This was a very interesting book, giving a good account of the tools and techniques available to investigators of late-Victorian crime, and the challenges they faced in comparison to their modern-day counterparts.

I found the story of the crime itself and the courtroom drama that unfolded in its aftermath a little hard to follow at times, possibly due to the wealth of detail that the author includes in this book, and that I feel the story got bogged down by a little bit.

The insights into the careers of Littlejohn and Bell, the apparent inspiration for Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes character, were fascinating to read about, although the link from them to that fictional character, who was already widely published by the time the crime covered in this work took place, was tenuous at best, leading to a somewhat misleading title.

In summary, an interesting story, but not exactly what the title suggested, and a bit of an effort to get through.

With thanks to the author, publishers Michael O’Mara Limited, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Informative and intriguing.
Due to health issues cannot write a proper review now even if I enjoyed this book.
A more extensive review will follow
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Daniel Smith delves into the pivotal roles of the two men who inspired Arthur Conan Doyle's powers of deduction, uncovering the real-life origins of Sherlock Holmes. He does this through the lens of a mystery as captivating as any case tackled by the Great Detective.

In 1893, the murder of young army officer Cecil Hambrough at the expansive Ardlamont estate in Scotland ignited one of Victorian Britain's most riveting court cases. This case notably brought together two pioneering forensic experts, Joseph Bell and Henry Littlejohn, who served as the inspirations for Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Their involvement in the Ardlamont affair sheds light on the creation of the world's most famous detective, marking a dramatic convergence of crime fiction and crime fact.

3.5/5.

Fascinating, Informative…
When a murder case in 1893 is being investigated it brings to the forefront, not only the most immersive case of its time in Victorian Britain, but also two eminent forensic experts - and the link to Conan Doyle and, of course, Sherlock Holmes. A fascinating and well researched account, easily readable and hugely informative.

This fascinating read about the famed Ardlamont murder case, if indeed it was a murder, of the late Victorian era would be worthwhile if it were limited strictly to the case, one which was huge at the time, a classic fatal shotgun incident. The author gives us the amazing detail allowing us to reckon the characters of the main players: the naivety of the victim’s family and their financial issues; and the hustling ambition of an array of shady characters trying all manner of schemes to extract advantage often leaving a trail of destruction behind them. Everything is murky and deeply suspect.

With this we have two medical men at the height of their abilities, Upright Victorian rationalists holding senior positions using all their experience and intelligence to assemble forensic evidence and counter competing expert witnesses. Description of their advancing and even inventing much on the the crossover between the medical and legal is another success of the book.

And here we have another interesting connection. Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle studied under both of these mentors and put much of them into his famous character. Holmes thus weaves  his way through it all, so that we feel almost as if he is investigating the Ardlamont case in spirit. One does not need to be a Holmes fan to enjoy this.

Reading the Holmes stories I always felt his consistent criticism of the police was a bit of snobbish flaw in an otherwise honorable character. Now I think I was wrong. This was the early days of the police when professionalism was only starting top be built up and Holmes was in fact reflecting expert opinion.

I have only a minor criticism. Too many mentions that something spectacular is coming without saying what it is. No need, I was hooked already. The book manages to be an easy read despite the amount of detail and scope. Recommended.

An informative book about the case that brought together Doctors Joseph Bell & Henry Littlejohn, along with colleague, Dr Patrick Heron Watson, who between them were the inspiration for Conan Doyle's 'Holmes & Watson'. In 1893 on a Scottish estate called Ardlamont, twenty-year-old Cecil Hambrough was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head. The two men who were hunting with him at the time, 'mentor' Alfred Monson & Edward Scott (aka Edward Sweeney), both claimed that Cecil had accidentally shot himself, but circumstantial evidence such as insurance claims & Monson's actions following the incident raised suspicion. A court case was held which used early pioneering forensic evidence & the testimony of the doctors above were used by the prosecution to try & prove their case.

What an intriguing case & characters in Bell & Littlejohn. The era of early forensic science & the technological advances of the Victorian era have always fascinated me & this is no exception. I felt the author did a great job of providing all the information about the case without it becoming too academically dry. Well-researched & well-written, this is a must-read for anyone interested in either early forensics &/or the inspiration behind Sherlock Holmes.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Michael O'Mara Limited, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

I love reading anything Sherlock Holmes related so I was intrigued to read the real life backstory behind my favourite detective.

I first thought this book would be a perfect read for a Sherlock Holmes fan like me. There was a great use of passages from the novels to support the evidence Smith was giving on why Bell and Littlejohn inspired Doyle.

As the book moved on from the initial chapters, the link between the book and the fictional detective seemed more and more strained. Littlejohn was never recognised as an inspiration for the Holmes character, and it may be that Smith used this connection to validate his book.

However, this is not to say that this book was terrible, as it is a brilliant read that looks at a fascinating case that would have confused even the great detective himself. For anyone interested in crime, it is also a brilliant look at early forensic techniques and where the methods we rely on today started.

The book is easy to read, riveting and well-researched, which is why the title of the book is disappointing. The book would stand well independently without the connection to Sherlock Holmes. The title encourages people to read it, which I can understand as a writer, but it seems to devalue the book.

This is not to say there is no connection to Holmes throughout, but they are only about a quarter of the book. The rest is this fascinating murder case. Smith provides examples from Doyle's books that he references as relating to the case, but they are so generic they could belong to any case.

Overall, I loved this book and couldn't put it down; if it had not been for the clickbait title, I would have given it more stars.