What do you think?
Rate this book
The Ardlamont Mystery: The Real-Life Story Behind the Creation of Sherlock Holmes
The real-life mystery featuring the two men - Joseph Bell and Henry Littlejohn - who inspired the creation of Sherlock Holmes.December 1893. Arthur Conan Doyle shocks his legions of fans by killing off the world's favourite fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. Meanwhile, in Scotland, a sensational real-life murder trial is playing out. Alfred Monson, a scion of the aristocracy, is charged with killing a young army lieutenant, Cecil Hambrough, on the sprawling Ardlamont estate. The worlds of crime fiction and crime fact are about to collide spectacularly.Among the key prosecution witnesses that the Ardlamont case brought together were two esteemed Edinburgh doctors, Joseph Bell and Henry Littlejohn. Bell - Doyle's tutor when the author studied medicine in the 1870s - had recently been unmasked as the inspiration behind the creation of Sherlock Holmes (Doyle said of Bell, 'It is most certainly to you that I owe Sherlock Holmes.'). But what the public did not know was that Bell and Littlejohn - a pioneer in the emerging field of forensic detection - had actually been investigating crimes together for more than twenty years. Largely unacknowledged, Littlejohn deserves equal billing as the prototype of Baker Street's most famous resident.In The Ardlamont Mystery, author Daniel Smith re-examines the evidence of the case that gripped Victorian Britain, putting forward his own theory as to why Cecil Hambrough was murdered. Outlining the key roles of the men whose powers of deduction and detection had so inspired Doyle, Smith explores the real-world origins of Sherlock Holmes through the prism of a mystery as engrossing as any case the Great Detective ever tackled. Will Bell and Littlejohn's shared faith in science and reason be enough to see justice win out?
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2018
15 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 9, 2020
Un joven aristócrata que está bajo la tutela de un hombre sin escrúpulos. Un hombre que vive de la palabrería, las apariencias y de préstamos y seguros fraudulentos. Un accidente de caza en una finca aislada en Argyllshire, Escocia. Unos investigadores populares y un caso tan sumamente mediático que aún se sigue hablando de él a día de hoy.
Estos son los ingredientes de este ensayo publicado por Daniel Smith en 2018 y que nos trae @larrad con traducción de Patricia Losa Pedrero.
La ilustración de portada es de Iban Barrenetxea.
.
Hay vida (🤭) detrás de Jack el Destripador, el crimen más sonado de la criminología británica, y es que el caso Ardlamont causó auténtica sensación en 1893 y los años posteriores.
Una de las cosas que llamó la atención de las masas fue que el acusado era alguien de clase alta e inteligente, todo lo contrario de la imagen estereotipada que tenía la sociedad victoriana de un criminal, es decir, de clase baja e inteligencia limitada (¿os suena alguien llamado Moriarty?).
Otro de los aspectos más llamativos del caso fue la participación en la acusación de los doctores Joseph Bell y Henry Littlejohn, eminencias de la sociedad escocesa y de la escena judicial del momento, acudieron en calidad de expertos para dar su opinión sobre las pruebas del delito. Pero eso no es todo porque por aquel entonces ya se sabía que Bell había sido una clara fuente de inspiración para Conan Doyle en la creación de su personaje más mítico, Sherlock Holmes. El primer capítulo está dedicado enteramente a contar esta conexión y a lo largo de toda la obra Smith nos va dando pinceladas de las interconexiones entre el caso real y la creación de Doyle.
.
La estructura del ensayo me ha parecido magnífica. Primero se nos presenta a Bell y Littlejohn y se nos ofrece una didáctica explicación de la situación de la ciencia forense del momento. Después aparecen en escena el resto de personajes y sus historias personales. Después vienen los hechos, la investigación y juicio. Esta parte es trepidante y no se puede dejar de leer. El tercio final está dedicado a la resolución del juicio y a sus consecuencias para terminar con un pequeño giro en forma de especulación. No cuento más por no destripar pero ganas de hablar de ello no me faltan.
.
Si os gustan los juicios, la ciencia forense y un buen misterio no os perdáis este ensayo. Y es que a veces la realidad supera la ficción y nos regala historias como esta.
Estos son los ingredientes de este ensayo publicado por Daniel Smith en 2018 y que nos trae @larrad con traducción de Patricia Losa Pedrero.
La ilustración de portada es de Iban Barrenetxea.
.
