The devil and Sherlock Holmes : tales of murder, madness, and obsession Cover Image

The devil and Sherlock Holmes : tales of murder, madness, and obsession / David Grann.

Summary:

Collection of the journalist's articles previously published in various periodicals.

"Whether he's reporting on the infiltration of the murderous Aryan Brotherhood into the U.S. prison system, tracking down a con artist in Europe, or riding with a scientist hunting the elusive giant squid, David Grann revels in telling stories that explore the nature of obsession. Each of the stories in this collection reveals a hidden and often dangerous world, pivoting 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, 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 dangerous job of building New York City's water tunnels before the old system collapses. Throughout, Grann's accounts display the power--and often the willful perversity--of the human spirit, a mosaic of ambition, madness, passion, and folly" -- From publisher description.

Record details

ISBN: 9780385517928
ISBN: 0385517920
ISBN: 9780307275905
ISBN: 0307275906
Physical Description: xi, 338 pages ; 25 cm
Edition: First edition
Publisher: New York : Doubleday, [2010]
Copyright: ©2010

Content descriptions

Formatted Contents Note:

Part one. "Any truth is better than indefinite doubt" -- Mysterious circumstances: the strange death of a Sherlock Holmes fanatic -- Trial by fire: did Texas execute an innocent man? -- The chameleon: the many lives of Frédérick Bourdin -- True crime: a postmodern murder mystery -- Which way did he run: the fireman who forgot 9/11 -- Part two. "A strange enigma is man!" -- The squid hunter: chasing the sea's most elusive creature -- City of water: can an antiquated maze of tunnels continue to sustain New York? -- The old man and the gun: the secrets of a legendary stickup man -- Stealing time: why Ricky Henderson won't go home -- Part three. "All that was monstrous and inconceivably wicked in the universe" -- The brand: the rise of the most dangerous prison gang in America -- Crimetown U.S.A.: the city that fell in love with the mob -- Giving the "devil" his due: the death squad real-estate agent.

Participant or Performer Note:

Read by Mark Deakins.