Cynological Mr. Holmes: Conanical Canines Considered: Dog-lore and… (edition 1985)

In the pantheon of legendary Sherlockians, Michael Harrison ranks at the very top with luminaries and giants such as Christopher Morley, Vincent Starrett, Edgar W. Smith, Lord Donegall, Michael Hardwick, S. C. Roberts, etc. Ever the prolific author, Harrison wrote over 50 books in his life, at least 10 of which were concerned solely with The Master and his world - the major Sherlockian publications being: 'In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes', 'The London of Sherlock Holmes' and 'The World of Sherlock Holmes'.

And like many Sherlockians who released books via major publishing houses, Harrison also fired off the occasional small/private press gem which is rare enough to make acquiring a copy a bit of a (often times pleasant) challenge but common enough where by one can be bought for under $100.

So it is with Michael Harrison's 'Cynological Mr Holmes: Conanical Canines Considered'; a 60 page Magico Magazine publication celebrating canines found frolicking throughout the canon along with a smattering of dog drawings. If you're interested, Harrison cites 12 significant 'dog-mentions' in The Canon: Trevor's bull-terrier, Mrs. Hudson's ailing terrier (euthanized by Holmes in STUD), the dog that did nothing in the nighttime, the missing guard-dog (very telling), the lovable Toby, the ill-fated 'hound' from HOUN, vicious Carlo (the Mastiff), sad Carlo (the Spaniel), Pompey, the grieving Spaniel from Shoscombe, Wolf-Hound Roy (natural enemy of the monkey) and the poor Airedale Terrier whose fate was sadly sealed by the Lion's Mane (p. 37). A perfect little book for a dog day afternoon. ( )