And Obsession - The Devil and Sherlock Holmes - Tales of Murder

Gramm is obviously a fine writer: occasional style errors but mainly eloquent, with fine detailed investigative reporting, and objective withal, so you never feel he is selling a bill of goods - you can see his care for objectivity all over. Perhaps the layout of the book didn't call for extensive documentation or an index, but anyway, there is none. Most reviewers loved "The Chameleon", and I did too, mostly because it seemed like a real-life version of the Josephine Tey mystery "Brat Farrar" (q.v.).

But what is "The Devil and Sherlock Holmes" about? It starts as a wonderful collection of real-life grotesque mysteries, as if it truly were Conan Doyle brought into the real world, but slides off into a set of essays on quite unrelated topics. Fine as they are, the title does not subsume them. Sorry, but I can't help agreeing with some of the very negative reviewers who saw this a quick-and-dirty attempt by Gramm to cash in on his first book success by hastily cobbling together a few of his New Yorker articles, and tossing them to the public with a quaintly sensationalistic title.

Three stars is the best I can do.

The Devil and Sherlock Holmes was for the most part an entertaining and enjoyable book. Parts 1 and 2 were by far the best. Part 3 was somewhat lackluster - it failed to captivate me as the first two parts did.

Besides this there were various typographical errors - hopefully these will be fixed in the actual release copy.

Before checking out this book I had read a couple of the articles already. They are fantastic. As always, some are better than others. For example, the Squid Hunter and the first article on Sherlock Holmes leave unanswered questions. But the articles on prison gangs, mob towns, and arson investigations are written in a way that jumps of the page.

For people who have no interest in crime writing, do not buy this book. On the other hand, if true (and sometimes bizarre) crime interests you, you won't regret checking this out.

I thought this was a relatively simple book - good for a day to unwind, or an airplane ride. I actually was able to read it on an airplane trip, and finished in a few hours. I've been a Sherlock Holmes fan since (yes, before the movie) I was much younger, so this was a good perspective.

Outside of TRUE CRIME, the stories contained within this compendium of boredom will leave you saying "who cares?!?!?" after you've just wasted your time reading them. You'll be completely underwhelmed by each one. Don't waste your time.

Really I would rate this book three stars for the collection and four stars for the writing. After learning that all of these essays have been previously published it made me look at the collection in a different light. I found that most of the collection is almost impossible to put down, filled with intrigue and masterful use of story telling to keep you on the edge of your seat, except for maybe three of the essays where I finished reading them, thinking, okay, that had nothing to do with murder, madness or obsession. Now I feel like they were just stuck in there to make the book a bit heftier. Don't get me wrong, all of the essays are very will written and I found myself unable to put the book down. I imagine that fans of Grann from The Lost City of Z will be excited with this collection, but fans who knew him from the New Yorker might be disappointed as none of this material is new.

David Grann has taken a collection of stories that he had written for The New York, put them all together and The Devil and Sherlock Holmes was born. I liked the fact that these stories were based on true events and real people, but after the first story, "The Strange Death of a Sherlock Holmes Fanatic", I wasn't thrilled by what I read. "The Chameleon" held some interest, but overall this collection was just okay.

The introduction however; detailed the eminent Sherlock Holmes historian, Richard Lancelyn Green and his quest for genuine Holmes papers. The author also discusses Green's subsequent murder in infinite detail. The remainder of the book are non-fiction articles with elements of intrigue in the authors word. I found some dull and overlong.

This book was placed in the group containing new (modern, not Conan Doyles) stories about Sherlock Holmes. If you were expecting Sherlock, stop here, there are none. It is worthless.
The collection of new stories about Sherlock Holmes is a collection of fiction, despite some of the books trying to write as though Holmes were real. The Devil and Sherlock Holmes is supposedly a series of articles about true crimes, or if not crimes, true events, but placed in a collection of fiction, does this invalidate the so-called truth of these articles? I did not try to check on the truth of these articles, I just assumed they are fiction. As such some are well written. If fact, how did Grann get in to see all the people in these articles he claimed to have interviewed? Why would they talk to him, after turning all others down? I might have used the internet, but the internet is not always truthful. I would have to go to known sources, such as Leonard Pitts, The "Times-Picayune" newspaper, the city of New York web page, etc. to check on some of the articles. Not only that, Grann suggests crimes have been committed in some cases, hints at the perps, and drops the story. Are we supposed to try to revive interest in some of these cold crimes, try to force a solution, if the story were real? Too much hokeyness throughout the book. Too little good writing to be worth the price, I advise against reading it. It would be good if rewritten and truth or fiction settled.

You're time would be better spent getting an original Doyle book from the library.

Beyind familiarity with principle charaters this book could go directly to the recycle bin.

It is hard not to like items I get free frim the store Prime but this is a dud.

This book was placed in the group containing new (modern, not Conan Doyles) stories about Sherlock Holmes. If you were expecting Sherlock, stop here, there are none. It is worthless.
The collection of new stories about Sherlock Holmes is a collection of fiction, despite some of the books trying to write as though Holmes were real. The Devil and Sherlock Holmes is supposedly a series of articles about true crimes, or if not crimes, true events, but placed in a collection of fiction, does this invalidate the so-called truth of these articles? I did not try to check on the truth of these articles, I just assumed they are fiction. As such some are well written. If fact, how did Grann get in to see all the people in these articles he claimed to have interviewed? Why would they talk to him, after turning all others down? I might have used the internet, but the internet is not always truthful. I would have to go to known sources, such as Leonard Pitts, The "Times-Picayune" newspaper, the city of New York web page, etc. to check on some of the articles. Not only that, Grann suggests crimes have been committed in some cases, hints at the perps, and drops the story. Are we supposed to try to revive interest in some of these cold crimes, try to force a solution, if the story were real? Too much hokeyness throughout the book. Too little good writing to be worth the price, I advise against reading it. It would be good if rewritten and truth or fiction settled.

You're time would be better spent getting an original Doyle book from the library.

Beyind familiarity with principle charaters this book could go directly to the recycle bin.

It is hard not to like items I get free frim the store Prime but this is a dud.

Author writes popular book (The Lost City of Z). Editor goes to author and comes up with a gutless scheme to cash in on his new popularity by repackaging old material around a theme. Author agrees because he needs to refurbish his kitchen and The Devil and Sherlock Holmes is born. Good material and well written. However, just about all the stories come from The New Yorker. Take your money and rather than buy the book, pay for an subscription to the The New Yorker that give you access to old articles.