Baskerville The Mysterious Tale of Sherlock's Return

Based on true events in the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this darkly thrilling tale of friendship, rivalry, and ambition tells the backstory of how one of the world's most celebrated mysteries came to be written. "I like the way your mind works," said Doyle. "We should work on something together. Pool our resources. What do you say?" I said I would like that very much… Young journalist Bertram Fletcher Robinson can barely believe his luck when he meets his hero, Arthur Conan Doyle, on a troop ship coming back from South Africa. Better yet, the creator of Sherlock Holmes suggests they collaborate on a "real creeper" of a storya plan that throws them into one of the most dramatic and harrowing adventures of their lives. The two travel to Dartmoor, England, cementing their friendship as Robinson and Doyle start to work on what will become one of the world's most famous novels, The Hound of the Baskervilles. But the experience proves traumatic for both of them, and when the bookanticipated to be Sherlock's comeback vehicleis finally published, it is credited to one author alone. Based on real events, Baskervilleis a creeper, too: a thrilling exploration of friendship and rivalry, love and lust, ambition and the limits of talent. It takes us from the clattering heart of Edwardian London to the eerie stillness of ancient West Country moors, where a treacherous bog might swallow a man in seconds…

John O’Connell worked for several years at Time Out. He now writes, mostly about books, for The Times, The Guardian, New Statesman, and The National. He lives with his family in south London.