Hello there!!!

I’m hoping you all are well and/or at least finding some pockets of solace (or escape) in the books, stories, games, films, television and communities that you love.

Is it just me or do the hustle & bustle of the holidays, the year end and a new year beginning seem to get a bit longer each season?

Haha, oh well, at any rate, I’m here again and very glad to be so!

Outside of a mountain of work and more than few family/friend gatherings, this winter has seen me spending most of my time in Victorian England/Scotland. I didn’t originally intended for my various consumption’s to have a theme but looking back, it all worked out rather well that way!

So well, in fact, I have planned monthly themes for the remainder of 2025!!!

***GASP***

I know, I am as shocked as you are 😉

This time around mapping things out has come very easily to me. I have loads of books to read and plenty of television/film to catch up on! Not to mention all the recommendations from friends I need to blend in along the way.

The trick, I’ve found, is having a plan but keeping it loose. After all, it’s now the end of February and this idea came to me mid-January, lol!

That simply means you’ll get all the posts I have planned, maybe just not as “Jan, Feb, March”…there will definitely be an (ish) at the end it!

Now, back to the subject at hand! Here is a walk through some of my favorite adventures of the past few months!

For the first few weeks of December, I sauntered the often stormy streets of the parish of Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland alongside James McLevy, Inspector of Police (voiced by the brilliant Brian Cox) and his witty but faithful sidekick, Constable Mulholland (Michael Perceval-Maxwell) as they endeavor to keep the peace and serve swift justice.

This 10 series BBC radio dramatization written by David Ashton (who also voices Lt Roach, one of my favorite characters) is a based on the memoirs of real life 18th Century detective, James McLevy and picks up with his story as he continues his days/nights on the Leith police force, having risen in the ranks from constable to detective (inspector). He’s a job first/no nonsense kind of man. His name is known far and wide, as is his penchant for doing things his own way.

As you might imagine, crime is never too far away nor quiet in a port town of the 1840’s, so McLevy and Mulholland are always on the case! Be it thieving, fraud, blackmail, smuggling, extortion or murder, they do whatever it takes to solve the case, even if it defies direct orders (and it often does).

I have no doubt that lineup would be entertaining on it’s own but the biggest/best plot twists come from the addition of Jean Brash, owner of the best body-house in Edinburgh (voiced by the remarkable Siobhan Redmond) who steals the spotlight as the sometimes friend, sometimes foe, sometimes bedfellow and growing love interest of James McLevy.

What plays out is combination of suspense, intrigue, high drama, action, well timed comedic relief and an ensemble of characters who capture your heart. This was my second listen through of this series and one that I know will be added to my yearly rotation…In fact, it started my desire to do so 🙂

Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty have a fascinating dynamic/relationship. Both are astute and brilliant minds. I imagine they simultaneously admire and loath each other. I’ll admit it’s easy for me to admire and loath them, depending on the adaptation!

In the Audible original series Moriarty , writer Charles Kindinger approaches the narrative that Professor James Moriarty (phenomenally voiced by Dominic Monaghan) is simply a brilliant man, in love and on the brink of a revolutionary mathematical formula that would solidify his life’s work.

Then, his beloved is murdered on a weekend away together.

Found with her blood on his hands, all eyes point to him and he’s put in prison. In desperation he asks for the help of renowned consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes, who agrees to “help” him, only to show up at Moriarty’s trial and seal his fate.

James Moriarty is innocent and this S. Holmes shows devious true colors.

What no one counts on is the friend Moriarty finds in Colonel Sebastian Moran (enter the fabulous Billy Boyd) whilst in prison. Together they’ll stop at nothing to clear the professor’s name…and I do mean nothing.

Both The Devil’s Game and The Silent Order weave an intriguing peek at what happens when moral lines are forced to blur over and over again. Supported by incredible ensemble casts, including a few surprises I think were fun, we are left to wonder…

Who really is the hero and who is the villain in the end? I’ll let you decide for yourselves 🙂

I was combing through the shelves of a used bookstore at the coast when I came across the above pictured gem. Based on their atmospheric covers alone, I proceeded to add this book and the one that follows it into my shopping basket.

Inspector of the Dead by David Morrell is the second in a trilogy of fictional re-tellings of actual events in Victorian England’s criminal history, introducing his version of real life personality Thomas De Quincey who was best know for writing about his addiction to opium.

