Two Stories by Robert Barr: “The Understudy” and “Two Florentine Balconies”

A crime story writer during the Sherlock Holmes era, Barr wrote the first Holmes parody, "The Adventures of "Sherlaw Kombs", a spoof that was continued a decade later in another Barr story, "The Adventure of the Second Swag". Despite those jibes at the growing Holmes phenomenon, Barr remained on very good terms with its creator Arthur Conan Doyle. Barr was also very good friends with Stephen Crane and was asked to complete an unfinished novel by the recently deceased American author. Barr reluctantly finished the last eight chapters due to his longstanding friendship with Crane and his wife. Enjoy!