Holmes and Watson - Softcover

Thomson, June

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0749011386 ISBN 13: 9780749011383

Publisher: Allison & Busby, 2012

Synopsis

TWO IMMORTAL CHARACTERS, A CHANCE MEETING, A VISIT TO 221B BAKER STREET. THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MOST FAMOUS FRIENDSHIP EVER RECORDED. Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson, famous for their crime-solving capabilities, are mysterious figures themselves. What is known about their pasts, and the reasons behind their very different personalities? What led two strikingly different individuals to form a relationship which would last for over forty-six years? This detailed and enthralling account ponders answers to the many uncertainties and enigmas which surround the pair. And there are other puzzles to be solved. When did the case of the Hound of the Baskervilles actually occur? Who was John Watson’s mysterious second wife? And what is the real location of the legendary 221B Baker Street? A thorough investigation commences as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creations are placed under the magnifying glass . . .

About this title

About the Author

JUNE THOMSON, a former teacher, has published over twenty crime novels including other pastiches of Holmes’ short stories available from Allison & Busby. Her books have been translated into many languages. She lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire.

From Publishers Weekly

British crime novelist Thomson, author of four collections of Holmes short stories, combines the canonical facts with the best of recent scholarship in this winning dual biography of that Victorian odd couple, Sherlock Holmes and his chronicler, Dr. John H. Watson. Unlike many Holmes biographers, the author trips lightly over data where it is vague, inconsistent or nonexistent, consigning discussion of such pedantic matters as problems of dating and the location of 221B Baker St. to appendices. In her prologue she just as deftly puts to rest the claim that the relationship between the two men was homosexual. Not content simply to cite higher authorities, Thomson with unobtrusive modesty puts forward her own theories on such hotly debated issues as the identity of the king of Bohemia and the second Mrs. Watson. Applying modern psychology, she makes the elementary deduction that the great detective was manic-depressive, but is also diligent in documenting other sides of his complex character such as the sentimental keeping of Irene Adler's picture. One advantage of the book's chronological approach is that the reader sees Holmes's character mature, from the impetuous young man of A Study in Scarlet to the mellow 60-year-old who takes his last bow at the start of the Great War. This is one of the finer case studies of one of literature's most celebrated friendships. (Mar. 1) Forecast: A future classic of Holmesian higher criticism, this book will attract ordinary fans looking for a readable narrative, not just Baker Street Irregular diehards.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Allison & Busby
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0749011386
• ISBN 13: 9780749011383
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 416