Sherlock Holmes's London (Hardback)

Sherlock Holmes - perhaps the most famous detective of all time - had an intimate knowledge and the topography of London. His partner, Dr Watson, also had a sixth sense about the people and the places they lived in. In this entertaining and informative book, David Sinclair recreates the London Holmes and Watson knew, and relates it to modern London. The author follows the routes that Holmes took on the trail of criminals - whether to Brixton and Kennington on the trail of the murdered Enoch J. Drebber, or to Bloomsbury and Covent Garden in search of the man who stole the blue carbuncle - creating an entertaining detective story in itself as he relates places in the stories to places that exist now. Sifting through mystery and disguise, the author tracks down the real Langham Hotel and speculates on the location of the Diogenes Club and Saxe-Coburg Square. The book identifies the scenes of crimes, the homes of villains and victims, as well as the restaurants, theaters and concert halls where Holmes and London relaxed off-duty. It also recreates the unique atmosphere of a London sometimes darkened by smog and where travel was by hansom cab and brougham.