Lucy investigates the return of Sherlock and finds that the darkness of the later stories mirrored the reality of Doyle’s life. After the loss of his eldest son, he became an evangelist for spiritualism. His star declined after a public spat with the magician Houdini. Sherlock Holmes, in contrast, found a life beyond his author on stage and screen.
Watch Lucy Worsley’s Holmes vs. Doyle here or tonight at 8pm on GBH 2