Hay vida (🤭) detrás de Jack el Destripador, el crimen más sonado de la criminología británica, y es que el caso Ardlamont causó auténtica sensación en 1893 y los años posteriores.
Una de las cosas que llamó la atención de las masas fue que el acusado era alguien de clase alta e inteligente, todo lo contrario de la imagen estereotipada que tenía la sociedad victoriana de un criminal, es decir, de clase baja e inteligencia limitada (¿os suena alguien llamado Moriarty?).
Otro de los aspectos más llamativos del caso fue la participación en la acusación de los doctores Joseph Bell y Henry Littlejohn, eminencias de la sociedad escocesa y de la escena judicial del momento, acudieron en calidad de expertos para dar su opinión sobre las pruebas del delito. Pero eso no es todo porque por aquel entonces ya se sabía que Bell había sido una clara fuente de inspiración para Conan Doyle en la creación de su personaje más mítico, Sherlock Holmes. El primer capítulo está dedicado enteramente a contar esta conexión y a lo largo de toda la obra Smith nos va dando pinceladas de las interconexiones entre el caso real y la creación de Doyle.
.
La estructura del ensayo me ha parecido magnífica. Primero se nos presenta a Bell y Littlejohn y se nos ofrece una didáctica explicación de la situación de la ciencia forense del momento. Después aparecen en escena el resto de personajes y sus historias personales. Después vienen los hechos, la investigación y juicio. Esta parte es trepidante y no se puede dejar de leer. El tercio final está dedicado a la resolución del juicio y a sus consecuencias para terminar con un pequeño giro en forma de especulación. No cuento más por no destripar pero ganas de hablar de ello no me faltan.
.
Si os gustan los juicios, la ciencia forense y un buen misterio no os perdáis este ensayo. Y es que a veces la realidad supera la ficción y nos regala historias como esta.
November 7, 2022
A fascinating insight into the characters behind (and influencing) the Sherlock Holmes series of novels, some of the key characters in the Ardlamont case of 1893 where a young man died, and the crossover between the two. Well worth a read.
Read
October 16, 2021Bogged down in detail having absolutely nothing to do with Sherlock Holmes - or Drs. Bell and Littlejohn, for that matter. A disappointment that I don't care to prolong, so calling it quits.
December 17, 2022
An entertaining read but not the easiest, about a diverse group of main characters and a mystery providing an intriguing insight to Victorian world and Holmes-mania.
This book would’ve benefited from a cast of characters for readers to flick to along with some streamlining. The author repeats themselves a lot which begins to muddle details for the reader about the what occurred especially when they are considering different theories.
This book would’ve benefited from a cast of characters for readers to flick to along with some streamlining. The author repeats themselves a lot which begins to muddle details for the reader about the what occurred especially when they are considering different theories.
April 29, 2019
The book was interesting in many aspects: it recounted the atmosphere of late-Victorian crime investigating and court procedures, gave insights into the characters of three celebrated doctors—Henry Littlejohn, Joseph Bell, and Heron Watson—who were pioneers of forensics, Conan Doyle’s teachers, and inspiration for the famous detective duo. The case itself was very intriguing in its complexity and described in a clear, concise way. The title of the book might be misleading, though, because it’s not a story behind the creation of Sherlock Holmes per se, since the case took place in 1893, when Holmes had already captivated the readers. But the Ardlamont Mystery certainly gives a flavour of the Holmesian epoch and throws some light on his origins, namely that Conan Doyle studied forensics from the best which enabled him to create a character whose methods were adopted by the police only decades later.
May 12, 2020
Es un libro interesante, aunque requiere de mucha atención del lector para no perderse en cada uno de los detalles e información que arroja su autor.
Ofrece diferentes partes y enfoques de diferentes temas:
- En primer lugar, el caso real que lo motivó todo: el misterio de Ardlamont, en el que el joven heredero de un aristócrata con apuros económicos muere en extrañas circunstancias cuando está de cacería con Monson, la persona responsable de su cuidado y educación. Un hombre avaricioso y con pocos escrúpulos.
- También lo que este caso supuso para que las pruebas forenses y los ensayos médicos tuvieran más trascendencia en un juicio como este.
- Y por supuesto, los reputados protagonistas, encargados de seguir esas pruebas. Así como los paralelismos con el personaje de Sherlock Holmes, tan famoso en la época y que se había creado como inspiración de los primeros.
