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

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The characterization and relationship between Holmes and Watson in this (once I had the right version of Holmes and Watson in mind) was highly enjoyable and the interweaving of the two cases involved kept things interesting and well paced. I enjoy a spot of well done peril in a mystery story and this one managed to include a nice bit near the end in a highly believable way. Then there’s the other plot line. The magician. Maybe not quite as absurd but still some big plot holes. 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. When we think of sonnets (if we do!), it is typically the Shakespearean form which comes to mind. This type is formally defined as fourteen lines of Iambic pentameter: three quatrains (four line stanzas), and one couplet (two line stanza), with the rhyme scheme: Every individual pattern of energy is a configuration of five primary energy functions, called the five forces of Prana. Among these, the two most prominent are prana (lower-case p) and apana (a-PAH-na), forces that regulate the acquisition and elimination of energy. The acquisition of energy, or prana, is characterized as an upward-moving process (“filling-up”) and it is associated with the chest and throat. There it governs the intake of air, water, and food. Apana, elimination, is symbolized as a downward-moving process (“emptying out”) and it is associated with the lower abdomen and pelvic floor. It governs such functions as urination, defecation, and the menses.

The second influence on the pattern of internal energy results from the natural polarity of the spinal axis. The upper end of the spine is described as the positive or northern pole, while the lower end is the negative or southern pole. Words such as “northern” and “southern” give a sense of direction, but it may be more helpful to think of the significance of these poles in relationship to our ability to be self-aware. But sadly, Holmes seemed to have forsaken my company of late. I had seen little of him for three weeks. I longed for a distraction from the misery of this weather. Not only had he not invited me on his recent escapades, but he had dismissed my questions with a petulant wave of his hand. It was definitely an addicting story and I couldn’t put it down. The interactions between Holmes and Watson were great to read and the development of the story as it unravelled had me intrigued.

As a fan of Conan Doyle's famous detective and Victorian London in general, I really enjoyed this book.I thought the touches of how Holmes treat the women in this book refreshing and so like him. The twists and turns of the two cases and the bumbling police make it feel a continuance of Conan Doyle's work. 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. 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.

It was late September of 1887, and an unusually hot Indian Summer. For two weeks London had suffocated with furnace-like temperatures, keeping me indoors for days. The blinding heat on Baker Street rose from the pavement in The book that indicates (along with other things) Colangelo’s hypochondria to Holmes was a staple household possession for families in America, but perhaps less so for a single man in England, especially one bookmarked in a dozen places. from which comes the following quote: “Crucially, it was also a sport where women could wear the extensive fashions of the day. Archery for women rapidly became an acceptable area to display marriageability.” A later guide to country pursuits coyly remarked that “few exercises display an elegant form to more advantage”. CHAPTER FIFTEEN - “Bloom Where You Are Planted” The Woodmen of Arden credit Julian Calder photographyLower the chin and jaw, placing them onto (or near) the area of the upper chest at the notch between the two collarbones. If you cannot touch the upper chest, you can place a rolled washcloth under the chin.