Edward Gorey

one of my favorite things is watching Masterpiece Mystery on PBS. At the beginning of every episode there is a short intro video - I always liked it, but until recently I didnt know anything about it.



Turns out it was illustrated by Edward Gorey. His imagery is best described as dark, witty & Edwardian. He lived in Cape Cod - and I think a visit to his home/museum just jumped to the top of my to-do list.

His humor is dark, and his style is eerie, but funny and beautiful at the same time.

To wet your Edward Gorey whistle - below are a four of the 26 the ill-fated children from his book the Gashlycrumb Tinies

// images from here

nerd alert : sherlock holmes mystery of the mummy

Let's just say I am a pretty big mystery fan, and Sherlock Holmes is at the top of sleuthing stardom. Needless to say I an absolutely stoked to see the new Sherlock movie that comes out the 16th - so much in fact that I have decided to replay all of the Sherlock Holmes computer games. Starting with the first: Sherlock Holmes the Mystery of the Mummy

Sherlock has been asked to solve a mystery! A man disappeared 6 months ago and his daughter needs your help. Scour his beautiful mansion, full of Egyptian artifacts and puzzles to try and discover what happened to him. Explore the house, solve the puzzles to travel deep and deeper into the mystery.

01/ pith helmet $19.99 // 02/ bastet art $14.00 // 03/ faux zebra rug $66.00 // 04/ Cleopatra pendant $32.00 // 05/ vintage book print $27.00 // 06/ pipe $20.00 // 07/ torch pendant $37.00 // 08/ hieroglyphics $1.00 // 09/ pyramid talisman $25.00

This is an older game - circa 2002 and quite honestly if it didnt have both Sherlock and Mummies in the title I would say i didnt like it... but since I love both sherlock and mummies I am trying to see the brighter side of things..

Its puzzles are mainly inventory and the items are hard to find in some cases. Also there is little method to the madness (and you will go a little mad trying to figure out where items are, and which items to use where). But for a late 90's early 00's game the graphics are pretty good, but the music is pretty hokie.

3/6 Toes // Overall

1// Graphics
for 2002 the graphics are pretty good. The 360 view of the rooms is also helpful for finding things. There isn't an option for gamma correction and the scenes are a bit dark.

0.5 // Storyline and Characters
Holmes is pretty much all you get the entire game, a few letters keep you company. There are some gaps in the back story of you cousin (or soon to be cousin? I never got that straight) and you feel rather aimless wandering through the house... convinced that this is where all the clues must be based on absolutely nothing.

0 // Soundtrack and Sound Effects

The music is classic 90's gaming. Its low budget and you don't really understand how jazz got paired with a British library from 1899.

1 // Length of Game and Price

This game has length going for it, and you can download it online for $6.99 from BigFish! so I have to give it a full point there.

0 // Replay Value
The only reason I thought to replay this game was because of the new Sherlock game coming out! But I don't think i will be playing it again anytime soon.... however if i did come across the DS version (on sale) I would pick it up

0.5 // Puzzle Difficulty

Half a point because the puzzles are 50/50 - half of them you fly through without thinking, the other half are infuriatingly vague and based on items you cant find. oh and they are timed too.

nerd alert : warnings at waverly academy

The Nancy kick continues!

Nancy Drew # 21 : Warnings at Waverly Academy. 

There's something magnetic about this time of the year. Pair it with private school, a century old mystery, and some threatening notes from someone calling herself the Black Cat - and you've got Nancy Drew's 21st mystery from HerInteractive.

The valedictorian candidates at Waverly are all competing for a full ride to the college of her choice. But it seems that someone wants to get them out of the picture. Threatening notes, followed by some dangerous accidents have sent a few of the girls home. Now its Nancy's turn to try to solve the case. Undercover (with a fake name and everything) she gets to spend mid-winter break at Waverly Academy - the upscale New England girls boarding school. Help Nancy figure out who the culprit is before the black cat strikes again.

01/ brass apple bell $6.00  //  02/ white squirrel $120.00  //  03/ star necklace $15.00  //  04/ plaid skirt $44.50  //  05/ edgar allen poe collected works $13.59  //  06/ cello $585.21  //  07/ vintage book laptop case $79.99  //  08/ trunk $?  //  09/ cat nap duvet cover $135.00  //  10/ dart board necklace $26.00  //  11/ school ring $66.00

I really enjoyed this game, its got enough characters with secrets to keep you guessing to the end. Also, the whole bording school in a new england setting is somewhat romantic to someone like me who always loved the preppy, old building, uniform, school history thing. maybe I watched too much Gilmore Girls, but I always wanted to go to a school steeped in history and tradition.

