Go Directly to Jail....

On my first day at the Lewisville Citizen Police Academy, another participant mentioned being interested in seeing the jail. I responded, “Oh, I’ve been in jail before.” I quickly corrected myself, “I mean, I’ve visited jails in the past.” During a criminology class in college, we had a field trip to the only co-ed federal prison at the time (located in Fort Worth, Texas). Since then, I’ve visited jails or prisons in my role as a public health professional. Of these, the Dallas County facility was the oldest (dating to the 1970s).

While writing a short story set in the 1960s, I researched the previous Dallas County jail. Housed in the same building as the Dallas County Criminal Courts, and built in 1915, the multi-story structure was designed with the courts and offices on the lower floors and the jail above. While it represented a shift toward a more professionally managed jail, its poor design led to problems. Inmates discovered they could disrupt the courts by flooding the upper floors or setting small fires, and did so regularly.

Clyde Barrow (of Bonnie and Clyde) did stints at the jail early in his career, but the most infamous inmate spent time there in the 1960s. Two days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Jr., nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Lee Harvey Oswald when authorities were moving him from the police department headquarters to the county jail, a moment broadcast live on national television. Ruby spent time there while awaiting trial.

Following the construction of a new jail and courthouse facility across the highway, this building and adjacent buildings were renovated and repurposed for county office services. All the same, the history of the building remains a part of Dallas lore.

25% Price Drop for Sherlock Holmes Series Continues!

For those in the US and the UK, you can purchase paperback copies of the Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes and Master of the Art of Detection for only $12.00 (plus shipping). Each book is linked separately:

The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife (Case 1)

The Adventure of the Murdered Gypsy (Case 2)

The Adventure of the Deceased Scholar (Case 3)

The Adventure of the Purloined Portrait (Case 4)

Master of the Art of Detection

If you prefer ebooks, these are available for a 10% discount (always) through my direct buy site here: https://www.books.liesesherwoodfabre.com

Calling all Crime Fiction Fans!

Booksweeps is giving crime fiction fans the chance to win an incredible prize pack featuring ten thrilling crime novels from standout authors, the perfect opportunity to build your crime fiction library with page-turning reads full of suspense and intrigue. The Grand Prize winner will receive the WILL TRENT Atlanta Series 12-Book Collection by Karin Slaughter, along with one copy of each participating author’s book. The Runner-Up winner will receive one copy of each author’s book.

Enter here for your chance to win.

Free Through Kindle Unlimited

The Final Assignment

K.C. Brennan

Mila Kovalenko has returned to her alma mater to fill the vacant position of professor of ancient history.

Happy to reunite with her best friend Ania, the university’s librarian, they discuss a manuscript that has come to Ania’s attention. No sooner had Mila signed her contract when someone steals the manuscript from the library.

However, when the detective assigned to the case pegs her as the prime suspect, Mila must use her expertise and cunning to prove him wrong, or at least find another motive and suspect.

Get it here.

The Strand Magazine's Reaction to

"The Beast of Baker Street"

Please recall, this short story was drafted in response to the "Crew of the Barque Lone Star's" call for contributions to its annual anthology. This year, the Holmes, Rejected collection represents stories that the magazine did not accept, along with the rejection letters. Here's what the editor had to say about "The Beast of Baker Street."

The eBook and paperback should be available through Barnes and Noble in January 2026 (stay tuned for the buy-link in the next newsletter.)

The Strand Magazine

6 Wellington Street, Strand London, WC2E 7DD

July 15, 1923

My dear Sir Arthur,

I trust this letter reaches you in good health, though I must confess, after

perusing your most recent submission, “The Beast of Baker Street,” we at The Strand Magazine "nd ourselves quite concerned for both yours and Dr. Watson’s well-being. While we have all mourned the recent death of Mr. Holmes, we "nd the recently submitted account of his decision to retire to Sussex stretching the bounds of believability.

Describing the narrative as unexpected is an understatement. We frequently delve into certain tales of the supernatural, but this journey into lycanthropy and extraordinary metamorphosis exceeds expectation for Sherlock Holmes! Surely, this must reflect some fog of the mind brought on by extreme grief that has caused Dr. Watson to pen such a tale.

Similarly, could it be, Sir, that this great loss, as well as attacks on your deep belief in Spiritualism, have inadvertently led you into the unreal also? The portrayal of Holmes succumbing to a beastly nature—while undeniably fascinating—seems so at odds with the meticulous, logical detective we have all come to love. To imply that the celebrated investigator, recognized for intellectual clarity, could succumb to such primitive a%iction, I fear, exceeds our ability to accept as truth.

We must, with great delicacy, wonder if both yours and Dr. Watson’s prolonged silence over the past several years indicates a deeper issue. We are ever mindful of the toll that relentless dedication to one’s craft can have on one’s constitution. Perhaps grief, in combination with such weariness, has led to a lapse in the clear-headed reasoning that has made these works so beloved across the globe?

Please do not take offense, kind sirs. We merely wish for your well-being to return to its accustomed state, so that we may once again enjoy your delightful excursions into the rational and the sublime. We would be remiss not to mention that The Strand Magazine has a reputation to uphold, and while we welcome stories of mystery, suspense, and a touch of the eerie, this latest venture is one we fear we must set aside. As noted in the tale provided, to tarnish so great a mind and reputation as that of Sherlock Holmes would be a disservice on our part.

We do not doubt that, with a brief respite and a return to the more familiar terrain of deduction, Dr. Watson’s next offering will once again remind us all of Holmes’s extraordinary talent. We await with bated breath the moment when the inimitable Sherlock Holmes will again take center stage in a tale of reason and logic, free from the burden of fantastical affliction.

In the meantime, do let us know how both you and the doctor are faring. Should you need assistance or a brief respite from your labors, please do not hesitate to reach out. Holmes is a national treasure, and it is our sincerest wish that his closest remaining friends recover fully—and soon. 

With the deepest respect and warmest regards,

Herbert Greenhough Smith

Editor

Until next year!

Liese

Those links again:

The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife (Case 1)

The Adventure of the Murdered Gypsy (Case 2)

The Adventure of the Deceased Scholar (Case 3)

The Adventure of the Purloined Portrait (Case 4)

Master of the Art of Detection

Direct-buy eBooks: https://www.books.liesesherwoodfabre.com

Crime Fiction Giveaway: here

The Final Assignment: here