Oh my. I loved this one! Learning more about Sir Conan Doyle, and the creation of Sherlock Holmes. I have long been a avid fan of the Sherlock Holmes books. But, getting this insight into the man that created him was something else. I enjoyed the back story, the different crimes of the time that Conan Doyle read about and assisted in logical thinking, and the walks about London, that take you to some of the locations that are discussed in the book.

Great read overall!

This is a great, thoroughly researched, guide book to all the haunts of the famous Sherlock Holmes.

The author divides the book into several walking tours you can take around London to visit a number of sites described in Holmes novels and short stories. What really stands out is the level of detail he gives. He doesn't just tell you about a specific attraction. He goes into detail about which stories it featured in and the context of the site in each story.

I will concede that you need to be a real Holmes junkie to appreciate this book, but I fully admit that I am that junkie.

He also includes appendices on theatrical and film adaptations as well as books by other authors featuring Sherlock Holmes.

I could not get enough of this information-dense book and I recommend it to anyone else who is interested in classic mysteries.

Marrying a travel book with a biography- no, two biographies- is genius to my way of thinking particularly when the travel matter is historic London and the biographies are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his fictitious character, Sherlock Holmes. I happily prepared for our walking tour as I snuggled into my reading chair and anticipated a wondrous vicarious experience since I consider myself a semi-serious Holmesian.

Stephen Browning begins with the man who made the book possible. He delivers an interesting biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s life up to the point he began writing the Sherlock Holmes stories. It was a perfect place to start and from there he was able to progress with bio details for Doyle even as he began to chat about Holmes and his Victorian London world through a series of Walking Tours. Each walking tour is between two-three miles long and incorporates different streets and locations mentioned in the Holmes’ stories as well as Doyle’s life. There are even tidbits about family, friends, and literary contemporaries to Doyle along with the mention of real life individuals and their stories that likely and did influence his writing of Sherlock Holmes. Like the celebrity detectives of the day who had some astounding deductions and solving of cases, Doyle’s own two dips into detective work led to the exoneration of both accused. Doyle told a story of meeting two children and their mother and overhearing the little boy talk led to the curious core of one of his favorite stories to write, The Musgrave Ritual.

Fun fact I learned was that the Raffles’ books were written by Conan Doyle’s brother in law and several people have noted some intriguing parallels. There were all sorts of little things that were new to me and I appreciate these little discoveries as I read along. Makes me want to dive back into the Holmes stories and TV/movie adaptions once again to see them in light of these revelations.

In truth, there was much to learn as we meandered along the walking tours and chatted about the scenes, characters, and places involved and bits about the history of the locale. The research and detail that went into making for a colorful backdrop to the walking tours was amazing. I should mention that the author drew mostly from the lore of the stories, but also the TV and film adaptions.On the Trail of Sherlock Holmes is not a book that will be read swiftly or make for a one-sitting read. I found it worked best to read a bit at a time because there is much to absorb between the travel facts of the Walking Tour, the Holmesian details, and the biographical data and stories. It wasn’t dry, but was full of vibe and color. Definitely a book a Holmesian would appreciate or an Anglophile in general.

This incredibly researched book covers every aspect of Arthur Conan Doyle's work. Places I'm familiar with are explored through the lens of Sherlock Holmes. Essential reading for lovers of the genre.

It was a riveting and informative read and it would be the perfect guide for walking tour based on Sherlock Holmes.
Well written, informative, and well researched.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

On the Trail of Sherlock Holmes is an interesting and well written exploration of the actual physical locations included in the Holmes canon presented by Stephen Browning. Due out 31st March 2022 from Pen & Sword, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

A short introductory section covers the background history of Conan Doyle's life and family background, touching on his devotion to his mother throughout her life as well as the difficulties of boarding school and his father's substance abuse issues and decline, alongside his own medical studies and qualifications.

The rest of the book encompasses 8 walking tours of areas immortalised in the stories. The walks vary in length from ca. 3 - 6 km as written. All of the tours include customisable side trips which can increase the length to readers' wishes/time constraints. All of the tours include greyscale maps with arrow directions and good descriptions of sites and points of interest along the route. The author has included comprehensive descriptions and tie-ins to the stories. Whilst most are localised to London and environs, there are descriptions of walking tours elsewhere in the UK as well.

The book also includes appendices with timelines for the canonical stories, a short alphabetical list of actors who have portrayed the Great Detective in film and other media, and an interesting glossary/bullet point list of concepts about Holmes himself.

The writing throughout is accessible and enjoyable to read. Although it's not written as an academic treatise, the book is satisfyingly and precisely annotated and the chapter notes and bibliography will provide readers with hours of additional resources.

Four and a half stars. This is a worthwhile and interesting read. I'm a self-admitted Sherlockian and there was quite a lot of minutiae of which I was previously unaware (Nicol Williamson played Holmes alongside a jaw-droppingly star studded cast? I never knew!).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Armchair Or Otherwise…
Aficionados of Holmes will delight in this beautifully presented book which, apart from outlining the tales and the history of the tales themselves, proceeds to provide a walking tour of Holmes through London - beginning, of course, at Baker Street. With a wholly engaging narrative and a set of photographs for illustration, travel from armchair or otherwise, the Sherlock Holmes trail.