Pero, pese a que es una lectura apasionante en lo que no puedes despistarte ni un minuto para no perder el hilo, tiene ciertos altibajos que no deja del todo satisfecho. Para empezar, el autor es un erudito y fanático de Sherlock Holmes y la obra de Conan Doyle. Hay tantas referencias, paralelismos, que en algún momento llega a restarle rigor a tan detallado ensayo.
Luego, como decía, hay una reconstrucción excesiva de los precedentes del presunto asesino, Monson. Explica los diferentes malabares que juega a la hora de embaucar económicamente a aseguradoras, socios, bancos, financieras, prestamistas hasta el día del incidente. Yo perdí el hilo en varias ocasiones.
Más tarde nos presenta a las personas reales que inspiraron a Arthur Conan Doyle para crear a Sherlock Holmes y que se implicaron en este juicio para recopilar todas las pruebas forenses necesarias para acusar a Monson. Y pese a que les dedica muchas páginas del libro, veremos que estos no llegan a tener el peso decisivo para la resolución del caso.
Sigue con el juicio en sí, un diario de su desarrollo, el impacto que tuvo en la sociedad británica, las declaraciones y las acusaciones que se dieron en él. Sus protagonistas se muestran como el plato fuerte del libro. Pero al final, como el juicio, queda todo como un poco descafeinado y sobredimensionado.
Por último, tenemos el “qué paso después” para sus protagonistas, como si de una peli de juicios se tratara.
El libro, como decía, está bien. Es interesante si te llama el tema. Requiere actitud del lector y mente despierta, pese a que es muy claro en la exposición de los hechos. Por eso se lo recomendaría a los interesados en la historia criminal, la novela negra o los amantes de Sherlock Holmes.
Bien editado por Larrad Ediciones, solo he echado en falta ilustraciones o algunas imágenes para acompañar los análisis del autor. Incluso para mostrar los periódicos de la época o a los protagonistas reales. La traducción es impecable. Ha faltado alguna revisión en algunas fechas que son fácilmente reconocibles como erróneas pues sitúan algunos hechos 100 años más tarde (pone 19XX en vez de 18XX un par de veces).
Ofrece diferentes partes y enfoques de diferentes temas:
- En primer lugar, el caso real que lo motivó todo: el misterio de Ardlamont, en el que el joven heredero de un aristócrata con apuros económicos muere en extrañas circunstancias cuando está de cacería con Monson, la persona responsable de su cuidado y educación. Un hombre avaricioso y con pocos escrúpulos.
- También lo que este caso supuso para que las pruebas forenses y los ensayos médicos tuvieran más trascendencia en un juicio como este.
- Y por supuesto, los reputados protagonistas, encargados de seguir esas pruebas. Así como los paralelismos con el personaje de Sherlock Holmes, tan famoso en la época y que se había creado como inspiración de los primeros.
Pero, pese a que es una lectura apasionante en lo que no puedes despistarte ni un minuto para no perder el hilo, tiene ciertos altibajos que no deja del todo satisfecho. Para empezar, el autor es un erudito y fanático de Sherlock Holmes y la obra de Conan Doyle. Hay tantas referencias, paralelismos, que en algún momento llega a restarle rigor a tan detallado ensayo.
Luego, como decía, hay una reconstrucción excesiva de los precedentes del presunto asesino, Monson. Explica los diferentes malabares que juega a la hora de embaucar económicamente a aseguradoras, socios, bancos, financieras, prestamistas hasta el día del incidente. Yo perdí el hilo en varias ocasiones.
Más tarde nos presenta a las personas reales que inspiraron a Arthur Conan Doyle para crear a Sherlock Holmes y que se implicaron en este juicio para recopilar todas las pruebas forenses necesarias para acusar a Monson. Y pese a que les dedica muchas páginas del libro, veremos que estos no llegan a tener el peso decisivo para la resolución del caso.
Sigue con el juicio en sí, un diario de su desarrollo, el impacto que tuvo en la sociedad británica, las declaraciones y las acusaciones que se dieron en él. Sus protagonistas se muestran como el plato fuerte del libro. Pero al final, como el juicio, queda todo como un poco descafeinado y sobredimensionado.
Por último, tenemos el “qué paso después” para sus protagonistas, como si de una peli de juicios se tratara.
El libro, como decía, está bien. Es interesante si te llama el tema. Requiere actitud del lector y mente despierta, pese a que es muy claro en la exposición de los hechos. Por eso se lo recomendaría a los interesados en la historia criminal, la novela negra o los amantes de Sherlock Holmes.
