This volume contains four hard to find and rarely-collected stories by 'Dick Donovan' (JEP Muddock), originally printed in Strand in July, August, September and November 1892, between the 1st and 2nd series of Conan Doyle's adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Also reproduced here is Grant Allen's October 1892 tale, 'The Great Ruby Robbery'. An appreciation of that worthy man, Muddock, for whom the bald term "writer" is wholly inadequate, is included. There are brief sketches of the artists Paul Hardy, who illustrated the Strand Donovan stories, and Sidney Paget, who drew for Grant Allen's yarn, but better known as the accidental illustrator of the Holmes stories (Strand really wanted his brother Walter for that task - see p. 143). The layout of this book differs from that of the original Strand publications, but the typographical conventions of the day have been largely adhered to, even if they look antiquated or simply wrong by today's rules. A few errors have been corrected. Edited by Bruce Durie
