"A brisk walk in the Botanic gardens before breakfast stimulates the mind for a good murder." The Case of the Mahjong Dragon and other stories, takes us into the world of criminal investigations by the Victorian private detective, Russell Holmes. Murder, assassinations and the rescue of a woman incarcerated in an asylum are some of the challenges Russell Holmes must resolve. During his investigations he shows contempt for the judicial process that conflicts with his sense of moral justice. These stories were inspired by a Shortbread Story competition based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. "The Case of the Mahjong Dragon" received acclaim. "Very engaging and well put together James. I have no problem at all with long short stories - particularly ones like this that keep you engrossed from beginning to end. When one can clearly visualize the scenes that are painted by a writer you know that it is good - and this was good."