Bien editado por Larrad Ediciones, solo he echado en falta ilustraciones o algunas imágenes para acompañar los análisis del autor. Incluso para mostrar los periódicos de la época o a los protagonistas reales. La traducción es impecable. Ha faltado alguna revisión en algunas fechas que son fácilmente reconocibles como erróneas pues sitúan algunos hechos 100 años más tarde (pone 19XX en vez de 18XX un par de veces).
April 1, 2020
This was a delightfully different kind of book, a non-fiction piece that looked into a real life mystery while showing how it led to the creation of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It’s a story that I was previously only vaguely aware of, and so it was a pleasure to read about what actually led to the creation of literature’s greatest detective.
What’s cool is that this is a beautiful little hardback with a stunning interior layout and a genuinely well-written non-fiction narrative. It’s basically true crime mixed with geeky stuff for Sherlock Holmes fans, and so if either of those things float your boat then you’re probably going to like it.
I’ve had this sitting around for a little while now and I’m not sure why it took me so long to get to it. When I finally picked it up, I got hooked, and I think it’s the non-fiction book that I’ve enjoyed the most since I got to Rebellious Spirits by Ruth Ball a year or so ago. But then I’m probably forgetting something.
So all in all, I’d definitely recommend this one if you’re into Sherlock Holmes or into true crime, because this has a lot of both. It’s also just a well-written non-fiction book in general. It’s the perfect subject matter and a great delivery and overall, just a good book. There’s a lot that I like here, so there’s that.
What’s cool is that this is a beautiful little hardback with a stunning interior layout and a genuinely well-written non-fiction narrative. It’s basically true crime mixed with geeky stuff for Sherlock Holmes fans, and so if either of those things float your boat then you’re probably going to like it.
I’ve had this sitting around for a little while now and I’m not sure why it took me so long to get to it. When I finally picked it up, I got hooked, and I think it’s the non-fiction book that I’ve enjoyed the most since I got to Rebellious Spirits by Ruth Ball a year or so ago. But then I’m probably forgetting something.
So all in all, I’d definitely recommend this one if you’re into Sherlock Holmes or into true crime, because this has a lot of both. It’s also just a well-written non-fiction book in general. It’s the perfect subject matter and a great delivery and overall, just a good book. There’s a lot that I like here, so there’s that.
September 15, 2019
Okay, first of all, the subtitle, "The Real-Life Story Behind the Creation of Sherlock Holmes," is so grossly misleading as to be a lie. The death of Cecil Hambrough in 1893 had nothing whatsoever to do with the creation of Sherlock Holmes in 1887. What the subtitle means, when you unpack it properly, is that the two men who were the inspiration for Holmes (Joseph Bell and Henry Littlejohn--Bell is the famous one, but I'm willing to buy Smith's argument about Littlejohn being in there, too) were expert witnesses at the trial of Alfred Monson for the murder of Cecil Hambrough.
This is a very good book about the death of Cecil Hambrough, encumbered by an overly labored attempt to get Sherlock Holmes in there somehow. Smith does a good job of laying out the evidence, and I like his explanation of the anomalies and seeming contradictions, but Ardlamont is a terrible example if you want art imitates life/life imitates art, because these real-life Sherlocks failed in this particular instance. Monson, tried in Edinburgh, got off with the Scottish verdict of "not proven."
This is a very good book about the death of Cecil Hambrough, encumbered by an overly labored attempt to get Sherlock Holmes in there somehow. Smith does a good job of laying out the evidence, and I like his explanation of the anomalies and seeming contradictions, but Ardlamont is a terrible example if you want art imitates life/life imitates art, because these real-life Sherlocks failed in this particular instance. Monson, tried in Edinburgh, got off with the Scottish verdict of "not proven."
December 9, 2023
Ebook notes: narrative text was 88% of whole file. Remainder was bibliography, etc. No endnotes were included per the author's note at the beginning of the book.
I think the subtitle was a bit misleading, honestly. While the Edinburgh doctors Joseph Bell and Henry Littlejohn were at least partially the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes (Doyle knew both men, and worked for Bell in his youth), that is not really the focus of this book. The majority of the book centers on the death of Cecil Hambrough and the subsequent trial of Alfred Monson. Littlejohn and Bell both testified in that trial, which was the "trial of the century" of its day. I also thought there were a lot of names to keep track of -- Monson was involved with a lot of dodgy people, and it often got confusing trying to remember who was who. I'm left with the impression that there are two interesting stories in this book, and in trying to combine them Smith gave short shrift to both.
