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Inspector Lestrade: The Black Temple and Other Stories
Lestrade of the Yard lives in the shadows of Holmes and Watson in the Conan Doyle canon. In this set of new supernatural cases the dogged Inspector comes into his own as he is taken to the dark corners of the old city that even Holmes does not see.
Watson has portrayed Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard as an inept foil to Sherlock Holmes—but, left to his own devices, Lestrade is no mean detective himself. In these new encounters with the supernatural, the dogged inspector comes into his own.
“The Curious Affair on the Embankment”: One successful woman after another disappears in the vicinity of Cleopatra’s Needle … but what had they promised in exchange for their success—and to whom?
“Stage Fright”: To a pack of society gentlemen, a séance seems an amusing diversion, until one fellow receives infuriating taunts from beyond the grave … and reacts violently. But they should have known that death is a permeable barrier.
“Skulls and Skullduggery”: Mycroft Holmes works for a secret branch of Her Majesty’s government, but can pull strings to obtain Lestrade’s skills when needed to find out what connects some recently dead men … horribly disfigured and recently tattooed.
“The Thing from the Black Museum”: In a city as large as London, the police have a Black Museum containing memorabilia of terrible crimes, into which the curious may venture. When an item is surreptitiously removed, the murders begin.
“A Day at the Circus”: When a performer in a traveling circus is savagely eviscerated, Lestrade is summoned. Curiously, none of the trained animals can possibly be responsible … and a brutalized young woman finds a willing and more than able protector.
“An Encounter in the Morgue”: A widow’s corpse mysteriously appears in the Scotland Yard morgue and will not rest until her beloved husband’s last gift is recovered and justice is done.
“The Black Temple”: An investigative journalist reports that a newly wealthy lord and his cronies are conducting hideous sacrifices … but the evidence vanishes into thin air, and evil now pursues all those who attempt to interfere.
“Mrs. Hudson’s Fancies”: Mrs. Hudson begs Lestrade for help with a friend victimized by a fraudulent medium with whom Holmes himself takes issue …but what if the medium were not fraudulent?
“A Deadly Stare”: Colonialism, like other old sins, casts a long shadow. And now those who committed desecration and murder decades ago in India find they have not escaped the consequences.
“The Faithful Custodian”: Queen Victoria had many faithful servants during her long reign … but one devoted retainer is the most faithful of all, protecting her even beyond his own death.
“The Hallowe’en”: The British shipping trade is superbly lucrative when all goes well, but some goods are more profitable than others, if secrets are kept. And occult protection can be arranged … for a price that no man wants to pay.
“A Thing of Shreds and Patches”: Criminals are being efficiently caught—but not by Scotland Yard—and just as efficiently murdered by an unsanctioned executioner. Lestrade must find the culprit before Irene Adler, next on the list, dies.
Watson has portrayed Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard as an inept foil to Sherlock Holmes—but, left to his own devices, Lestrade is no mean detective himself. In these new encounters with the supernatural, the dogged inspector comes into his own.
“The Curious Affair on the Embankment”: One successful woman after another disappears in the vicinity of Cleopatra’s Needle … but what had they promised in exchange for their success—and to whom?
“Stage Fright”: To a pack of society gentlemen, a séance seems an amusing diversion, until one fellow receives infuriating taunts from beyond the grave … and reacts violently. But they should have known that death is a permeable barrier.
“Skulls and Skullduggery”: Mycroft Holmes works for a secret branch of Her Majesty’s government, but can pull strings to obtain Lestrade’s skills when needed to find out what connects some recently dead men … horribly disfigured and recently tattooed.
“The Thing from the Black Museum”: In a city as large as London, the police have a Black Museum containing memorabilia of terrible crimes, into which the curious may venture. When an item is surreptitiously removed, the murders begin.
“A Day at the Circus”: When a performer in a traveling circus is savagely eviscerated, Lestrade is summoned. Curiously, none of the trained animals can possibly be responsible … and a brutalized young woman finds a willing and more than able protector.
“An Encounter in the Morgue”: A widow’s corpse mysteriously appears in the Scotland Yard morgue and will not rest until her beloved husband’s last gift is recovered and justice is done.
