Baker Street is the only street in the world which is famous wherever the English language is spoken as being the home of a character in fiction. Yet no one has so far been able to identify the house in Baker Street in which he lived. This is but one of the many gaps in our knowledge of Sherlock Holmes and of his equally famous companion, Dr. Watson. When was Holmes born? Which was his university ? How many times was Watson married and in what years? Why did he leave Baker Street without a word of explanation in 1896 ? Why did the two Moriarty brothers have the same Christian name? Why were there apparently different cases all known as "the Second Stain" ?

This biography of Sherlock Holmes, which originated from the author's re-reading of the Sherlock Holmes stories to his daughter, supplies an answer to these mysteries and to many others. The author takes the sixty cases narrated by Watson, many of which are undated, deduces the year in each case, and weaves the whole into a single continuous story.

To those who are partial to the London of gaslight, hansom cabs, feather boas and income tax at one shilling and twopence in the pound, this book can be recommended.