London 1890 A deep freeze has fallen upon London and its citizens remain huddled indoorsBut the cogs of the criminal underworld never stop turning and Holmes and Watson find themselves embroiled in a crime that rocks the centre of the art world Sir Wellington is disturbed in the middle of the night apprehending a thief attempting to steal his rare and valuable 14th portrait of King Edward III In the kerfuffle that follows the painting is set ablaze and the thief escapes When the police track down the criminal to take him to the station he is fatally shot by an unknown assailant But the labyrinth of deceit grows even more impenetrable as the paintings provenance is called into question and Holmes and Watson find themselves in the midst of a vast conspiracyIt seems that this incident is just one of many at the hands of a powerful crime syndicate duping the Londons wealthy into buying imitation artwork with the renowned National Portrait Gallery supposedly at the centre With usurped identities shootings chases and conspiracies Holmes and Watson find themselves enmeshed in a tangled web of theft forgery and murderCan the famous duo untangle the mystery and expose the criminal network before it is too late Or will this case prove too complex for even their brilliant mindsPraise for The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance Derrick Belanger has once again created his own unique doorway into the world of Holmes and Watson He makes you feel as if youre in Victorian London and the storys twists are both surprising and satisfying David Marcum author of The Papers of Sherlock Holmes wellpaced with just enough action to balance the domesticity and deduction and the plot is cleverly executed ihearofsherlockcom blogThis author truly captures the storytelling virtues with which Doyle imbued Dr Watson Belangers tale pulls you in from the first paragraph and keeps you at Holmess side as this marvelous new tale unfolds stepbystep If you love Holmes youll love The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance Kim Krisco author of Sherlock Holmes The Golden YearsDerrick Belanger is an author and educator most noted for his books and lectures on Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle He resides in Broomfield Colorado with his wife and children