Sherlock Holmes truly trusted but one person - Doctor John H. Watson - but in an ocean of infinite realities it must be possible that in some of them Holmes's fellow tenant at 221B Baker Street could be some other doctor, from any page of history or the annals of literature! Come with us now as we peer into the bizarre and sometimes terrifying fates that await the Master Sleuth when his cases, his reputation, and his very fate rests in the hands, or claws, of some very different medicos! 12 tales of mind-bending multi-versal mayhem by Philip Cornell Julie Ditrich Ron Fortier Nancy Holder Rafe McGregor Brad Mengel Will Murray Dennis O'Neil Andrew Salmon J. Scherpenhuizen Christopher Sequeira I. A. Watson Foreword by Leslie S. Klinger

In this thrilling new crime novel that ingeniously bridges Laurie R. King’s Edgar and Creasey Awards—winning Kate Martinelli series and her bestselling series starring Mary Russell, San Francisco homicide detective Kate Martinelli crosses paths with Sherlock Holmes–in a spellbinding dual mystery that could come only from the “intelligent, witty, and complex” mind of New York Times bestselling author Laurie R. King…. Kate Martinelli has seen her share of peculiar things as a San Francisco cop, but never anything quite like this: an ornate Victorian sitting room straight out of a Sherlock Holmes story–complete with violin, tobacco-filled Persian slipper, and gunshots in the wallpaper that spell out the initials of the late queen. Philip Gilbert was a true Holmes fanatic, from his antiquated décor to his vintage wardrobe. And no mere fan of fiction’s great detective, but a leading expert with a collection of priceless memorabilia–a collection some would kill for. And perhaps someone did: In his collection is a century-old manuscript purportedly written by Holmes himself–a manuscript that eerily echoes details of Gilbert’s own murder. Now, with the help of her partner, Al Hawkin, Kate must follow the convoluted trail of a killer–one who may have trained at the feet of the greatest mind of all times.

It's the year 1906. Rumours abound that a deadly plot is hatching - not in the fog-ridden back-alleys of London's Limehouse district or the sinister Devon moors of the Hound of the Baskervilles but in faraway Peking. Holmes's task - discover whether such a plot exists and if so, foil it. But are the assassins targeting the young and progressive Ch'ing Emperor or his imperious aunt, the fearsome Empress Dowager Cixi? The murder of either could spark a civil war. The fate of China and the interests of Britain's vast Empire in the Orient could be at stake. Holmes and Watson take up the mission with their customary confidence - until they find they are no longer in the familiar landscapes of Edwardian England. Instead, they tumble into the Alice In Wonderland world of the Forbidden City.

It's 1906. Far from England, the Ottoman Empire ruled by the despotic Sultan Abd-ul-Hamid 11 is on the verge of imploding. Rival Great Powers, especially Kaiser Wilhelm's Germany, sit watching like crows on a fence, ready to rush in to carve up the vast territories, menacing England’s vital overland routes to her Indian possessions. At his medical practice in London’s Marylebone Watson receives a mystifying telegram. It’s from Holmes. ‘Dear Watson, if you can throw physic to the dogs for an hour or two I would appreciate meeting at the stone cross at Charing Cross railway station tomorrow noon. I have an assignation with a bird lover at the Stork & Ostrich House in the Regents Park which has excited my curiosity. Yrs. S.H.’ Watson finds the invitation puzzling. Why should such a mundane meeting at a Bird House excite the curiosity of Europe’s most famous investigating detective or anyone else? For old times’ sake Watson joins his old comrade-in-arms. Within days Holmes and Watson find themselves aboard HMS Dreadnought en route to Stamboul, a city of fabled opulence, high espionage and low intrigue. Their mission: at all costs stop a plot which could bring about the immediate collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

»The Adventure of the Dying Detective« is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, about the brilliant Victorian detective Sherlock Holmes. It was first published in 1913. SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE [1859-1930], was a Scottish physician and author, best known for his stories about the groundbreaking master detective Sherlock Holmes. Doyle wrote a total of 56 short stories and four novels about Sherlock Holmes and his constant companion Dr. Watson.

The year is 1890. A ship is discovered adrift off the English coast, its crew missing, its murdered captain lashed to the wheel, and its only passenger is a sinister black dog. This impenetrable mystery is clearly a case for the inimitable Sherlock Holmes, but for the first time in his illustrious career the great detective is baffled. Clearly the crew have been murdered and dumped overboard, but what can account for the captain's expression of imponderable terror and his acute loss of blood, or the ship's strange cargo?fifty boxes of earth? The game is afoot, and Sherlock Holmes, aided as ever by the faithful Dr. Watson, finds himself on the trail of no mortal enemy, but the arch-vampire himself?Count Dracula ... From the impalement of the "Bloofer Lady" to the abduction of Watson's beloved wife, Mary, from the death of a harmless prostitute to a terrifying conclusion on a lonely beach, this unique case is at once a glorious celebration of two of the most famous literary genres, a riveting thriller with sensational climaxes, and a tale guaranteed to delight all Holmes and Dracula lovers everywhere.