Book description
This collection includes many of the famous cases - and great strokes
of brilliance - that made the legendary Sherlock Holmes one of fiction's
most popular creations. With his devoted amanuensis, Dr Watson, Holmes
emerges from his smoke filled rooms in Baker Street to grapple with the
forces of treachery, intrigue and evil in such cases as 'The Speckled
Band', in which a terrified woman begs their help in solving the mystery
surrounding her sister's death, or 'A Scandal in Bohemia', which
portrays a European king blackmailed by his mistress. In 'Silver Blaze'
the pair investigate the disappearance of a racehorse and the violent
murder of its trainer, while in 'The Final Problem' Holmes at last comes
face to face with his nemesis, the diabolical Professor Moriarty - 'the
Napoleon of crime'.
Edinburgh-born Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) took a degree in
medicine at Edinburgh University before becoming a doctor in Southsea.
He began writing detective stories to supplement his income and 'A
Study in Scarlet' (1887) introduced his finest creation, the hawk-eyed
detective, Sherlock Holmes.
Iain Pears is the is the best-selling author of six detective
novels, including An Instance of the Finger Post.
Ed Glinert is a journalist and writer.