“The Black Temple”: An investigative journalist reports that a newly wealthy lord and his cronies are conducting hideous sacrifices … but the evidence vanishes into thin air, and evil now pursues all those who attempt to interfere.
“Mrs. Hudson’s Fancies”: Mrs. Hudson begs Lestrade for help with a friend victimized by a fraudulent medium with whom Holmes himself takes issue …but what if the medium were not fraudulent?
“A Deadly Stare”: Colonialism, like other old sins, casts a long shadow. And now those who committed desecration and murder decades ago in India find they have not escaped the consequences.
“The Faithful Custodian”: Queen Victoria had many faithful servants during her long reign … but one devoted retainer is the most faithful of all, protecting her even beyond his own death.
“The Hallowe’en”: The British shipping trade is superbly lucrative when all goes well, but some goods are more profitable than others, if secrets are kept. And occult protection can be arranged … for a price that no man wants to pay.
“A Thing of Shreds and Patches”: Criminals are being efficiently caught—but not by Scotland Yard—and just as efficiently murdered by an unsanctioned executioner. Lestrade must find the culprit before Irene Adler, next on the list, dies.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 3, 2023
7 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
William Meikle
410 books1,849 followersI'm a Scottish writer, now living in Canada, with more than thirty novels published in the genre press and over 300 short story credits in thirteen countries.
My work has appeared in a number of professional anthologies and I have recent short story sales to NATURE Futures and Galaxy's Edge. When I'm not writing I play guitar, drink beer and dream of fortune and glory.
For an intro to me, my writing and my accent see my Youtube channel
My work has appeared in a number of professional anthologies and I have recent short story sales to NATURE Futures and Galaxy's Edge. When I'm not writing I play guitar, drink beer and dream of fortune and glory.
For an intro to me, my writing and my accent see my Youtube channel
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 6, 2024
Entertaining mystery listening 🎵🎶
This kindle e-book novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account stand alone book
A number of short stories each different with interesting characters lots of action, misdirection, and violence racing to each conclusion.
As a Sherlock Holmes fan I would recommend this novella and author to Sherlock Holmes fans and readers of British mystery novels. 2024
This kindle e-book novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account stand alone book
A number of short stories each different with interesting characters lots of action, misdirection, and violence racing to each conclusion.
As a Sherlock Holmes fan I would recommend this novella and author to Sherlock Holmes fans and readers of British mystery novels. 2024
January 25, 2024
This charmingly produced collection contains the following longish tales~
1. The Curious Affair on the Embankment;
2. Stage Fright;
3. Skulls and Skullduggery;
4. The Thing from the Black Museum;
5. A Day at the Circus;
6. An Rncounter in the Morgue;
7. The Black Temple;
8. Mrs. Hudson's Fancies;
9. A Deadly Stare;
10. The Faithful Custodian;
11. The Hallowe'en;
12. A Thing of Shreds and Patches.
All of these are adventures that Inspector Lestrade had to undertake while dealing with various tasks that fell upon his reliable shoulders. Some of them were horrific, some completely weird and drily humorous, and some too formulaic. But there were tales that were very dark and rather chilling— invoking works and tales from the world of other classics.
Recommended.
1. The Curious Affair on the Embankment;
2. Stage Fright;
3. Skulls and Skullduggery;
4. The Thing from the Black Museum;
5. A Day at the Circus;
6. An Rncounter in the Morgue;
7. The Black Temple;
8. Mrs. Hudson's Fancies;
9. A Deadly Stare;
10. The Faithful Custodian;
11. The Hallowe'en;
12. A Thing of Shreds and Patches.
All of these are adventures that Inspector Lestrade had to undertake while dealing with various tasks that fell upon his reliable shoulders. Some of them were horrific, some completely weird and drily humorous, and some too formulaic. But there were tales that were very dark and rather chilling— invoking works and tales from the world of other classics.
Recommended.
January 5, 2026
Meikle is always a joy to read, and the idea of focusing stories on Lestrade instead of Holmes is ingenious. I wasn’t convinced by the supernatural nature of every story, though - but I’m not sorry to have read this!