I think the subtitle was a bit misleading, honestly. While the Edinburgh doctors Joseph Bell and Henry Littlejohn were at least partially the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes (Doyle knew both men, and worked for Bell in his youth), that is not really the focus of this book. The majority of the book centers on the death of Cecil Hambrough and the subsequent trial of Alfred Monson. Littlejohn and Bell both testified in that trial, which was the "trial of the century" of its day. I also thought there were a lot of names to keep track of -- Monson was involved with a lot of dodgy people, and it often got confusing trying to remember who was who. I'm left with the impression that there are two interesting stories in this book, and in trying to combine them Smith gave short shrift to both.
January 21, 2025
Interesting story of a Victorian case involving a death by shooting on the Ardlamont estate. Was it murder or an accident? Joseph Bell (who Conan Doyle said was an inspiration in the creation of Sherlock Holmes) and Henry Littlejohn gave evidence for the prosecution to the effect that the fatal shot could only have been made by a third party. This was challenged by defence expert evidence. After a summing up by the judge favourable to the defence the jury returned the peculiarly Scottish verdict of "not proven". The author examines the case in detail although it is questionable whether it was "the real-life case behind the creation of Sherlock Holmes" as Sherlock Holmes had already been created by then.
September 10, 2020
I think the title of the book is a little misleading. While the book does give an insight into the man whom Sir Arthur Conan Doyle based Sherlock Holmes off of, the Sherlock stories had been in print for many years before the Ardlamont killing took place.
This book was pretty good. I think it's probably a struggle for writers of historical murder cases to keep them interesting and intriguing for modern day readers. I end up feeling that much of what is written could be condensed into many less pages. I felt that sometimes the chapters were a little scattered in organization when talking about the people within this crime.
This book was pretty good. I think it's probably a struggle for writers of historical murder cases to keep them interesting and intriguing for modern day readers. I end up feeling that much of what is written could be condensed into many less pages. I felt that sometimes the chapters were a little scattered in organization when talking about the people within this crime.
November 26, 2019
Are you a Sherlock Holmes fan? Do you read true crime? Do you like historical fiction and fact? If so, this is the perfect read for you. The death of a young man, either an accident or by persons unknown, is the setting for this real- life drama involving two men who come to be known as the models for Sherlock Holmes and Watson. The accompanying photos in the book help you to keep track of the characters involved and the scene of the trial.
January 3, 2020
The subtitle is just about as misleading as a subtitle can be. The book has little to nothing to do with the creation of Holmes. It's about a Victorian mystery that two men who were the inspiration for Holmes took part in. It's really the author's attempt to reconstruct the crime and draw conclusions based on the extant narratives.
I read most of it but ended up skimming the last few chapters because it was so signally NOT about Holmes. Very, very disappointing.
I read most of it but ended up skimming the last few chapters because it was so signally NOT about Holmes. Very, very disappointing.
January 23, 2024
এমন বদ রসিকতা করার জন্য লেখককে ফেলুদার ভাষায় 'সাতদিনের ফাঁসি' দেওয়া উচিত। কী অত্যাশ্চর্য জঘন্য বই মাইরি। দোষটা আমারই। এই বুড়ো বয়সেও যদি বইয়ের টাইটেল দেখে বিভ্রান্ত হই , কার কী করার আছে?
আমার বোঝা উচিত ছিল যে Ardlamont কান্ডটি ঘটেছিল ১৮৯৩ সালে। হোমস তদ্দিনে জনমানসে grip পেয়ে গিয়েছেন।
তবুও পজিটিভ দিক এটুকুই কে উনিশটি অধ্যায়ের প্রথম তিনটি পড়েই মোদ্দা ব্যাপারটা বুঝে রণে ভঙ্গ দিলুম। হোমসিয়ান ভার্স বা লেইট-ভিকটোরিয়ান অন্ধকার সমাজ, আইনব্যবস্থা বোঝার ঢের ভালো বই আছে।
ইতর লেখক।
আমার বোঝা উচিত ছিল যে Ardlamont কান্ডটি ঘটেছিল ১৮৯৩ সালে। হোমস তদ্দিনে জনমানসে grip পেয়ে গিয়েছেন।
তবুও পজিটিভ দিক এটুকুই কে উনিশটি অধ্যায়ের প্রথম তিনটি পড়েই মোদ্দা ব্যাপারটা বুঝে রণে ভঙ্গ দিলুম। হোমসিয়ান ভার্স বা লেইট-ভিকটোরিয়ান অন্ধকার সমাজ, আইনব্যবস্থা বোঝার ঢের ভালো বই আছে।
ইতর লেখক।
September 23, 2022
An historical contextual book set in the late 19th century, apparently foretelling the birth of Sherlock Holmes books. Jam packed with detail and supporting facts, the reader is well within their rights to feel lectured at, overwhelmed, no room left to doubt …. Anything!