HerInteractive also created a website for the campus in the game - talk about going the extra mile for the players. see it here

6/6 Toes // Overall

1 // Graphics
The environment in this game is what made it really cool. An exclusive New England private school for girls. The details of the building were great. wood paneling, a cozy library, and dorm rooms to boot. The changing weather also gets extra points. 

1 // Storyline and Characters 

Nancy is undercover as Becca Sawyer, a transfer student from way of France. The gossip between the girls is really driven home with the constant texting of rumors and happenings. Each girl is unique, and its great getting to talk to all of them throughout the game.

1 // Soundtrack and Sound Effects 

Appropriate for the game, nothing too special. Did like the cello music through the walls (very realistic) and the piano was pretty fun.

1 // Length of Game and Price 
This game is pretty long, takes me a few evenings (Instead of a few hours) to play through. probably around 8-10 total. Available as a direct download at $19.99! 

1 // Replay Value 
This is at least the 5th time I've played this game. Its more about the general story, like i said before the whole private school thing is pretty untouchable in my biased perspective.

1 // Puzzle Difficulty  

Not overly hard, but all the puzzles interlock to a larger riddle. keep a pen handy, this game always has me taking lots of notes!

nerd alert : shadow at the waters edge

I have been on a nancy kick for the past few weeks... replaying all the games from herinteractive. They are really good. you can tell each is treated individually - they vary so much form each other. Some are short and sweet, others are long and detailed. Some make you jump, others well i digress..

// from here

well, this game is very original. It's the longest game in the series, the navigation is pretty standard, but the story is the spookiest nancy drew so far.

The Ryokan, or traditional Japanese Inn, that Nancy is staying at is rumored to be haunted. but is it real? Explore Japan, get some help from Bess and George - and make new friends who know more than they re willing to share.

nancy drew #23 : shadow at the waters edge

01/ japan subway map ipad case $52.90  //  02/ mini zen garden $18.00  //  03/ owl origami lamp $53.00  //  04/ cell phone charm $5.00  //  05/ origami book $3.95  //  06/ sushi iphone case $20.00  //  07/ zen desk organizer $171.32  //  08/ puzzle box $49.00  //  09/ crane cushion $270.00

Lots of puzzles, silly little puzzles, sudokus and renograms. i love silly puzzles. i loved this game.


6/6 Toes // Overall

1 // Graphics 
The graphics in this game are on par with all the other HerInteractive games. The game environment was very large, lots to discover, fun to traverse. 

1 // Storyline and Characters 

Nancy is trying to do a little R & R in Japan, but of course she is plunged head first into a guarded mystery that revolves around the family that runs the ryokan she is staying at. 


1 // Soundtrack and Sound Effects 

This games sounds made me jump more than once, the pond in the garden has a nice ambiance, and there is no lack of fun sound effects. 

1 // Length of Game and Price 
Its the longest nancy drew game out so far. If you take advantage of the mini games within the story there are days of gameplay to be had. at $19.99 that's a good deal. 

1 // Replay Value 
high, i have played this game 4 or 5 times since it came out. the mini games are fun - and the plot is involved. 

1 // Puzzle Difficulty 
I'll never look at bento the same. The puzzles we know from Japanese culture are a huge part of this game. the mystery itself is a great puzzle. you wont be disappointed

Bonus // Claws
This game gets the claws for its spooky goodness - the entire game takes place at night, and there are ghost sitings to boot! play it in the dark.

nerd alert : nancy drew alibi in ashes

So a few weekends ago - the newest Nancy Drew games hit the shelves... or rather the directly downloadable shelves and I spent an enjoyable Sunday playing Nancy Drew # 25 : Alibi in Ashes (for mac!).

Nancy Drew is being accused of burning down city hall in River Heights and it's up to George, Bess & Ned to help her find out who is responsible. Switch between characters to get the whole story from all the witnesses, stake out the local ice cream parlor, and try not to break anything at the antique shop.

