Convalescing in London after a disastrous experience of war in Afghanistan, Dr John Watson finds himself sharing rooms with his enigmatic new acquaintance, Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet is the literary debut of the world's most famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, introduced by Iain Sinclair with notes by Ed Glinert in Penguin Classics. But their quiet bachelor life at 221B Baker Street is soon interrupted by the grisly discovery of a dead man in a grimy 'ill-omened' house in south-east London.

As well as being a great work of fiction there is evidence that a murderous barber may have existed in one form or another but as historians are unable to agree on even the most basic facts about him this may be an early case of urban legend.Description for A Study in Scarlet (Penguin Classics) Paperback. Most recently the story of Sweeney Todd has been made into a film by the wonderful Tim Burton, starring Johnny Depp in the title role. He makes the mistake of telling Todd about the pearls he has been told to give her and is subsequently murdered. I have read this version it tells the story of a sailor, Lieutenant Thornhill, who goes to Todd to be shaved on his way to see the fiancée of one of his friends who didn’t return from their journey. The story of Todd is believed to have first been written James Malcolm Rymer in an eighteen part penny dreadful called The String of Pearls. Sweeney Todd’s barber shop was located at number 186, right next door to St Dunstan’s church. As you are probably aware it is also the place where one of London’s most notorious serial killers was supposed to have lived and worked. Well I have been sitting on this one for a while, but as it fits so well with red and black week I thought I’d share it now.įleet Street is most famous for the huge number of newspaper offices housed here, but that’s not the reason I paid it a visit.

Two London’s Dead posts in one day, I know.

London's Dead by Ed Glinert