The fascination of Sherlock Holmes is a literary phenomenon. In December 1893, the public created such an uproar when they read of the sleuth's apparent demise in the disaster at Reichenbach Falls, that they forced his reappearance in The Return of Sherlock Holmes. This book sets out to capture the life and times of the great detective. Over 1500 entries are arranged alphabetically, providing synopses of every case in the stories and novels. Included are profiles of notable figures; descriptions of the real cases which inspired Conan Doyle; methods of murder and detection; and detailed descriptions of every film, radio and television production. Aliases, disguises and codes are revealed.