01/ Magnifying Glass $79.00  //  02/ Matches $3.50  //  03/ Nancy Drew Handbook $17.95  //  04/ Nancy Books $30.50  //  

05/ Mic Magnet $8.00  //  06/ city hall (and togo?!) $4.00  //  07/ Fingerprint Kit $9.99  //  08/ Cell Phone Case $23.00  //  

09/ Fingerprint table $300.00  //  09/ handcuff necklace $44.00

Nancy is behind bars in river heights - but there are a lot of people willing to help her clear her name as the town arsonist. As Nancy, plug away at the case from inside the police station while Bess, George & Ned help your cause on the outside by questioning suspects and gathering clues. Most of this game was time spent switching between characters, it wasn't too terrible (but it would've been nice if you could go between all the characters instead of always having to return to Nancy)

 

Overall, this game was middle of the road for me. It wasnt great, but it wasn't bad. I really enjoyed the story, scenes and the town of River Heights - but it didn't 'wow' me the way some of the Herinteractive games do.

3/6 Toes // Overall

1 // Graphics 

The graphics in this game are on par with all the other Her interactive games. The illustrated pictures on the cellphone weren't my favorite (put I recognize some are a reference to 'Shadow at the Waters Edge, so I will let it go) Also Nancy's house was gorgeous.

0.5 // Storyline and Characters

Though you have been able to control Nancy's friends in previous games (Like George in Ransom of the Seven Ships, and Frank and Joe Hardy in Creature of Kapu Cave) This was fun since each character had a different relationship with the people you were questioning, so you got less (or more) information depending on who was doing the questioning.

0.5 // Soundtrack and Sound Effects  

The sound was good, the voices were realistic. There wasn't anything spectacular about the music - but I do appreciate consistency in voice actors.

0.5 // Length of Game and Price  

The game was $19.99 for the direct download (yay no shipping!), and I took approximately 6 hours to finish the game. all in all, not the longest game out there, but not terrible for the price.

0 // Replay Value  

This Nancy game didn't have mini games, which i secretly love. The mini games are the main reason I replay Nancy games, and was sad there were so few here. Now that I know how the mystery unfolds, there isnt' much to go back and discover. And I don't think special attention to detain on the second play-through would reveal anything new.

0.5 // Puzzle Difficulty   

the puzzles were more time consuming than difficult. the hardest section was the maze at the end, but even that had dictated rules. 

Am I glad i didn't have to drive the car like 'Secret of the Old Clock'? Yes. Am I sad I didn't have to play a card game with a mysterious man like in 'The Phantom of Venice'? Yes.

nerd alert : big fish sampler 2

This past weekend I stayed in and played a bunch of 60 minute Big Fish trials - Yes again. Not only is it free, but its a great way to get really good at telling which games are worth your hard earned dollars.

Let me tell you a little about the three I played this past weekend...


01/
Twisted Lands: Insomniac Collector's Edition

01/ fingerprint shirt $16.00  //  02/ Syringe necklace $16.94  //  03/ frog print $21.00

You wake up strapped to a hospital bed, the doctor tells you he is to perform a lobotomy the next day. Understandably shaken you decide to fidn your way out of the hospital. The vent above your bed provides you a quick escape from your room and you begin your journey, or so you think. There are toad like people at every turn, foiling your attempts at freedom.

Ever wonder what its like to be insane? well look no further! I honestly think I gained some insight into mental illness playing this game, I was just as confused as my unstable leading lady and after the hour was over I still wasnt sure what was going on.

Overall strength of the games story line 4/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 5/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 4/6


 02/
The Missing : A Search and Rescue Mystery

01/ blue crystal $10.00  //  02/ steam punk gun $30.00  //  03/ tent fire starter $12.00

A group of student researchers are in trouble and you are called in to help. what you find is an island full of mystery (and its own monster to boot). track down the students and get to the bottom of the mysterious monster before its too late.

The hour didnt have me sitting on the edge of my seat, not by a long shot. The plot didnt thicken, and the story fell flat. There is a monster, there is a power hungry team member and there are a lot of puzzles - I'm sorry but there was so much potential and no delivery.

Overall strength of the games story line 2/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 4/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 3/6


03/
Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker Collector's Edition

01/ spooky house print $7.50  //  02/ camera ring $15.50  // 03/ piano key print $25.00

A hitchhiker leaves something in your car, a teddy bear, something you remember from your childhood. Return and try to find her as you piece through the broken history of a town that holds the history of the mysterious hitchhiker.

