Conan Doyle, Portrait of an Artist

In a biography that marks the 100th anniversary of the first Sherlock Holmes story, ""A Study in Scarlet,'' Symons, renowned for his own mysteries and as a critic of the genre, writes knowledgeably and empathetically about the prolific Victorian doctor turned author. He pays full tribute to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) as a writer, family man and active servant of England in peace and war. The book contains perceptive comments on the Holmesian adventures and other literary works that Doyle considered superior to the detecting tales that made him enduringly famous. But Symons also gives accounts of Sir Arthur duped by an irrational belief in spiritual mediums and other hoaxes. This is an excellent biography, illustrated by photos from the original Holmes-Watson tales. (November 18)