August 29, 2025
Well... well. Enjoyable enough paranormal pastiches, lightly Lovecraftian in some aspects, but what worked in Mr Meikle's take on Carnacki, the Ghost Finder doesn't do so well herein. There were some canon discrepancies, but nothing grave. The minor characters got to shine, and even Holmes made a guest appearance.
The accompanying illustrations were a nice touch.
Hic sunt spoilers, possibly:
The Curious Affair on the Embankment - 3/5
Prominent women started disappearing in the vicinity of Cleopatra's Needle. All they had in common was a pact sealed 10 years ago.
Stage Fright - 3/5
A group of elite young men are haunted by a spectre of a séancé gone deadly wrong.
Skulls and Skullduggery - 4/5
Mycroft tasks Lestrade to investigate the death of one of the state's agents and the possible way classified information gets divulged. Quite a melancholic piece, and I was pleasantly surprised by the reappearance of the "houses on the borderlands" that featured in some of Carnacki's stories.
The Thing from the Black Museum - 3/5
How does a handkerchief stolen from Scotland Yard's Black Museum connect to a series of grisly murders?
A Day at the Circus - 3/5
A performer in a travelling circus is mauled to death, but none of the animals from the company are responsible. Something sinister lurks in the shadows, hell-bent on revenge.
An Encounter in the Morgue - 5/5
A corpse mysteriously appears in the Scotland Yard morgue and refuses to rest in peace. Doctor Watson gets involved in the investigation.
"All right then, let's be having it. What's going on here?" Lestrade said.
"It's your corpse, Lestrade," Carruthers said. "If it is a corpse."
"Of course it's a bloody corpse," Lestrade said. "You've got her opened up ready to be gutted like a fish."
"That's what I thought too," Carruthers replied. "But she doesn't seem to agree with us."
[...]
"I don't have time for this nonsense," Lestrade said, stepped forward, opened the door, and found out that maybe he'd better make time.
The Black Temple - 3/5
Society journalist Langdale Pike investigates the suspicious means by which Lord Collingwood came into money recently, stumbles into a meeting of an occult society, and is almost killed by a seemingly invisible assailant. Despite initial misgivings, Lestrade investigates.
Mrs. Hudson's Fancies - 5/5
Lestrade aids Mrs. Hudson in her attempts to extricate her friend from the clutches of a medium that's not as fraudulent as Holmes assumes.
A Deadly Stare - 3/5
Three men who served together in India received a letter announcing a visit from their comrade, who was assumed dead. Two of them died the moment they laid eyes on him. Lestrade is tasked with protecting the third.
The Faithful Custodian - 2/5
Lestrade is tasked with a service for queen and country, and has a ghostly aid.
There were several tidbits, mainly from the logistical side of things, that I found hardly plausible...
The Hallowe'en - 4/5
"An empty two-hundred-foot boat that was supposedly wrecked years ago came in with the tide and parked itself up nice and neat at Westminster Pier? That's what you're telling me?"
"Came in, tied up tight to the wharf, and not a crewman in sight."
The shipwreck of The Hallowe'en hides more secrets than how it manages to haul itself to the docks without the crew...
A Thing of Shreds and Patches - 5/5
A murderer with a penchant for Gilbert and Sullivan operettas has a list of prominent members of London criminality to eliminate in quite a grisly way. The next person on the list, Irene Adler, seeks the help of Sherlock Holmes. In his absence it's doctor Watson who steps up to the task, requesting the aid of inspector Lestrade and journalist Langdale Pike.
"Fetch me some more ale and park your posteriors down. I have a tale of stupidity to relate, and forgiveness to ask."
The accompanying illustrations were a nice touch.
Hic sunt spoilers, possibly:
The Curious Affair on the Embankment - 3/5
Prominent women started disappearing in the vicinity of Cleopatra's Needle. All they had in common was a pact sealed 10 years ago.
Stage Fright - 3/5
A group of elite young men are haunted by a spectre of a séancé gone deadly wrong.