So am I allowed to tell you this is the scariest Big Fish game I have played to date? It honestly made me jump! Thrilling to say the least. the puzzles were challenging, the environment was vast and the graphics were gorgeous.

Overall strength of the games story line 6/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 6/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 6/6


So.. which one would I buy? Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker Collector's Edition. Between the highly developed layout of the game and the number of times I jumped, it definitely gets an A+

*** Update: Purchased and played Shivers in its entirety. The game took 2 hours and 22 minutes to finish, so I was about half way through it after the hour trial. The storyline was alright, but you never really understand why you knew the girl you were following in the first place, which is a big story gap in my opinion. The scariness kind of fizzled too, and the ending was a bit lacking - hopefully it was a build to a sequel.... all in all it was a great game - but I would advise waiting for the $2.99 coupons that Big Fish is famous for! updated ratings:

Overall strength of the games story line 5/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game was I after the hour 4/6 (i was exactly half way through the game)
Odds that I would recommend the full version of this game 5/6 (with a $2.99 coupon code)

nerd alert : big fish sampler

This past weekend I stayed in and played a bunch of 60 minute Big Fish trials. Not only is it free, but its a great way to get really good at telling which games are worth your hard earned dollars.

If you are looking for a solid casual game to fill some of your evening hours, let me tell you a little about the ones I played this past weekend...


01/
Gravely Silent: House of Deadlock Collector's Edition

 01/ spider brooch $52.00  //  02/ gargoyle ring $750.00  //  03/ skull candle holder $50.00  

 You awake from a dream that your sister is dying and needs your help. The phone rings and it is her mysterious husband telling you that she is dead. Head to the castle and begin to uncover the secret of his many departed wives - can you save your sister before she becomes the next?

This was a solid game, the hidden object portions weren't annoying, and the inventory items were interactive and usable. The grounds of the house are pretty spooky, and if you aren't a big fan of spiders (like me!) you might want to sit this one out - but that doesn't mean I wasn't genuinely sad when the hour was up.

Overall strength of the games story line 5/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 2/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 6/6



 02/
Mystery Trackers: Raincliff Collector's Edition

 01/ plague mask $425.00  //  02/ pinball bottle opener $6.00  //  03/ purple rose $20.00

A University bus and five students have vanished in the mysterious, long deserted town of Raincliff. Its your job to find them and uncover the mystery of the town and the phantoms that guard it. Someone is watching your every move, and making sure you don't succeed.

It seems like the hour barely scratched the surface of this game, which is great because you'll definitely get your moneys worth with this one. The town is eerie and a bit confusing - there is a lot of back and forth between locations, as you unlock aspects of each with every visit. The graphics were high quality and the puzzles were somewhat challenging.

Overall strength of the games story line 4/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 6/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 6/6


03/
Nightfall Mysteries: Asylum Conspiracy

 01/ apothecary bottle $7.50  //  02/ antique portrait $95.00  //  03/ door knob $10.00

Your character, Christine, visits a shutter-island-esque asylum in search of a long lost grandfather. Condemned, but still stirring with life, she searches though debris and helps other characters as she tries to unlock the mystery of the asylum.

Though i felt like I covered a lot of ground in this game, there wasn't a lot of plot progress as far as the overall story was concerned. The animation had me jump a few times, and was truly unexpected. The puzzles were good and the characters kept me guessing - but overall it was a pretty tired plot that I feel I've already played over and over again.

Overall strength of the games story line 3/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 5/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 3/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 4/6



04/
Macabre Mysteries: Curse of the Nightingale Collector's Edition

 01/ perfume vial $175.00  //  02/ ballet stilettos $?  //  03/ nightingale $21.62

You have received a mysterious package from your grandfather (yes another grandfather pursuit), which includes a letter and a ticket for a ballet performance at his theater - a theater that burned down in 1960. Curious, you drive to the seemly abandoned building to find a strew of curious hauntings. Use your ticket to see the ballet performance and solve the mystery of the fire that destroyed the theater.

This was a wonderful game - very phantom of the opera inspired. Instead of finding specific objects in a scene, you are looking for items that combine to create one usable inventory item - which is a fun alternative. to how most hidden object games treat the general search for items. I could have stayed in this Victorian inspired dreamworld all afternoon.

