The Devil and Sherlock Holmes

Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession

By: David Grann

Narrated by: Mark Deakins

Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Acclaimed New Yorker writer and author of the breakout debut bestseller The Lost City of Z, David Grann offers a collection of spellbinding narrative journalism.

Whether he’s reporting on the infiltration of the murderous Aryan Brotherhood into the U.S. prison system, tracking down a chameleon con artist in Europe, or riding in a cyclone- tossed skiff with a scientist hunting the elusive giant squid, David Grann revels in telling stories that explore the nature of obsession and that piece together true and unforgettable mysteries.

Each of the dozen stories in this collection reveals a hidden and often dangerous world and, like Into Thin Air and The Orchid Thief, pivots around the gravitational pull of obsession and the captivating personalities of those caught in its grip. There is the world’s foremost expert on Sherlock Holmes who is found dead in mysterious circumstances; an arson sleuth trying to prove that a man about to be executed is innocent; and sandhogs racing to complete the brutally dangerous job of building New York City’s water tunnels before the old system collapses. Throughout, Grann’s hypnotic accounts display the power—and often the willful perversity—of the human spirit.

The Devil and Sherlock Holmes is a brilliant mosaic of ambition, madness, passion, and folly.

©2010 David Grann (P)2010 Random House

Critic reviews

"A gifted storyteller, Grann has a Sherlock Holmesian gift for unearthing facts that are hidden in plain sight, presenting a crystal-clear narrative and letting his compelling cast of characters speak for themselves.....Easily worth the price of admission, a visit to Grann's rogue's gallery is likely to leave you with a sense, at once awful and awesome, of the profound desire we all have for recognition." --Portland Oregonian

"Grann's obsession with how narratives are told is complex and compelling...But it's the basic stories themselves -- bizarre and fascinating, bolstered by exhaustive research -- that make the book so gripping." --TimeOut New York

An excellent listen!

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I awaited each new chapter wondering what the next topic was going to be. The narrator did an excellent job. I was sad when it ended.

OK, but not overly interesting

The title confused me and did not match the book. If I had it to do over again. I'd pass on this one.

True Crime with a Twist

I was not sure what to expect when I picked up this audiobook, but it did not disappoint! Who doesn't love Sherlock Holmes? With that in the background, and some of the book dedicated to the detective and his author, David Grann takes us on a journey on some different cases, with a variety of issues. From murder to the ocean, this book has something for everyone!

Highly recommend this one!

excellent collection

Assorted nonfiction essays about murder, madness, and obsession. There's murderous academics, giant squids, vast underground tunnels beneath a major city, and Nazis. it's got everything baby!

Some are much better than others

Not impressed by the the reading performance at all. Some of the stories are very weak.

Interesting style

Thoroughly enjoyed this compendium of short stories. Some, I enjoyed more than others. Just a bit disappointed that there wasn't more on the Sherlock Holmes note. Sometimes the role of Holmes in the big picture could be confusing. All the same, I think I liked this piece because it is so different. Learned a lot. I like Grann's literary style.

A masterful set of stories from David Grann

For as much as I have read, I believe David Grann might be the most lucid storyteller and hubristic writer I have read. Once again the truth-oriented prose is interesting, enlightening and riveting. This work, an amalgamation of recent history and stories at first put me off - like books of short stories, I expected some to be good and others - meh. I was very wrong - every story was as good as the other.

My hats off .... again to David Grann and all of us lucky enough to share his work.

Richard

Wanted to love it but.....

It’s a book of very random news stories. There is one story connected with Holmes so I’m not sure how that ended up as the title.
I felt it rather dragged on and on (I’m not a news junkie). Some of it was interesting but it went on far too long......

True Crime reporting at its best

I have enjoyed David Grann's books on The Lost City of Z and the impetus for the FBI (Killers of the Flower Moon). I unhesitatingly picked up this book based on my regard for Grann but also my interest in Sherlock Holmes.

The book is a collection of articles/stories, each of which reports on some odd tale of madness or murder. I found the book fascinating and readable, and a wonderful way to start off my 2019 Month of Horror (aka October). I recommend to any true crime fan. This was a page turner.

One good story, but mostly ho hum.....

Overall, I can't really recommend this book. I found only a couple of the stories really interesting. My favorite was the story of the sand hogs and New York's water storage system. For the most part you can hear more interesting stories on weekly TV news magazines, such as 60 Minutes. The rather dull narration hurt the book and the lack of distinct pauses, breaks or lead-in's between stories was also annoying. If I had it to do over, I'm not sure I'd buy this book. The premise was promising, but the author didn't really deliver as promised. Sherlock Holmes was much more exciting than this guy.