Lighting the Pipes

"The worst man in London... the king of all blackmailers."These are the blunt, declarative answers Holmes provides to his Watson when asked about this story's titular antagonist. Some immodest letters have been intercepted that would mark the ruin of Lady Eva Blackwell and her upcoming nuptials. The fee for their return is a punishing £7000 (over a million dollars today). She's employed Sherlock to help her out and he's not afraid to go the distance for his client...Our Summer Sherlock Selects has returned! First up, Scott's choice of "Charles Augustus Milverton" from the Return of Sherlock Holmes. Originally recorded in January of 2018, this early chat has been reproduced and explores one of the canon's best worst villains.

2025 has been a great year on the pod and in this episode we look back at this successful and surprising stretch of reading and collaborating across thirty episodes. In addition to sharing our rankings for the shared novels and stories we explored, we also share some laughs and challenges in tackling our annual Sherlock and Year-in-Review quizzes!

It's Christmas Eve in Oldhampton and as residents enjoy what's left of their pre-holiday errands, cub reporter Sonia is looking to eschew the society fluff of her regular assignments by tackling a more thrilling angle. Nobody has yet spent a night among the wax effigies in the local Hall of Horrors without meeting a ghastly end. Success here would certainly propel Sonia over the bigoted jibes and through the glass ceiling of her toxic workplace. Ethel Lina White's "Waxworks" first appeared in the December 1930 edition of Pearson's magazine and was the precursor to her 1935 novel, "Wax". In Part 1 of LTP's Festive Season Triptych, your hosts explore this fascinating short story and its context.Fast Facts@14:45; Summary@38:45; PIPES@45:45

In this, his first Bernard Samson narrative, Len Deighton gives us the story of a weary MI6 veteran who's pulled back into danger when a suspected mole threatens London's Berlin intelligence network. As Cold War pressures intensify, Samson is forced to negotiate frayed loyalties and return to the divided city of his youth, where nostalgia threatens to cloud his professional judgement further. Deighton's prose balances the tight rope of moral uncertainty while softly critiquing early Thatcherism - the result being a portrayal of Britain as a nation losing coherence... not to mention its secret intel!Fast Facts@12:30; Summary@38:00; PIPES@58:00

It's Halloween on Yellow Street and outcast Robbie Glinton has a plan for revenge. Let down by teachers, abandoned by parents and ignored by "the man", he and his troop of juvenile delinquents (Jody, Dags and Midge) are out for a little payback.Daniel Kraus' Blood Sugar, an exclusive Hard Case Crime publication from 2019, presents a complex story of trauma covered in seasonal guise and a veneer of adolescent reflection. Left to navigate their social and familial woes as best they can, Robbie's team of misfits prepare for the ultimate trick-or-treat with poisoned candy and weaponised sweets. Kraus gives readers a lot to chew over in this engaging story, told to us through the unique voice and teenage eyes of Jody.Fast Facts@7:45; Summary@22:00; PIPES@42:00

In this special episode, Nick Anderson from The Book Graveyard lends his enthusiasm and rides sidecar through our exploration of "Maigret and the Ghost". When one of the Inspector's colleagues from the 18th arrondissement is gunned down in the peaceable Avenue Junot, Maigret has to pick up the loose ends of a secretive and time-sensitive investigation. From spooks in the window and open-marriage antics to expensive art and a flashy yellow jaguar, this later Simenon novel presents readers with... drumroll please... "the night of opening and closing doors"! In addition to the LTP review, this monster episode also features some fun quiz nonsense and Halloween recommendations. Enjoy!Simenon FF@15:30; Plot Summary@30:30; PIPESreview@40:00; Art Thievery Quiz@1:50:30Check out Nick on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@TheBookGraveyard