There is something passing strange about Sherlock Holmes.
“You’ve seen me as an old lady, Watson. I was never more convincing…”
—Sherlock Holmes, The Mazarin Stone
Sherlock Holmes strides into our imagination, deerstalker hat set jauntily on his head, pipe protruding from his mouth, and a formidable intellect from which he painstakingly masters the mysteries he investigates. Yet the qualities that set Holmes apart as a masterful sleuth are rather surprising.
“…the impression of a woman may be more valuable than the conclusion of an analytical reasoner.”
—Sherlock Holmes, The Man with the Twisted Lip
A firestorm of controversy met the original publication of Ms. Holmes of Baker Street: The Truth About Sherlock. Authors C. Alan Bradley and William A.S. Sarjeant in their methodical investigation of the literature of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle uncovered the surprising truth about Sherlock Holmes and the dust is yet to settle. The University of Alberta Press is pleased to present the first Canadian edition of Ms. Holmes of Baker Street with a new Introduction by Barbara Roden.
“Women are naturally secretive, and they like to do their own secreting.”
—Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia
We know the methods…the game is afoot.