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The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,611 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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. Compulsively readable, The Devil and Sherlock Holmes is a brilliant mosaic of ambition, madness, passion, and folly.
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"If I was to judge this book my its title The Devil and Sherlock Holmes it would not be what I was expecting. Only one of the stories is about Sherlock Holmes. But Mr Grann does a great job with the short story format .I found the stories and people very interesting and entertaining and all the subject matters were vastly different from one another. In many cases the person or story was so interesting that I went on to research more about them. A very enjoyable book."
— Dorothy (4 out of 5 stars)
The Devil and Sherlock Holmes Listener Reviews
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" This is a collection of researched essays that appeared in earlier journals (New Yorker, Atlantic, etc.). Grann updated them and put them in this book. They are very interesting--investigative journalism as eclectic essays. I enjoy Grann's writing. "
— Kristina, 2/16/2014 -
" this is so interesting. lots of little mysteries...not everything has to do with sherlock or conan doyle, but very intriguing! "
— Ashleycarolhall, 2/10/2014 -
" This book really interests me, different short stories. Bravo... "
— Malia, 2/8/2014 -
" Fascinating (and true!) stories, conveyed with incredible skill. A pleasure to read. "
— Thomas, 2/7/2014 -
" Very interesting collection of essays about true-life mysteries, oddities, and horrors. "
— Peter, 1/27/2014 -
" I could not finish this book. It wasn't what I was expecting. I thought I would get a compilation of Sherlock Holmes stories. I know I should have read a review and I would have known this but I went off the title. My fault. "
— Kirk, 1/25/2014 -
" Interesting collection of stories, mysteries and murder abound. Most were very interesting, some were sad, and a couple seem to be fillers. "
— Deanne, 1/17/2014 -
" Very weird, fun stories. "
— Meg, 1/16/2014 -
" Love David Grann!!!! "
— Heather, 1/15/2014 -
" Meh. Some of the stories were interesting, others less so. "
— Bethany, 12/22/2013 -
" Amazing group of short (true) stories "
— Katie, 12/12/2013 -
" Most of the stories were intriguing, (except for the one about the giant squid). The story about the prison mafia was shocking to say the least. "
— Jocelyn, 9/5/2013 -
" A solid collection of articles that Grann wrote for the New Yorker. I thought all but the last two were extremely interesting. I got this as a BOT from the library. "
— Jim, 7/29/2013 -
" Very fun. One great thing about a collection of individual stories like this is you can skip around without guilt. I love the true crime stuff -- I'm not so into the search for the giant squid. But the stories I did read in here were boffo. "
— Karen, 6/13/2012 -
" This is a terrific collection of non-fiction pieces. Each is a true story, each is well written about subjects that are very untypical. From hunting giant squids to the bizarre world of sandhogs who work hundreds of feet underneath NYC. Cool read that I recommend. "
— Harry, 3/14/2012 -
" Investigative journalism from a thoughtful and well-spoken writer. "
— Deena, 2/18/2012 -
" Some interesting stuff here, but way too much personal filler that was awful. Those most interesting info is in the last chapter, and I would probably just have preferred to read the book he references there instead of this one. "
— Lawrence, 6/29/2011 -
" Really interesting, well-written and researched. Enjoyed it! "
— Megan, 6/27/2011 -
" Really great adventure story. I can't imagine having been there.... "
— Kacie, 6/24/2011 -
" Fine book about a part of history that was new to me. "
— Jonathan, 6/13/2011 -
" I enjoyed learning about Percy Fawcett and his quest to find an ancient civilization. "
— Cherie, 6/12/2011 -
" a tale of obsession, yes. not a very compelling one. "
— Blake, 6/11/2011 -
" Fascinating history of an area of exploration I knew little about - the Amazon rainforest. Nicely crafted narrative too given the material or absence thereof. "
— Tim, 6/11/2011 -
" Fantastic true-life thriller. Grann is a great talent. "
— Lee, 6/10/2011 -
" Just finished The Lost City of Z. What a terrific read--well written, suspenseful, interesting and engaging. I had trouble putting it down. Grann is a tremendous journalist and creative non-fiction writer. Can't recommend this book enough. "
— Jim, 6/5/2011
About David Grann
David Grann is the acclaimed author of several #1 New York Times bestsellers, including Killers of the Flower Moon, which won a Edgar Allan Poe Award, was a finalist for the National Book Award, and was adapted into a major motion picture by Martin Scorsese. His storytelling has garnered several honors, including a George Polk Award and Barnes & Noble’s Author of the Year Award for 2023. His investigative reporting garnered several honors, including a George Polk Award.
About Mark Deakins
Mark Deakins is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator and actor whose television appearances include Head Case, Star Trek: Voyager, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His film credits include Intervention, Star Trek: Insurrection, and The Devil’s Advocate. He wrote, directed, and produced the short film The Smith Interviews.