Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong: Reopening the Case of the Hound of the Baskervilles

Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong: Reopening the Case of the Hound of the Baskervilles
BaileysBooks avatar reviewed on + 491 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


This was such a fascinating little book! I highly recommend that you read (or re-read) The Hound of the Baskervilles and then go straight into Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong. Bayard puts up a very strong argument and I cannot help but agree with his conclusions.

After reading this book, I cannot help but see the plot of Baskervilles in a totally different light. In all honesty, it is hard to imagine that this particular theory has not been proposed before as it seems so obvious once presented. It is painful to think that our beloved Sherlock Holmes could be wrong about anything, but he is ultimately at the mercy of his disgruntled creator. And in this case, it seems that his creator got it completely wrong.

Bayard does provide some relevant background information on why Doyle would harbor such strong ill-will towards a character that was so universally beloved. However, the meat of this short book is truly spent on dissecting the plot of the Baskervilles. I consider it an essential read for any fan of Sherlock Holmes, even if we much watch our Holmes incorrectly solve a case without ever realizing the extent (or even the presence) of his many grievous errors.