First published 2021
Vincent Starrett presents a curated anthology examining literature's most famous consulting detective. The collection brings together academic investigations and literary appreciations of Holmes and Watson. Contributors explore questions like whether Holmes might have been American, the hidden secrets of Watson's character, and the peculiar dynamics of life at 221B Baker Street. The volume includes work from notable figures including illustrator Frederic Dorr Steele, writers Christopher Morley and Elmer Davis, the mysterious "Jane Nightwork," and Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle himself. Starrett, who founded the Baker Street Irregulars and wrote extensively about Holmes, combines rigorous scholarship with genuine fan devotion. These essays delve into topics ranging from the emotional landscape of Baker Street to the care required for maintaining a brilliant but difficult detective. The collection offers both serious literary analysis and playful speculation for readers fascinated by the world Doyle created.
Genres: biography, classic-literature, anthologies, 20th-century, 19th-century, books-about-books, academia, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family, literary-analysis
Setting: 221B Baker Street, London
Period: 19th Century, 20th Century
294 pages · Kindle Edition · MysteriousPress.com/Open Road