So here we are at the end of another year and what a year it has been for Sherlock Holmes and fictional detective in general. 

On the Sherlock front, the flow of pastiche novels continues unabated, and on television there has been Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes, and the Canadian series of movies commencing with a production of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Another welcome return to the TV screens this year was David Suchet’s Poirot, which is rather the focus of this issue... 

Contents

1. I HEAR OF SHERLOCK EVERYWHERE 
   The news and views columns
2. HOLMES OF THE MOVIES 
   David Stuart Davies on the Odyssey Network Production of The Hound of the Baskervilles 2000
3. HOLMES V POIROT 
   Matthew Booth compares and contrasts the two great sleuths
4. DAVID SUCHET AS POIROT 
   Hilary Bonner talks to David Suchet on his all-time favourite role as the Belgian detective
5. HOLMES OFF THE CUFF 
   John Holmes raises the question of Holmes’ early finances in his regular column on the private life of the great detective
6. CANONICAL INTRODUCTIONS 
   The story of Black Peter, as first published in the Strand in March, 1904
7. SHERLOCK HOLMES - THE DECADENT DETECTIVE? 
   Paul M Chapman ponders the question
8. TELLY ’TECS 
   Kathryn White takes a double dose of Lord Peter Wimsey, the creation of Dorothy L SayersUNDER THE GASLIGHT Roger Forsdyke examines the misdemeanours of Dr William Chester Minor
9. SCARLET THREADS 
   Gaynor Coules examines the dark worlds of Margaret Murphy
10. SEXTON BLAKE AND THE CURSE OF OZYMANDIAS 
    A new story by John Hall, with illustrations by Chris Senior
11. THE MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES 
    The fourth instalment in Granada’s series of six, The Red Circle, explored by David Stuart Davies
12. PICK OF THE POIROTS 
    Jard Cade’s choice this issue is The Mysterious Affair at Styles
13. SLEUTHING THE SHELVES 
    The reviews section
14. THE OTHER DETECTIVES 
    James Melville examines Inspector Ghote, the Bombay police inspector created by H R F Keating
15. MYSTERY: CAUGHT IN THE NET 
    Bob Byrne investigates mystery Web sites
16. SHERLOCK STATESIDE 
    Pat Ward with the lastest news from America
17. GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER 
    Mike Ripley chooses the shortlist for this year’s Sherlock awards
18. SOCIETIES FORUM 
    Conducted by Roger Johnson with Robert Hughes on The G K Chesterton Society
19. MORIARTY’S MUTTERINGS