Overall strength of the games story line 5/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 4/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 6/6



 05/
Midnight Mysteries 3: Devil on the Mississippi Collector's Edition

 01/ riverboat $21.00  //  02/ bowie knife $175.00  //  03/ on the mississippi $8.00

You are a writer, and Mark Twains ghost appears in your living room - you are on the case. The devil is after his soul and you need to find out why. Go bak to parts of his life to uncover what happened to result in this cursed afterlife.

This is very text heavy, there are a lot of characters telling you what to do, rather than trial and error. The hidden object aspect is relatively lite, and the story is manly propelled by your movement though environments and your ability to solve puzzles. I liked this game, but part of me wonders if Sam Clemens is turning over in his grave.

Overall strength of the games story line 4/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 5/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 4/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 4/6




So.. which one would I buy? Well it was honestly a tough toss up between Mystery Trackers: Raincliff Collector's Edition and Macabre Mysteries: Curse of the Nightingale Collector's Edition. But in the end i am going with pure story preference and choosing Macabre Mysteries: Curse of the Nightingale Collector's Edition - it was truly a great little game.

nerd alert : secrets can kill

I am not a huge fan of re-released games. I am too nostalgic about my games and i don't like them changing on me. however lately I have been running into the inevitable - games getting too old to run.

// image source

Today's nerd alert is the very first Nancy Drew game - released - by Her Interactive : Secrets Can Kill.
And its pretty season appropriate with all the back-to-school stuff going on!

01/ back to school socks $7.99  //  02/ mini vending machine $149.99  //  03/ recycled paper pencils $13.99  //  04/ clementine markers $6.00  //  05/ baggu backpack $24.00  //  06/ oot lunch box $45.00  //  07/ master lock $6.60  //  08/ elements pillow $35.00  //  09/ bobble bottles $12.99

originally released in 1998 it was recently re-released and remastered with better graphics, better puzzles and a new ending. Also they have been making their newer games PC/MAC compatible... I couldn't say no.

The graphics were originally pretty good, the characters were kind of a corny illustrations - now they are on par with Her Interactives more recent games, which is a plus. other than that I was kind of dissappointed... the game wasnt all that good the first time around, so i guess i shouldnt be surprised.

I finished this game in record time - less than 3 hours - and trust me it had nothing to do with the fact I played the original years ago.

Also, the new ending created the possibility to skip an entire round of questioning, and excluded a lot of character importance that belonged to the first game. new ending + old story = messy plot line

How about we re-release the classics, and keep the beginners pile in the past where it belongs.

Original | 3/6 polly toes
Remastered | 1/6 polly toes

nerd alert : sins of the fathers

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fatherswas the initial installment of the three part Gabriel Knight series by (my all time favorite) Jane Jensen.

01/ st. louis cathedral $15.00  //  02/ picayune $227.40/year  //  03/ new orleans cemetery $28.00  //  04/ snake ring $591.00  //  05/ dagger $110.00  //  06/ mardi gras beads $1.50  //  07/ crocodile mask $24.95  //  08/ coffee print $35.00  //  09/ clock box $180.00  //  10/ hair gel $2.90

Gabriel is a loner of sorts, a writer who idolizes beautiful women, owns a book store, and is haunted by terrifying nightmares.

Strange murders in New Orleans are scaring off tourists and making the locals quiet. Seeing the VooDoo inspired murders as a great plot line for his novel-in-progress, Gabriel takes advantage of his friend Detective Mosley to get some dirt on whats been going on. Little does he know the case will not only change his future, but also give him great insight into his past.

// from here

Set in new orleans, this 1993 title is high on both pixels and charm. you wont be dissappointed (if you cant get this to run, its also available in novel form)

6/6 polly toes

nerd alert : the 7th guest

You may not have been aware that Friday July 8th was Video Games Day... now you know.

In honor of the great holiday I decided to pay a visit to my overflowing (vintage?) game collection... where i found the 1992 classic The 7th Guest...

the 7th Guest was one of the first CD-ROM games ever released (floopys were on their way out) - even Bill Gates told everyone how cool it was... and let me take a moment to tell you about how hard i tried, over and over, to get this game to run on newer windows platforms. it never happened. i literally cried about it... not only because i was like 9 years old, but also because that's how cool this game was..

Nostalgia kicked in and i went to the internet to look up some info on the game, maybe read old reviews and look over the walkthrough ans screenshots to get some old memories going....

but what I found was better than I could've imagined - The 7th Guest has been made into an iPhone/iPad App.. to say the least I was thrilled, and immediately downloaded it.

