"Perfect holiday gift"

Last year's perfect holiday gift for the mystery readers were the Holmes 56 short stories with illustrations and notes that provided incredible insight into the author and the great detective. Leslie Klinger, who pulled off the miracle of Christmas 2004, does it again for 2005. This time the Holmes scholar provides illustrations (some came with the original novels) and astute footnotes and more to the four Holmes novels (SEE A STUDY IN SCARLET, THE SIGN OF FOUR, THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, and THE VALLEY OF FEAR). As with the shorts, besides having the novels (this reviewer read the last one for the first time recently) the tome contains anecdotes and definitions to Victorian era terms and lively Holmesian debates and treatise on related subjects. The third stand alone homage to Mr. Doyle is the holiday present of this year and not just for the Baker Street Irregulars.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted January 16, 2006