wearing this rather than pyjamas). They were a fashionable, slightly “hip” choice at this time, and flamboyant ones in silk would have had a certain risqué quality to them—surprising stuff to find in the Deacon’s wardrobe.

The book starts with a note from the author about how a mysterious ‘Lydia’ delivered a cache of previously unpublished tales written by Dr Watson – setting the tone for what’s to follow.