The Unofficial Sherlock Holmes Stories

Book excerpt: This unique collection of Arthur Conan Doyle’s short stories features the three unofficial Sherlock Holmes tales that heavily allude to the remarkable consulting detective. Between 1887 and 1898, Arthur Conan Doyle wrote three short stories that are considered unofficial Sherlock Holmes tales despite not mentioning the famous detective by name. ‘Uncle Jeremy’s Household’ is often referred to as the prototype for the Holmes stories, due to the strong resemblance between the main characters (Hugh Lawrence and John H. Thurston) and Sherlock Holmes and John H. Watson. ‘The Story of the Man with the Watches’ alludes to a ‘well-known criminal investigator’, and ‘The Story of the Lost Special’ references an ‘amateur reasoner’ who quotes one of Holmes’ most famous lines. Discover new layers to Arthur Conan Doyle’s dark and mysterious Sherlockian world in this fascinating collection of his lesser-known work. This new volume from Read & Co. Books features a specially commissioned introduction.