In The Tangled Skein, author David Stuart Davies accomplishes a creative coup by arranging the fateful meeting of two of literature's most resilient characters: Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Bram Stoker's Count Dracula.

The setting is 1888 London shortly, after The Hound of The Baskervilles case. It opens with Holmes' characteristic derisive reaction to a newspaper account of a local lecture by Amsterdam University Professor Abraham Van Helsing upon the subject of vampires. The Baker Street detective's opinions of the supernatural are quite set and intransigent. The events which proceed from this moment of contempt and disbelief, however, eventually make a believer of Holmes and of the listener to David Stuart Davies' ability to resurrect the very spirits of Holmes and Watson. A mysterious illness begins to afflict the young ladies of a finishing school for girls. Reports of children being attacked and left with bite marks upon their necks appear in the papers.

From the outset, Holmes himself is stalked by an assailant whose obsessive, unmitigated hatred and cleverness may cost Holmes his life. So filled with complications is this gripping drama that the evocative title Tangled Skein could scarcely have been better suited. Portraying it all with customery style and wit is British actor David Ian Davies, whose solitary voice work weaves its own magic and allows us to enter into that place and time, beholding it all vividly in our minds, and forgetting that One Voice has captured our imaginations.


"...to refer to David's Sherlock Holmes productions as simply dramatic readings is a major understatement, as he brings a wonderful range of distinctly unique voices into play as he essays each of the characters, creating a marvelously layered and rich listening experience that showcases Arthur Conan Doyle's masterful use of language." - Charles Prepolec, bakerstreetdozen.com

"...David Ian Davies's reading of The Tangled Skein is a full-blooded theatrical performance that does justice to his near-namesake's gripping narrative. - Roger Johnson, Editor District Messenger Newspaper, The Sherlock Holmes Society of London

"...To call this only a reading of the classic Sherlock Holmes story, would be to devalue the beauty of this performance. Although you may have heard recordings of the Sherlock Holmes work read before with distance and haughty affectation, none of that is present in Mr. Davies storytelling performance. This features one man, many voices and a hefty portion of talent. This performance is fresh, approachable and inviting. - Sam Buvala, Storyteller.net, Reviews

"Mr. Davies's reading of The Hound of the Baskervilles adds mastery to a masterpiece! Mr. Davies is an absolute virtuoso of voices and dialects. It is difficult to believe that this unabridged narration of Sir Arthur's most famous Holmes case is done only by one man and not being performed by a troupe of actors and actresses. Limited space doesn't allow us to do full justice to describe this recording, but suffice it to say that Mr. Davies's performance has received "raves" from independent reviewers. Even when you hear it, you won't believe it! - sherlock-holmes.com