have seen a number of books over the years that are –as an academic friend calls such things– “quotefests”, collections of quotations taken from various sources to illuminate a particular subject. Any library of Sherlockian commentary is likely to contain a few of these, and mine is no exception. The first one that comes to mind (and one of the better ones, in my opinion) is The Sherlock Holmes Companion by Michael and Mollie Hardwick. However, many of these books having gone out of print over the years, it’s nice to be able to find one online that I can share with people, and so I was glad to trip across The Whole Art of Detection, written by “Sherlock Holmes” and edited by W. Lambert Gardiner. As you’ve probably deduced by now, this is an online book about Holmes’ observation and deduction, filled with quotations taken from the Canon and sprinkled with a bit of commentary. The name is taken from The Adventure of the Abbey Grange, wherein Holmes says, “At present, I am, as you know, fairly busy, but propose to devote my declining years to the composition of a text-book which shall focus the whole art of detection into one volume.” (ABBE) The premise here is that Gardiner has found this fabled book:

Taking my cue from Holmes, I will not describe my emotion but simply state the fact that, in the space above the false ceiling, there lay my quarry - the manuscript of The Whole Art of Detection. What follows is a transcription of this wonderful document. I have taken the liberty of adding footnotes to place it in its modern context, trusting that Holmes would have approved since he conceded that even he had little capacity to foresee the future [HOUN].

You can read the entire book online at Scot & Siliclone Books (don’t fret — it’s fairly short). If you’re not famiiar with the abbreviations, don’t forget that you can download my handy-dandy reference card to help you along.