The Man Who Would Be Sherlock: The Real-Life Adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote extensively about mysteries and detective work through his best-known sleuthing character, Sherlock Holmes. From the late 1800s through the 1920s, Doyle found he was unable to shake the character he had created or the fans who had grown to love Holmes. Sandford’s book is not a biography about Sherlock Holmes, though; instead it is about the creator himself, Conan Doyle. Sandford traces Doyle’s life from childhood throughout the creation and subsequent popularity of Sherlock Holmes. The author’s focus stayed with the real-life cases Doyle helped investigate, studying crime scenes and evidence.
Doyle studied crime scenes and wrote letters on behalf of the wrongfully accused. He was deeply interested in real-life mysteries that stumped the authorities as well as a more peculiar interest in occult matters such as mediums and seances.
Sandford did a great deal of research for this biography and managed to convincingly show the similarities between Doyle and his fictional creation, Holmes. As gripping as the individual mysteries Doyle investigated were, the cases often fall into an unfortunate rhythm of tedium in this biography. Still, it’s recommended for readers with an appreciation for Sherlock Holmes, the character from whom Doyle never fully divorced himself.
