Acknowledgements                                   i
About the author                                   ii
Introduction                                       iii
Part One Holmes on the page                        1
  The beginning                                    2
  Sherlock Holmes's influence on crime fiction     6
  The appearance and character of Sherlock         10
  Holmes
  Heroes and Villains                              19
  The timeline of the stories                      36
  The stories                                      42
    The Problem with 'Playing the game'            42
    A Study in Scarlet                             44
    The Sign of Four                               46
    The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes              50
      A Scandal in Bohemia                         51
      The Red-Headed League                        54
      A Case of Identity                           57
      The Boscombe Valley Mystery                  59
      The Five Orange Pips                         61
      The Man with the Twisted Lip                 64
      The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle          66
      The Adventure of the Speckled Band           68
      The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb        70
      The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor          71
      The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet           72
      The Adventure of the Copper Beeches          74
    The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes                 75
      Silver Blaze                                 76
      The Cardboard Box                            78
      The Yellow Face                              80
      The Stockbroker's Clerk                      82
      The 'Gloria Scott'                           85
      The Musgrave Ritual                          88
      The Reigate Squires                          90
      The Crooked Man                              92
      The Resident Patient                         94
      The Greek Interpreter                        96
      The Naval Treaty                             98
      The Final Problem                            100
    The Hound of the Baskervilles                  105
    The Return of Sherlock Holmes                  109
      The Adventure of the Empty House             110
      The Adventure of the Norwood Builder         114
      The Adventure of the Dancing Men             117
      The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist        119
      The Adventure of the Priory School           120
      The Adventure of Black Peter                 122
      The Adventure of Charles Augustus            124
      Milverton
      The Adventure of the Six Napoleons           126
      The Adventure of the Three Students          128
      The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez        130
      The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter   132
      The Adventure of the Abbey Grange            134
      The Adventure of the Second Stain            136
    His Last Bow                                   138
      The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge              139
      The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington        141
      Plans
      The Adventure of the Devil's Foot            143
      The Adventure of the Red Circle              145
      The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax     147
      The Adventure of the Dying Detective         149
      His Last Bow                                 151
    The Valley of Fear                             154
    The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes               157
      The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone           160
      The Problem of Thor Bridge                   162
      The Adventure of the Creeping Man            164
      The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire          166
      The Adventure of the Three Garridebs         168
      The Adventure of the Illustrious Client      171
      The Adventure of the Three Gables            173
      The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier        175
      The Adventure of the Lion's Mane             178
      The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place         181
      The Adventure of the Retired Colourman       183
      The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger           186
Part Two Holmes on the screen                      189
  The Best and Worst Screen Portrayals             190
    Arthur Wontner                                 192
    Basil Rathbone                                 198
    Ronald Howard                                  202
    Douglas Wilmer                                 204
    John Neville                                   206
    Peter Cushing                                  208
    Robert Stephens                                211
    Christopher Plummer                            214
    Ian Richardson                                 216
    Jeremy Brett                                   220
    Matt Frewer                                    225
    Richard Roxburgh                               228
    Rupert Everett                                 230
    Jonathan Pryce                                 232
  The Future on Screen                             234
Bibliography                                       237