DAVID STUART DAVIES left teaching to become editor of Sherlock magazine and is generally regarded as an expert on Sherlock Holmes, having written seven novels, film books and plays featuring the character. He has given presentations on Holmes at many festivals and conferences as well as on board Queen Mary II. He also created two detectives: wartime private eye Johnny Hawke, who has appeared in six novels, and Huddersfield-based Detective Inspector Paul Snow, in a series of dark thrillers, the first two of which are Brothers in Blood and Innocent Blood. David is a member of the Crime Writers Association, editing their monthly magazine Red Herrings. He is also currently general editor for Wordsworth’ s Tales of Mystery & the Supernatural series and has written many introductions to classic ghost-story collections, including those by the master of the genre, M.R. James. For the past ten years, David has met with a group of writing friends in York during the festive season to read their own spooky tales. A number of the stories featured in this volume had their first airing at these meetings. David lives in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire with his wife Kathryn.