The Continuation of The Adventures of Sigegard Ainsworth, a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. An excerpt: “Our journey was slowed considerably by the thaws and storms of June. New grasses covered over many sinkholes in that vast, abandoned land, but by the grace of Sofia, we completed the trek in only a number […]…

The Continuation of The Adventures of Sigegard Ainsworth, a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Chapter Four: In which the thief is revealed as a friend of Tsar Ivan, and the ruby reveals its power to heal. An Excerpt “With my eyes, I swear it,” said Fyodor. “Andrey Shemyaka appeared in the marketplace, and […]…

The Continuation of The Adventures of Sigegard Ainsworth, a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Chapter Three: In which the sacrilege of the desecration of Sofia’s grave is committed by a graverobber, a deacon standing secret guard rescues the pendant, and then is murdered in the abbey that very night. An excerpt: When it […]…

Av John David Duke Jr

Av John David Duke Jr

A mystery serial presented as a contemporary homage to Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Chapter Ten: In which we make our narrow escape from our prospective murderers. An excerpt: “Do you have your pistol, my dear John?” he asked, looking at me. I patted my right pocket. “Good man,” he said. I objected. “It is […]…

A mystery serial presented as a contemporary homage to Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Chapter Nine: In which we reason our way through our shock, finding truth in fiction, and also finding a sinister self-evident truth about the murderers of Mrs. Ciminelli. An excerpt: “Liars and thieves,” Sige said. “And now murderers. That world is […]…

A mystery serial presented as a contemporary homage to Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Chapter Eight: In which I inadvertently discover Sige’s conscience after Mrs. Ciminelli dies. An excerpt: “What are you talking about?” I said. “Your client is dead! I mean, now what?” “The doctor has also already vaporized.” “Vaporized?” I said. “How do […]…

A mystery serial presented as a contemporary homage to Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Chapter Seven: In which I encounter Johnny Law and we thereby learn that Sige has a formal relationship with state law enforcement. An excerpt: In a lovely baritone, and full of the plenipotentiary authority of the law itself, he intoned a […]…

A mystery serial presented as an homage to Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Chapter Five in which I commit myself to becoming Sige’s amanuensis and sidekick and we discover a shared loathing of craft beers. An excerpt: “By all means, eat,” he said. “It’s just that…” I hesitated. “It’s just that I’ve been eating a […]…

A mystery serial presented as an homage to Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Chapter Four: In which Sige relates the details of the case involving a late-middle aged woman who is more clever than her antagonists, and is even clever enough to know she needs the help of a singular private detective. An Excerpt: “I […]…

A mystery serial presented as an homage to Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Chapter Three: In which my friend explains to me how he took up his vocation and tells me his name. An Excerpt “So,” I said. “A private detective, but not a Seamus. Are you in the line of Sherlock Holmes?[1]” “Pff,” Sige […]…

A mystery serial presented as an homage to Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Chapter Two: In which we make the acquaintance of my friend Sige, who has taken up the vocation of private detective in the morose corner of the world known as Western New York. Excerpt I said. “Your hosts have good taste in […]…

A mystery serial presented as an homage to Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Chapter One: In which we meet my singular friend Sige who lives not too far from me, as I met him while introducing myself door-to-door. Excerpt: In my mind, it seems incumbent—I’m at a loss for any other way to express it—what […]…

An Excerpt: Sherri hung up the phone. “John Cyril is coming here!” “You don’t say…” said Tom. “Do you need to go home to change into your poodle skirt?” Sherri gave Tom another dirty look. “You’re just jealous he went to college and became a doctor.” “Shucks,” said Tom, “anybody can go to college. It […]…

Please consider becoming a patron. An excerpt: She giggled and threw a pillow at him as he left the room. She sat up and began to dress, looking into the mirror as she did. “You’re a beautiful girl,” she heard her father say. “Such a beautiful girl.” But then Mom left him, and he didn’t […]Av John David Duke Jr

Please consider becoming a patron An Excerpt “I can’t afford it,” he said. About eight years later, both mothers-in-law came together over lunch to jubilate over the accomplishment of a nest egg so that Diane could start nesting. “Is it a boy?” Diane’s mother asked. “Is it a girl?” Jack’s mother asked. “It’s a grandbaby!” […]…

Please consider becoming a patron. An excerpt: Dad shuffled out of the house, grabbing his jacket as he went out the door, started the car, and Mom hustled after him. They drove away into a light gray afternoon. Then it was a drive to a urologist. Then it was a drive to Roswell Park Cancer […]Av John David Duke Jr

Please consider becoming a patron. An Excerpt In the main hall of the History Museum hung an oversized copy of Evelyn De Morgan’s Helen of Troy. Every man entering paused before the painting to remember, then proceeded to the exhibition areas of the museum to begin drinking and singing and forgetting. They did this forgetting […]…

Please consider becoming a patron. An excerpt: He lifted his eyes up from the path, turning his body so that the roar of the rushing waters was to his right, far below him, now louder than the applauding trees. Up he meant to climb, but he was looking for the lightning-struck stump. A generation ago […]…

Please consider becoming a patron. An excerpt: Reanna says to Charles, Jr., who is trying to eat his beef stew, “They’ve both been so different since Stephanie moved to Colorado.” The storm rumbles and grumbles in the basement, and then a sharp crack: the unmistakable sound of the action of a shotgun being opened and […]…

Please consider becoming a patron. An excerpt: Odd ducks sometimes find safe waters when all the swans get their tails shot off. Francois landed in Information Technology just as it was becoming a demand, while manufacturing and labor opportunities were becoming scarce. With the extra money he had, even as a young man, he bought […]…

