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A review by samharnold
The Men Who Were Sherlock Holmes: A True-Life Victorian Murder Mystery by Daniel Smith
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
I first thought this book would be a perfect read for a Sherlock Holmes fan like me. There was a great use of passages from the novels to support the evidence Smith was giving on why Bell and Littlejohn inspired Doyle.
As the book moved on from the initial chapters, the link between the book and the fictional detective seemed more and more strained. Littlejohn was never recognised as an inspiration for the Holmes character, and it may be that Smith used this connection to validate his book.
However, this is not to say that this book was terrible, as it is a brilliant read that looks at a fascinating case that would have confused even the great detective himself. For anyone interested in crime, it is also a brilliant look at early forensic techniques and where the methods we rely on today started.
The book is easy to read, riveting and well-researched, which is why the title of the book is disappointing. The book would stand well independently without the connection to Sherlock Holmes. The title encourages people to read it, which I can understand as a writer, but it seems to devalue the book.
This is not to say there is no connection to Holmes throughout, but they are only about a quarter of the book. The rest is this fascinating murder case. Smith provides examples from Doyle's books that he references as relating to the case, but they are so generic they could belong to any case.
Overall, I loved this book and couldn't put it down; if it had not been for the clickbait title, I would have given it more stars.
As the book moved on from the initial chapters, the link between the book and the fictional detective seemed more and more strained. Littlejohn was never recognised as an inspiration for the Holmes character, and it may be that Smith used this connection to validate his book.
However, this is not to say that this book was terrible, as it is a brilliant read that looks at a fascinating case that would have confused even the great detective himself. For anyone interested in crime, it is also a brilliant look at early forensic techniques and where the methods we rely on today started.
The book is easy to read, riveting and well-researched, which is why the title of the book is disappointing. The book would stand well independently without the connection to Sherlock Holmes. The title encourages people to read it, which I can understand as a writer, but it seems to devalue the book.
This is not to say there is no connection to Holmes throughout, but they are only about a quarter of the book. The rest is this fascinating murder case. Smith provides examples from Doyle's books that he references as relating to the case, but they are so generic they could belong to any case.
Overall, I loved this book and couldn't put it down; if it had not been for the clickbait title, I would have given it more stars.