Skulls and Skullduggery - 4/5
Mycroft tasks Lestrade to investigate the death of one of the state's agents and the possible way classified information gets divulged. Quite a melancholic piece, and I was pleasantly surprised by the reappearance of the "houses on the borderlands" that featured in some of Carnacki's stories.
The Thing from the Black Museum - 3/5
How does a handkerchief stolen from Scotland Yard's Black Museum connect to a series of grisly murders?
A Day at the Circus - 3/5
A performer in a travelling circus is mauled to death, but none of the animals from the company are responsible. Something sinister lurks in the shadows, hell-bent on revenge.
An Encounter in the Morgue - 5/5
A corpse mysteriously appears in the Scotland Yard morgue and refuses to rest in peace. Doctor Watson gets involved in the investigation.
"All right then, let's be having it. What's going on here?" Lestrade said.
"It's your corpse, Lestrade," Carruthers said. "If it is a corpse."
"Of course it's a bloody corpse," Lestrade said. "You've got her opened up ready to be gutted like a fish."
"That's what I thought too," Carruthers replied. "But she doesn't seem to agree with us."
[...]
"I don't have time for this nonsense," Lestrade said, stepped forward, opened the door, and found out that maybe he'd better make time.
The Black Temple - 3/5
Society journalist Langdale Pike investigates the suspicious means by which Lord Collingwood came into money recently, stumbles into a meeting of an occult society, and is almost killed by a seemingly invisible assailant. Despite initial misgivings, Lestrade investigates.
Mrs. Hudson's Fancies - 5/5
Lestrade aids Mrs. Hudson in her attempts to extricate her friend from the clutches of a medium that's not as fraudulent as Holmes assumes.
A Deadly Stare - 3/5
Three men who served together in India received a letter announcing a visit from their comrade, who was assumed dead. Two of them died the moment they laid eyes on him. Lestrade is tasked with protecting the third.
The Faithful Custodian - 2/5
Lestrade is tasked with a service for queen and country, and has a ghostly aid.
There were several tidbits, mainly from the logistical side of things, that I found hardly plausible...
The Hallowe'en - 4/5
"An empty two-hundred-foot boat that was supposedly wrecked years ago came in with the tide and parked itself up nice and neat at Westminster Pier? That's what you're telling me?"
"Came in, tied up tight to the wharf, and not a crewman in sight."
The shipwreck of The Hallowe'en hides more secrets than how it manages to haul itself to the docks without the crew...
A Thing of Shreds and Patches - 5/5
A murderer with a penchant for Gilbert and Sullivan operettas has a list of prominent members of London criminality to eliminate in quite a grisly way. The next person on the list, Irene Adler, seeks the help of Sherlock Holmes. In his absence it's doctor Watson who steps up to the task, requesting the aid of inspector Lestrade and journalist Langdale Pike.
"Fetch me some more ale and park your posteriors down. I have a tale of stupidity to relate, and forgiveness to ask."
Read
July 4, 2023In this collection of cases, Inspector Lestrade comes into his own away from the influence of Sherlock Holmes. Although (Sherlock) Holmes remains off-page, we encounter other characters familiar from the original stories including Watson, Mrs Hudson and of course… the woman.
The investigative style doesn’t make the mistake of imitating Holmes’. Instead, the mysteries mainly run as police procedurals. Since these are William Meikle stories, we experience a good chunk of the supernatural and unexplained.
Overall, a solid and satisfying collection of stories to expand the Holmesian universe.
The investigative style doesn’t make the mistake of imitating Holmes’. Instead, the mysteries mainly run as police procedurals. Since these are William Meikle stories, we experience a good chunk of the supernatural and unexplained.
Overall, a solid and satisfying collection of stories to expand the Holmesian universe.
December 10, 2024
An enjoyable collection of supernatural detective stories with a good variety of nasties for the protagonist to get to the bottom of. I’m not sure this really needed to be about Inspector Lestrade, but it certainly doesn’t detract from the tales.
June 12, 2023
Good collection of short stories from the Sherlock Holmes area, putting Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard into the limelight.
June 29, 2025
Had expected a chap book, Boy was I surprised bb all the stories about the weird adventures of Inspector Lestrade...loved them all!!!!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews