Winner of the Agatha Award for best nonfiction work A finalist for the Edgar Award for best critical/biographical work A finalist for the Anthony Award for best critical/nonfiction work A finalist for the Macavity Award for best mystery-related nonfiction work Everyone knows Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created a unique literary character who has remained popular for over a century and is appreciated more than ever today. But what made this fictional character, dreamed up by a small-town English doctor in the 1880s, into such a lasting success, despite the author’s own attempt to escape his invention? In From Holmes to Sherlock , Swedish author and Sherlock Holmes expert Mattias Boström recreates the full story behind the legend for the first time. From a young Arthur Conan Doyle sitting in a Scottish lecture hall taking notes on his medical professor’s powers of observation to the pair of modern-day fans who brainstormed the idea behind the TV sensation Sherlock , from the publishing world’s first literary agent to the Georgian princess who showed up at the Conan Doyle estate and altered a legacy, the narrative follows the men and women who have created and perpetuated the myth. It includes tales of unexpected fortune, accidental romance, and inheritances gone awry, and tells of the actors, writers, readers, and other players who have transformed Sherlock Holmes from the gentleman amateur of the Victorian era to the odd genius of today. Told in fast-paced, novelistic prose, From Holmes to Sherlock is a singular celebration of the most famous detective in the world—a must-read for newcomers and experts alike. Praise for From Holmes to Sherlock : One of the Washington Post ’s 50 notable works of nonfiction in 2017, a Crime Lady best book of the year, and one of Ashwin Sanghi’s 5 favorite books of the year ( Deccan Herald ) A Publishers Weekly Top 10 in Essays & Literary Criticism for fall 2017 “If you love Sherlock Holmes, you’ll love this book . . . Mattias Bostrom’s From Holmes to Sherlock is the best account of Baker Street mania ever written. Really . . . what Bostrom has accomplished supremely well is to relate, as his subtitle proclaims, ‘the story of the men and women who created an icon.’ In effect, he shows us how Sherlock Holmes enchanted the world.” ―Michael Dirda, Washington Post “A timely overview of the great detective’s actual genesis and multiple transformation as a mass cultural icon . . . Riveting . . . Boström has expertly unearthed entertaining instances of the sleuth’s diverse appearances in all media, throughout the world . . . [A] wonderfully entertaining history.” ―Michael Saler, Wall Street Journal “ From Holmes to Sherlock celebrates the versatility of one of fiction’s most beloved characters . . . terrific . . . Mattias Boström has written a necessary addition to any Baker Street library.” ―Steve Donoghue, Christian Science Monitor “For Sherlock Holmes buffs, there’s a new book I imagine is indispensable . . . Boström’s achievement is staggering and endearingly gossipy. It’s like eating popcorn and you learn a whole lot of cool stuff along the way.” ―Nicholas Meyer “Mattias Boström has done the impossible―encapsulated the journey of Sherlock Holmes from international literary superstar to modern day television hero. Meticulous, charming and, best of all, adoring of the original.” ―Lyndsay Faye, author of The Whole Art of Detection “Just when you think you’ve read every great book about the history of Doyle and Holmes, Mattias Boström reveals startling new layers to the famous adventures of the greatest detective of all time. Written with skill, wit, and unmatched expertise, From Holmes to Sherlock is the new standard in the complete history of not only the original Doyle stories, but literally every adaptation, too.” ―Ryan Britt, author of Luke Skywalker Can't Read “A breathtakingly comprehensive study of a literary phenomenon . . . Mattias Boström has given us an epic narrative that despite its length and sheer poundage in paperback is unputdownable. Bravo.” ― New York Journal of Books “One of my favorite books of the year . . . you will enjoy Boström's book enormously. It's a delight to read, narrative history paced like a suspense novel . . . What I loved most about From Holmes to Sherlock is that you don't have to be a Sherlock Holmes expert to enjoy it.” ―Sarah Weinman, Crime Lady “Boström, a Swedish master of Sherlockiana, whose writings during some thirty years of research is uncontestedly award-winning, reveals how each generation has a different slant, perhaps more nuanced, on the great detective.” ― Decatur Daily “Even the most assiduous Sherlockian can admit that the endless reinvention and lasting pop-cultural impact of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's creation was not necessarily elementary. As a study in Sherlock, the case of the big business of public frenzies, literary estates and endless adaptations finally gets so