01/ porcelain doll arms $12.00  //  02/ doll house $1,056.59  //  03/ brass telescope $865.80  //  04/ playing card decanter set $32.00  //  05/ skull cameos $3.25  //  06/ microscope set $40.00  //  07/ skeleton shoes $60.00  //  08/ chess vinyl decals $28.00

You find yourself in a mansion, with no recollection of how you got there... but you aren't alone... 6 (or 7?) other guests seem to be haunting the house, giving you clues and leading you to puzzles. The (rather annoying) owner of the house promises them their wildest dreams if they stay the night and solve the puzzles. but they don't know the truth about their host or what he's after (and neither do you - yet)

i will warn that this game is very frustrating. i know the last time i played it i was barely 10, but the puzzles are still hard. so hard there is also a free walkthrough app to help you out... there's no shame in getting a little help. but he (or she) who tames this title without the walkthrough will earn my eternal respect.

It took me the weekend to get through the puzzles, it was slightly difficult to get through the puzzles with my clunky fingertips on my tiny iphone screen, but I muddled through.

If you App people out there keep releasing titles as close to my heart as this, I may have to shell out some cash and get an iPad sooner than later.

5.5/6 polly toes - she says its the best $2.99 shes spent all year!

nerd alert : dire grove

Mystery Case Files®: Dire Grove™ Collector's Edition is another title from BigFish games.
In this mystery adventure your car breaks down during a blizzard - looking for help, and a warm place to wait out the storm, you make your way to a hotel that seems to be closed for the season.

01/ anorak deer sleeping bag $97.00  //  02/ kerosene lantern $35.00  //  03/ celtic knot $18.00  //  04/ mercury thermometer $7.50 
05/ knot hot plates $20.00  //  06/ covered bridge print $22.00  //  07/ newspaper logs $? //  08/ vhs tapes $29.44  
09/ anorak rabbit sleeping bag $97.00

It soon becomes apparent that you aren't the only one to visit dire grove during the off season; as you stumble upon strewn video tapes and supplies left by a mysterious group of young explorers you learn that there is quite a mystery afoot.

try to stay warm as you piece the story together by collecting video tapes and solving puzzles that lead you to the conclusion of the two thousand year old legend that resides at Dire Grove.

2.5/6 polly toes (the acting in those blair witch-esque cut-scenes is pretty cheesy)

nerd alert : orient express

murder on the orient express is as classic as they come. based on the book by agatha christie - you are part of a murder investigation aiding the great detective hercule poirot. help gather evidence so he can put his "gray cells" (not the mention that great mustache) to work solving the murder.

01/ model train $225.00  //  02/ fingerprint necklace $87.00  //  03/ tweed train case $30.00  //  04/ train case $29.00    
05/ fedora $12.00  //  06/ vintage postcard $3.75  //  07/ mustache decal $19.99  //  08/ cast iron safe $1450.00  //  09/ parlor lamp $12.00  
10/ mustache mugs $29.50  //  11//  coal earrings $13.99  //  12/ vintage book plate $8.00  //  13/ signal lamp $70.00

Interview suspects, search cabins and enjoy the general splendor of the historically rich orient express.

the game, though based on the novel, has a completely different storyline - which is great since it doesn't spoil the book (if you haven't read it yet)

polly gives this one 5/6 toes

happy birthday mr. doyle

01/ deerstalker $52.00  //  02/ elementary button $4.00  //  03/ leather buttons $15.50  //  04/ hollow book $sold - but lots more  
05/ sherlock holmes book $7.00  //  06/ sherlock silhouette pillow $48.00  //  07/ magnifying glass pendant $20.00  //  08/ pipe $14.70  
09/ watson doll $29.00  //  10/ bobbie pin $19.95  //  11/ finger print kit - on display at the University of London  //  12/ blank notebook $10.00

may 22nd was Sir Arthur Conan Doyles Birthday.. so in honor of one of the greatest detective novelists of all time - how about a little tribute post to honor his very famous literary characters.

Not only do i highly recommend you read the original collection of stories - but also don't be afraid to pick up the very entertaining sherlockian by graham moore - i also fully endorse the BBCs new take on the detective in their new series 'sherlock' where sherlock holmes lives in current day london with roommate watson... there have also been a few computer games over the years - all of which are great...

regardless of how you choose to celebrate, the items above will help you solve the case