A review by judyward
The Sherlockian by Graham Moore

4.0

I have to admit that I had to be talked into this book by my friend, the librarian at our local library. She threw it on my pile of books, I took it off, and she put it back on. Okay, I caved under the pressure. So glad that I did. This was a fun read for any admirer of the Sherlock Holmes stories and I definitely am in that group. In December 1893, readers of the Strand magazine opened the latest issue to discover the shocking news that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes. People in London started wearing black arm bands in mourning and verbally assaulting Doyle in public in protest. Then he just as suddenly resurrected him in 1901. What happened during those intervening years? This book alternates between the late 19th century and the early 21st century. The section covering the "unknown" years of Doyle deals with the journal covering much of that period that has been missing since his death, his friendship with Bram Stoker, and his attempts to assist Scotand Yard in their investigation of the murder of several suffragettes. The chapters dealing with the early 21st century deal with a murder investigation of a prominent member of the Baker Street Irregulars at their annual meeting and an attempt to finally discover the location of the missing journal and unlock the mystery of the death and reemergence of Sherlock Holmes. Very enjoyable.