Sherlock Holmes FAQ: All That's Left to Know about the World's Greatest Private Detective

by Dave Thompson

(FAQ). The Sherlock Holmes FAQ is a one-stop guide to over a century's worth of mystery, mayhem, and most of all, deduction. Digging deep inside the manifold worlds of Sherlock Holmes, the FAQ is a dramatic and detailed digest of the Baker Street sleuth in all of his many guises, as TV and radio star, movie phenomenon, and, of course, literary giant. Chapters investigate his predecessors and his successors, and discuss the influence that Holmes has had not only on other writers, but on real-life police procedures as well. The London that he perambulated in deerstalker and cloak is laid bare, plus the life and other fascinations of Holmes' creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, are mapped out in all their foggy, darkened atmosphere. We meet giant hounds and fearful foes, common crooks and misdirected souls. Ghosts appear in these pages, and vampires, too and more puzzles, conundrums, and mysteries than any mortal detective could ever hope to solve. But Holmes, as we shall see, was no mere mortal. And Sherlock Holmes FAQ is the story of his immortality.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mystery, Reference

283 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

English author Dave Thompson has spent his entire working life writing biographies of other people, but is notoriously reluctant to write one for himself. Unlike the subjects of some of his best known books, he was neither raised by ferrets nor stolen from gypsies. He has never appeared on reality TV (although he did reach the semi finals of a UK pop quiz when he was sixteen), plays no musical instruments and he can’t dance, either.

However, he has written well over one hundred books in a career that is almost as old as U2’s… whom he saw in a club when they first moved to London, and memorably described as “okay, but they’ll never get any place.” Similar pronouncements published on the future prospects of Simply Red, Pearl Jam and Wang Chung (oh, and Curiosity Killed The Cat as well) probably explain why he has never been anointed a Pop Culture Nostradamus. Although the fact that he was around to pronounce gloomily on them in the first place might determine why he was recently described as “a veteran music journalist.”

Raised on rock, powered by punk, and still convinced that “American Pie” was written by Fanny Farmer and is best played with Meatloaf, Thompson lists his five favorite artists as old and obscure; his favorite album is whispered quietly and he would like to see Richard and Linda Thompson’s “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight” installed as the go-to song for the sad, sappy ending for every medical drama on TV.

Kurt Cobain, Phil Collins, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, David Bowie, John Travolta, Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne, Bob Marley, Roger Waters and the guy who sang that song in the jelly commercial are numbered among the myriad artists about whom Thompson has written books; he has contributed to the magazines Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Mojo and Melody Maker; and he makes regular guest appearances on WXPN’s Highs in the Seventies show.

Reviews

[John Brady · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title is misleading- this is not a "Frequently Asked Questions" collection. This is a quick bio and synopsis of Holmes and of Conan Doyle. It was a rather disappointing read :(

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Sherlock Holmes stories so I found this book fun. It discussed a little about each story, and then about some of the movies and television shows based on his books. Some of these were a surprise to me. I never watched The Seven-Per_Cent Solution and did not realize it was a Holmes story. It was not a Conan Doyle story, however. It was dry enough to put me to sleep a couple times.

[Leew49 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can serve as an excellent introduction to Sherlock Holmes or as a reference to longtime fans of 221B. It provides the reader with a lot of biographical material on Conan Doyle, the times in which he lived, the creation of the stories themselves, as well as the cultural impact of Sherlock Holmes and the huge amount of plays, movies, television adaptations, and literary spinoffs and spoofs that he has inspired over the decades since he debuted in 1888.

Each of the four novellas and 56 short stories is summarized with commentary by the author Mr Thompson, who does not shy away from pointing out some of the shortcomings of "the Canon," which has too often been viewed with a sense of unapologetic awe by Doyle's more devoted fans. There is also a very entertaining chapter about the many actors who have portrayed Holmes, as well as summaries and commentary on the many stage and film productions. I've seen and enjoyed the performances of Rathbone, Brett, Cushing and Cumberbatch among others, and it was interesting to get Thompson's take on these and many others. I did think that the author gave short shrift to Johnny Lee Miller and the "Elementary" television series, but that seems a minor flaw judged against the valuable and absorbing material this book provides

[J.J. Lair · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing, FAQ often means Frequently Asked Questions. There’s no questions in this book.
The first few chapters on the origin of Holmes was very interesting and I learned a lot, but it was slow. Doyle molded Holmes from a few pieces of clay, but all the men that Holmes is modeled after got long winded.

Once we get into the stories and analysis of the stories, I really enjoyed the book. I learned a lot about the character. I realized I missed clues and symbolism in the stories when I read them.
I knew Doyle wanted to kill off Holmes, at one point. I didn’t realize just little Doyle realized how much people loved Holmes. I thought Doyle wrote Holmes and few side projects. I was wrong. Doyle really didn't want to be known for Holmes.
There was a Soviet Union version of Holmes. The writer devoted a chapter to him.
The author really likes the new version of Holmes with Benjamin Cummberbach. I went to itunes and rented shows based on this suggestion. I enjoyed them.
I’m passing this book around to other Holmes fans because there was a lot to get from this.

[Marathon County Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes is probably the most widely-known and beloved character in English literature. His adventures, as chronicled in four novels and 56 short stories, have enthralled millions of people over the decades. Holmes and his faithful companion, Dr. Watson, have also been portrayed in dozens of plays, radio programs and films by the likes of Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett and Benedict Cumberbatch. SHERLOCK HOLMES FAQ is a one-stop shopping guide to all things Holmes, detailing the back-story of all written stories and filmed/spoken adventures interwoven with a biography of Conan Doyle. It's a lively, opinionated and entertaining tribute to the 'Great Detective.'

Mike O. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

[Sara Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this through Netgalley.

This fun, fact-filled book is a great companion for any Holmes fan. But be warned, if you haven't finished reading the original works by Doyle, you will want to hold off on this FAQ. Thompson gives a rundown of all the stories and in doing so, often reveals the outcome. I had to skip though about half of the summaries since I'm still reading through Doyle's work. But I did appreciate the depth of research that Thompson brings (though a time or two I thought he did rattle on about rather unimportant, unrelated items...I'm more interested in Holmes, not later writers who are inspired by the stories...might just be me!)

[Mysteryfan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a terrific 21st century take on Sherlock Homes. It comes complete with synopses for all the stories and some of the movies and television shows. He writes about Arthur Conan Doyle's life, career, and interests. He also sets the stage with details about the London fog, Scotland Yard, and even the Underground. His comments on Doctor Who and Benedict Cumberbatch add fun to his lively writing style and it's well-researched.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice book of the history/story of sherlock holmes!