The beginnings of law and justice, logic and emotion, greed and journalism.
The beginnings of law and justice, logic and emotion, greed and journalism.
January 5, 2025
As a Victorian true life mystery and subsequent trial, it was very informative. However, filled out with some unesscesary trivialities which didn't relate to Ardlamont Ithe book became quite boring in places. The prominence given to Sherlock Holmes on the cover I expect, is to attract his fans who may be disappointed in this book
August 5, 2019
I enjoyed this book but found the story did not match my expectations as set forth by the title. I did learn a bit about the doctors who seem to have influenced the character of Sherlock Holmes and I intend to read more about them.
February 9, 2020
Whereas Smith sifts every last scrap of the defendant’s and victim’s backstories, the key medical witnesses—Joseph Bell and Henry Littlejohn, upon whom Doyle based Sherlock Holmes—have walk-on parts at best. An assiduously researched historical non-event with a reprehensibly misleading subtitle.
July 15, 2019
Sorry but I found this book laborious and at time appearing to be bogging itself down with elongated paragraphs not required.
August 16, 2019
I could not get into this book. The style of writing was awful. Boring, at best. I only got through the first section before Chapter One, and then gave up.
August 20, 2019
Just okay...found it pretty tedious.
October 4, 2019
I was not overly impressed with this book. Part of it I found tedious. I really do not have anything more to say.
October 7, 2019
This is a true crime book, it has no relation to the creation of Sherlock Holmes. The book is okay, but the false promise of being the impetus for Sherlock Holmes lessens the book.
January 22, 2020
I skimmed more towards the end but for the most part an enjoyable read.
April 21, 2022
An incorrect tagline but a fascinating piece of literary but also medical jurisprudence history.
January 29, 2023
This is well written with a lot of detail conveyed here. The author does a good job of making it readable and interesting. Sherlock Holmes fans should love this.
December 11, 2018
Smith brilliantly recreates an infamous Victorian-era Scottish murder case and argues that Dr. Henry Littlejohn, a pioneering forensic scientist and an expert witness at the trial, should share his colleague Dr. Joseph Bell’s mantle of “The Original Sherlock Holmes.” The author's account of the 1893 murder at the Ardlamont estate and the trial that followed is a great true-crime read, filled with twists and turns and culminating in a surprise verdict. As for Smith’s assertion that Bell is only one of the real-life inspirations for Holmes – that’s a compelling case, based largely on circumstantial evidence, that Conan Doyle fans will be eager to judge for themselves.
September 6, 2024
This was a very interesting book, giving a good account of the tools and techniques available to investigators of late-Victorian crime, and the challenges they faced in comparison to their modern-day counterparts.
I found the story of the crime itself and the courtroom drama that unfolded in its aftermath a little hard to follow at times, possibly due to the wealth of detail that the author includes in this book, and that I feel the story got bogged down by a little bit.
The insights into the careers of Littlejohn and Bell, the apparent inspiration for Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes character, were fascinating to read about, although the link from them to that fictional character, who was already widely published by the time the crime covered in this work took place, was tenuous at best, leading to a somewhat misleading title.
In summary, an interesting story, but not exactly what the title suggested, and a bit of an effort to get through.
With thanks to the author, publishers Michael O’Mara Limited, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I found the story of the crime itself and the courtroom drama that unfolded in its aftermath a little hard to follow at times, possibly due to the wealth of detail that the author includes in this book, and that I feel the story got bogged down by a little bit.
The insights into the careers of Littlejohn and Bell, the apparent inspiration for Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes character, were fascinating to read about, although the link from them to that fictional character, who was already widely published by the time the crime covered in this work took place, was tenuous at best, leading to a somewhat misleading title.
In summary, an interesting story, but not exactly what the title suggested, and a bit of an effort to get through.
With thanks to the author, publishers Michael O’Mara Limited, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 22, 2025
It was an interesting story, but the book is not as advertised. Though it described the models for Sherlock Holmes in some detail, and their role in this investigation and trial, the story was really about the defendant in the trial. The references in the book to Holmes seemed forced.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews