Thank Holmes It's Friday - May 17th 2024 - Indian Connections
It's that time again - Thanks Holmes it's Friday! This week, we take our inspiration from the Sherlock Holmes Page Per Day Calendar which gives a shout out to "The Sign of Four", published on this day in 1890. The story of the novel is set in 1888 with a plot involving service in the East India Company, the 1857 Rebellion and Andaman jail.
With its narrative circling stolen Indian treasure, it's only fitting that we focus this week's issue on our distinguished Indian writers and those stories set in India or intricately linked to it.
'The Sign of Four' is not the only works by Conan Doyle with a connection to India. Here are just a few more:
‘The Adventure of the Speckled Band’ features an Indian snake, cheetah and baboon.
'The Adventure of the Empty House' introduces Colonel Moran, once of Her Majesty's Indian Army and a famed tiger hunter, as our antagonist!
‘The Adventure of the Three Students’ in which one of the trio is Daulat Ras, a young Indian.
‘The Five Orange Pips’, Colonel Elias Openshaw, settled in West Sussex, receives a letter postmarked Pondicherry, India.
‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’, in which Holmes deduces that the murderer, inter alia, smokes Indian cigars.
We now invite you to explore a collection of books that bring you closer to India's charm including two books by Jayantika Ganguly. In "A Continuum of Sherlock Holmes Stories", Jay brings together a baker's dozen of traditional-style pastiches, enriched with the essence of India, especially in 'The Adventure of the Defenestrated Princess' and 'The Adventure of the Indian Protegé'. Meanwhile, in "The Holmes Sutra", you'll uncover a wealth of "mantras", a detailed biography, and an enthralling quiz to calculate your HMQ (Holmes Mania Quotient) score.
For a story of treasure seized during the Indian Mutiny, look to 'The Baroda Silver' as featured in "The Selected Cases of Doctor Watson" by Martin Daley. Why not also delve into "Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of the Beer Barons". Penned by Christopher James, this tale takes Holmes on a journey to solve the mystery of a regiment in India poisoned by a tainted pale ale. Plus, don't miss a gripping short story in Caiden Cooper Myle's collection in which a banker's daughter is threatened with an Indian dagger after a trip to the theatre.
EXCITEMENT ABOUNDS!
As Sherlock Holmes Day rapidly approaches (May 22), marking the anniversary of the iconic author's birth, we're ecstatic to announce an incredible deal: get 3 books for the cost of 2 across our entire selection, including all 45 volumes of the famous MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories.
Just enter the promo code "everything" at checkout.
SNAG SOME FREE AUDIOBOOKS TOO!
In the spirit of our Indian adventure, we invite you to delve into these four Sherlock Holmes audio books, free of charge.
A Continuum Of Sherlock Holmes Stories by Jay Ganguly
The Holmes Sutra by Jay Ganguly
Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Beer Barons by Christopher James
The Selected Cases of Doctor Watson by Martin Daley
To claim your free audiobooks just let us know which of the following titles you're after, and voila, your codes and download link will pop up in your inbox in no time. It's that simple.