Arguably the most famous character in literature, Sherlock Holmes refuses to die. Even his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, could not kill him. Since his first appearance in print in 1887, Sherlock Holmes has become more like a historical figure than a literary creation. Holmes aficionado Barry Day asks the question, "What if Holmes were not just an invention of Doyle's imagination, but an actual person, a genius of deductive reasoning who lived an astounding and influential life?"

Day's response to that intriguing question is Sherlock Holmes, a "biography" that draws from the sleuth's own recollections, utterances, and writings to narrate his life and career - from his obscure childhood, through his celebrated Baker Street years, to his last cases and "demise." Also amply presented are the views of Holmes's confederates (brother Mycroft, the stalwart Dr. Watson, and Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard) and his foes (the murderous Dr. Grimesby Roylott, Colonel Sebastian Moran, "the second most dangerous man in London," and, of course, Holmes's nemesis, Professor Moriarty).

Day uses Doyle's complete writings on Holmes (including several unpublished stories), as well as sixty illustrations, to create a distinctive portrait of the living man behind the Holmes legend: his passions, his limitations, and his unbounded brilliance.