In this series De Quincey, with his unique psychological theories/deductions, serves to aid Scotland Yard with it’s outbreak of crime, serial murders specifically. Although thought mad by many, he, along with his daughter Emily still prove to be invaluable resources in helping solve these mysteries.

In Inspector of the Dead, an old enemy has returned and threatened the life of Queen Victoria, pulling De Quincey back into the fray before he can leave town.

Who is Young England and why are they trying to kill the Queen…again?

The Irregulars by Tom Bidwell caught me by delightful surprise in that I’ll admit I wasn’t familiar with this network of street urchin informer/errand runners that Sherlock/Watson utilized until I read much more of the lore (after the show).

This adaptation finds Bea, Jessie, Billy and Spike dispatched by Watson to find a missing Sherlock Holmes AND also taking the lead in discovering why strange/sinister things are happening in London. It all gets a bit spookier when the nightmares that plague Jessie start to coincide with the crimes they are investigating.

With it’s compelling characters, intriguing (addictive) plot and added paranormal elements, I found this an excellent accompaniment to my Sherlock-ish adventures!

Bodies by Paul Tomalin

Whew, this one really gets me jazzed!!! I absolutely love it when I enjoy something and discover that it’s much older (meaning there is more of it), as is the case with Bodies.

Originally a DC Vertigo graphic novel (2015) and adapted for Netflix in 2023, this story combines the genres of mystery/thiller and science fiction when a dead body appears off an alley in Whitechapel (1890) and also that same alley in 1941, 2023 and 2053!!!

What follows is a delightfully mind bending detective adventure across time and is brilliantly cast with the talents of Shira Haas, Amaka Okafor, Stephen Graham, Kyle Soller, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd and more!

Not go unmentioned in this post is my abysmal attempt at proving my own powers of deduction via a first play through of Lamplight City .

In this point/click steampunk-ish detective adventure, you are PI Miles Fordham, a former police detective who witnesses the murder of his partner and has a grief stricken bender with an addictive substance called soporific, which ends up getting him fired from the police force. That murder is the opening sequence of the game and the undercurrent case to be solved throughout it.

Constance Upton, a close friend and former colleague on the force is aware of how good Miles is at his job. When a crime wave hits New Bretange and no one has any leads, she calls upon the aid of Fordham, encouraging him to use his skills as a private investigator and suggests that perhaps one case solved can lead to answers to the most pressing thing on his mind, justice for his partner.

Newly re-acclimating myself to gaming, I was excited to play this one, knowing I’d enjoy the blend of Victorian elements & steam-tech setting the atmosphere and navigating through the map/casebook.

The world build is really beautifully done and it was a lot of fun to investigate the crime scenes, collect clues and interact with witnesses. I beamed with pride each time I’d figure out something unexpected and find my way to the next point of the mystery. The abysmal part comes from the fact that every action and interaction has a direct affect on what comes next.

Sometimes my ADHD got in the way of my focus and there was a clue I’d miss in the questioning that didn’t end up in the casebook or I’d ask someone too many questions because they were there to ask (aka exhausting an asset). At the time I played there was a glitch in the game that made a case deadend if one thing went wrong, so by the time I got to the 4th out of 5 crimes, I wasn’t even sure if I’d solved the first one correctly…and, you guessed it…if I messed up anything in that first case, it followed me throughout the game.

I still don’t know how it ends for me. I’ve let the game sit for a few weeks after blundering my way through the 4th case, lol! The game comes with multiple ways to save as you go and to even re-play cases along the way to see you through to the end in a much better place than I have, so please don’t let that dissuade you! Part of the fun for me was seeing how far I could get the first time and letting the realization of my mistakes be a lesson to me going forward. I think it’ll be even more fun to play through a second time and elevate those achievements!

***For the well seasoned gamers out there, my friend Ben played this one through and correctly solved every crime on the first run, so it IS possible 😉

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I’m still debating how exactly I want to lay out posts for you all as I’ve had feedback from several trusted sources about what is “working” for people these days but either way, I really appreciate you saddling up to today’s longer format and hopefully you enjoyed it 🙂

Be sure to circle back and let me know about your own experiences with any of the above mentioned items!

Until next time, take care ❤

~CC