An incredibly well-constructed tale of Victorian history, the author manages to weave multiple narratives together with ease. She covers Conan Doyle's life, Slater's life, the tale of the murder, and back story on Sherlock without once losing the thread or going too far into the weeds. It was really interesting to learn more about Conan Doyle, the inspiration for Sherlock, and the police procedures of the early 1900s.