This image is the cover for the book Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

“An in-depth biography of the world’s most famous detective that will intrigue Sherlockians and non-Sherlockians alike.” —Publishers Weekly

He has been called a genius and a fraud, a hero and an addict, but who really was Sherlock Holmes? With an attention to detail that would make his subject envious, Nick Rennison combs the literature for clues, omissions, and inconsistencies in Dr. Watson’s immortal narration. He delves into Holmes’s contact with prominent historical figures—including Oscar Wilde and Sigmund Freud—and uncovers startling, new information.

How did a Cambridge dropout and bit player on the London stage transform himself into a renowned consulting detective? Did he know the identity of Jack the Ripper? When did Holmes and his nemesis, Professor Moriarty, first cross paths? Did Sherlock Holmes, protector of the innocent, commit the very act he so often worked to prevent, the cold-blooded, premeditated murder of Moriarty?

Sherlock Holmes: The Unauthorized Biography answers these questions and many more as it careens through the most infamous crimes and historic events of the Victorian age, all in pursuit of the real man behind the greatest detective in modern fiction—and, just perhaps, nonfiction.

Nick Rennison

Nick Rennison works as an editor, writer and bookseller. His books include a poetry anthology, a short study of Sigmund Freud and two guides to fiction, The Good Reading Guide (6th edition, 2003) and The GoodReading Guide to Crime Fiction (2nd edition, 2003). He has been fascinated by the life and career of Sherlock Holmes since reading about him as a child and wrote Sherlock Homes, published by Atlantic Books, in 2005. Nick Rennison works as an editor, writer and bookseller. His books include a poetry anthology, a short study of Sigmund Freud and two guides to fiction, The Good Reading Guide (6th edition, 2003) and The GoodReading Guide to Crime Fiction (2nd edition, 2003). He has been fascinated by the life and career of Sherlock Holmes since reading about him as a child and wrote Sherlock Homes, published by Atlantic Books, in 2005.

Grove Press