Holmes for the Holidays - Part Two

Last week I reviewed a couple of short stories that appeared in the book, "Holmes for the Holidays." They were the "Watch Night Bell" by Anne Perry and "The Adventure of the Three Ghosts" by Loren D. Estleman. This week, I will discuss "The Adventure of the Christmas Ghosts" by Bill Crider and "The Yuletime Affair" by John Stoessel.

"The Adventure of the Christmas Ghosts" by Bill Crider is another exciting adventure featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Dr. Watson is the narrator of this story like he has been in the others.

On December 22, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson had a visitor named Scrooge. The visitor wanted them to solve his case. He told them he had been seeing ghosts. The visitor asked Holmes if he believed in ghosts. Holmes told him that he didn't believe in them or any other creatures of occults. In one passage Dr. Watson states, "Holmes had little patience with people who presume they have seen things, ghosts in particular, and would ordinarily have told our visitor to leave at once."

Sherlock Holmes was willing to listen to the visitor about his experience in seeing ghosts. Scrooge began his story by telling them about his great uncle, Ebenezer Scrooge. As Scrooge told the story, Holmes became more interested. Dr. Watson was surprised about Holmes' reaction. He didn't think Holmes would sit and listen to him. The biggest problem that Scrooge had and what he wanted their help with was his own case and not his great uncle's. He told Holmes and Watson that he was afraid that something was going to happen to him.

You'll have to read the story to find out what happened. Was Scrooge in trouble? Were there ghosts haunting him? Did Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson take the case?

The next story is "The Yuletide Affair" by John Stoessel. In the beginning of this story is a note from the author. He stated that Dr. Watson was usually the narrator and his stories were about Sherlock Holmes and how he solves the cases. This story was a case that Dr. Watson solved.

One morning, Inspector MacDonald stopped by to visit Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes. However, Dr. Watson was the only one at home. Inspector MacDonald told Dr. Watson that he needed his help. Someone had knifed Lestrade, and Inspector MacDonald needed Dr. Watson's medical assistance. Vinny Shadwell was the one who knifed Lestrade. Dr. Watson went with Inspector MacDonald to see what he could do.

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