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most beloved fictional characters in the world. His creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, formerly Dr. Arthur Doyle, penned fifty six short stories and four novels and led an adventurous life. In the first half of this fabulous book the author describes Doyle's inspiration for his characters and his personal life including his career as a doctor, spiritualism and family. He goes on to recommend eight walks within London including/starting at Baker Street. Brilliant. The walks include information on length, how much time to expect them to take (including inevitable stops), ease of the walk, loads of relevant information as well as history of the time. Not only that but the last portion includes sites of interest outside London as well as a list of actors who have played Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. To me Jeremy Brett is the only Sherlock Holmes!

I wonder how Doyle would feel about the film and movie depictions over the years since his death. His descriptions of Holmes do not include the deerstalker cap, for example. As a rabid Sherlock Holmes fan it was such fun to read about his stints at sea and literary acquaintances such as Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker. I enjoyed the spa and jumper stories and The Hiatus repercussions for the public at the time. Sherlock Holmes was...and is...practically real! There are references to the likes of the wondrous Wilkie Collins, Dorothy Sayers, Thackeray and Dickens, too.

Sherlock Holmes fans in particular would enjoy this book, especially those who wish to read about and see places associated with him. If in London again I would love to embark on several of the walks and observe the Holmesian buildings, parks, statues and streets written about in this book. I like the inclusion of photos as well.

My sincere thank you to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this wonderful book!

Sherlock Holmes is everyone's favorite character. On The Trail Of Sherlock Holmes by Stephen Browning takes us on an amazing journey, where you can find yourself on the streets of London. The author has penned down minute details of the places and people involved in Sherlock's cases. For me, the book rather came as a surprise as I was expecting a storyline. Instead, it became far more interesting for me as I loved the information, as I am an avid fan of Sherlock Holmes. Reading it was a new experience for me.

Definitely, I would love to give the book 5 stars for its creativeness. Thanks to Netgalley and Pen & Sword Books for giving me an opportunity to read and review the book.

On the Trail of Sherlock Holmes by Stephen Browning is a tour guide of modern London for Sherlock fans.

It begins with a long biography of Conan Doyle, which was very interesting.
But after that, the book wasn't what I expected at all.
I expected historical context of the Sherlock Holmes stories, helping me understand the city and people of the time better. But this is actually more of a tour guide of everything Sherlock related in the London of today.
For example, which places Sherlock and Watson went to in which story, where they met, etc..
Don't get me wrong, the author has undoubtedly researched the subject very thoroughly. But the book to me felt heavy and way too detailed, especially during the walks, where a lot of non Sherlock related information appeared. Though I suppose it must be more interesting when actually walking in London.

So overall, probably a nice London tour guide for Sherlock fans, but not a very good book to read from home if you're one to find detailed information boring.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for giving me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a must read for Sherlock fans. The beginning is a biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, it was incredibly interesting, it went into not only Conan Doyle but also the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes. There was so much I wasn’t aware of about the creator of Sherlock. The second half of the book goes into the places from the Sherlock stories, details about the locations and their significance to both the stories and the Conan Doyle.

Excellent read and a must for all Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle fans alike. Insights into the author and characters at every turn, read it all in one sitting as couldn’t put it down.
#netgallery

Fascinating! This really is a gem of a book, far more detailed than I had anticipated—a veritable encyclopaedia of all things Holmes-related.
It is both an indispensable travel guide and essential addition to the bookshelf of new readers and lifelong Sherlockians alike.
I gained some fascinating new insights, and it cast fresh light on many of my long-held assumptions.

My thanks to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick and easy read, and definitely one for the fans of the great detective and his surrounds.

Since listening to the Sherlock Holmes radio show with my grandfather growing up I have loved everything related to Sherlock Holmes.
This is an absolute must for any Sherlock Holmes fan, this book starts with a biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I loved the fact that he and Bram Stroker knew each other, that was something I did not know. I also loved how the author explained where the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes came from. That was superb!
Then, the second half of the book was really admirable by someone who has not been to London. The author does very detailed information about the different locations in the Sherlock Holmes books and their significance to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This was an amazing book and I enjoyed reading it! The author does a very exceptional job explaining the history, social history, and everything between! I definitely recommend this to any Sherlock Fan or a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writing as well! Thank you to Netgalley and Pen & Sword for the honor of reading and reviewing this one!

WOW, what a fantastic book. I loved from the minute I picked it up. It has been professionally written and the amount of research that has gone into it was fantastic.

I really enjoyed reading the walks the Author has recommended and all the other information on them other than about Holmes was interesting.

Definitely a book that will increase your knowledge about Sherlock and Conan Doyle. I am buying a hard copy for my son once it is released.

Thank you to Net Galley and Pen and Sword for the ARC Copy of the book. The review is my own opinion.

This book begins with a short biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The second largest segment of the text is dedicated to a series of walking tours of London as well as other famous locations scattered throughout the UK. Walking tours include general trivia, duration, landscape features, historical points of interest, connections to various stories from the Sherlock Holmes canon, and much more. This is a great read for any fan of Sherlock Holmes looking to visit London and elsewhere in the UK.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This is a really good mystery that was too short for me.

A fantastic read! Beginning, of course, at Baker Street a series of walks takes in the well-known, as well as some of the more obscure, locations of London as travelled by Holmes and Watson and a gallery of unforgettable characters in the stories. Details of each location and the story in which it features are given along with other items of interest - associated literary and historical information, social history, and events in Conan Doyle’s life. A chapter then explores Holmes’ adventures in the rest of the UK. 55 black and white original photographs accompany the text.