The Sherlock Holmes Handbook

Book excerpt: Full of fascinating how-to skills and evocative illustrations, this must-have guide will appeal to Baker Street Irregulars of all ages. This reader’s companion to the casework of Sherlock Holmes explores the methodology of the world’s most famous consulting detective. From analyzing fingerprints and decoding ciphers to creating disguises and faking one’s own death, readers will learn how Holmes solved his most celebrated cases—plus an arsenal of modern techniques available to today’s armchair sleuths. Along the way, readers will discover a host of trivia about the master detective and his universe: Why did Holmes never marry? How was the real Scotland Yard organized? Was cocaine really legal back then? And why were the British so terrified of Australia? For die-hardSherlockians and amateur investigators alike, this handbook is nothing less than . . . elementary.