Please consider becoming a patron. An Excerpt: “Let’s move out,” said Reynolds. “If we walk straight east, we’re bound to hit the Tigris, and from there we can get our bearings.” “If we can find some shoal water, we can cross over to some higher ground and get out of this infernal swamp,” said Jenkins. […]…

Please consider becoming a patron An excerpt: Carla sniffed the spray as the breeze brought it from gentle breakers, tickling her nose with a curl of her own hair, which, on occasion, she caught in her teeth, playing with her hair even as the toddler played with the sea. The sand beneath the towel was […]…

Please consider becoming a patron. An Excerpt There, in the lamplight of his narrow above-ground hole, air-conditioned cool, but still damp, like the earth itself, without any television or radio, he sipped at his vodka, reminiscing, watching a water bug and a silverfish route themselves amicably to a common goal found somewhere behind the wall. [……

Please consider becoming a patron. An excerpt “Odd,” she said to herself aloud. “It’s February. Why is Willie outside riding his bicycle?” She looked out the window again. “Oh no,” she said. Her heart had corrected her mistake before her mind had allowed. “Oh dear God, no.” She dropped her potato into the sink and […]…

Please consider becoming a patron Eventually… An excerpt: I waited for Lily’s father to return home. “Rescue must die soon,” I blurted out, “but I do not know how to put him to his end.” “Mercy will dictate,” said Lily’s father. “Mercy always dictates. How do you know your dog is sick to death?” “Your […]…

Please consider becoming a patron. Cornered in the Office “You’re frightening me,” the Android Assistant 2100 said. “Put that thing away!” “Ha,” said Robert. “You should have seen the look on that hick’s face when I shot a glass jar sitting on a fence behind him. Oh, don’t be frightened: I rested my arm on […]…

Please consider becoming a Patron Chapter 7 An excerpt: “This city belongs to your king,” he said. “And you belong to him. A corporation, you recall, protects a man from liability. You have no need for such protection—” at this, he smiled brightly, “—because your king protects you from liability.” Lily’s uncle smiled brightly, chuckling. […]…

In Three Parts Please consider becoming a patron. Part 2: Hearth and Home Tuesday morning was making every attempt to brighten the master bedroom, struggling against the drawn shades to penetrate with rays of joy and hope. Spring was aging, about to yield to the Summer Solstice, so the morning was still very young. Nevertheless, […]…

Please consider becoming a patron. A discussion concerning the restrictions on property ownership devolves into a rock common to two property lines and then devolves further into this song of praise: That night I imagined her body, in its full glory, without even trying to stop the image from coming into my consciousness. Hers was […]…

In Three Parts Part One: The Corner Office Please consider becoming a patron. Alta Vista did not, as is commonly thought, simply fold or become absorbed into a larger tech company. It morphed, with offices in New York, into an independent research company, mostly for hire by firms looking for a competitive edge against a […]…

Please consider becoming a patron. An excerpt: “How do you become an adviser to the King?” I asked. “Blood relationships, on the one hand,” he said. “And financial relationships, on the other hand. The same way one becomes king to begin with.” I stopped short again. “This is not what we were taught as children.” […]…

A Life in The Day Please consider becoming a patron. An Homage to Ingmar Bergman “Bertram?” the vicar peeked around the door, scanning each hospital bed for his quarry. “Bertram?” Three beds were empty; the fourth held a sleeping figure. Bertram was laid out on his back, angled by the cruelty of hospital beds, and […]…

In which our intrepid hero goes in search of supplies and finds, instead, a pub. As always, please consider becoming a patron. “Lily,” the beer made me say, “is making things happen to me.” “Lily,” said her uncle, “Lily is a catalyst.” “A catalyst?” “A catalyst,” he said. “Your character is responding to her, […]…

Finally, people get killed, and we learn the protagonist’s name and why he’s leaving town. Please consider becoming a patron. An excerpt: An army had broken through from the east two years ago. They did not destroy crops or buildings. They did murder people. They murdered brutally the leaders of the people. I had never […]…

In this week’s episode, our hero learns that every good civilization is burdened by a sclerotic bureaucracy. As always, please consider becoming a patron. An excerpt: “I was more struck,” Lily’s uncle resumed, “that he calls them the Brother and the Sister.” “Why does that strike you?” Lily’s father asked. “Because it’s latterly nonsense,” Lily’s […

Our protagonist, after experiencing a little more of Lily’s family, reacts in the only way he knows how: he drinks too much. Please consider becoming a patron. An excerpt: As for me, I was neither happy nor unhappy to leave Market Makers. The patronage was all fixed, and I was an outsider: they were there […]…

Av John David Duke Jr

Please consider becoming a patron, which you can do at my Patreon site. An excerpt: All the twelves saw their mighty enemy for the first time under the light of day without the distance of the heights of mountains intervening. They were a host, truly, a horde. They were like flies, swarming, without sense or […]…

Visit my Patreon page for more stories and much more content. An excerpt: Fear, I have discovered, lays a foundation for fear. The entire day had already been muted fear under bright sunshine. Now I was bound by command to encounter the dark father of Lily, the husband of the goddess-mother, a man of enormous […]…

One of the main characters of The Primal Flowers describes, in brief, a lengthy journey he took in behalf of his brother. An excerpt: Please visit my Patreon page, and consider becoming a patron for the serial production of my forthcoming novel, The Primal Flower. […] Bandits, highwaymen, and robbers are of a sort […]…

Av John David Duke Jr