The Real Sherlock Holmes : The Hidden Story of Jerome Caminada

About The Author: Angela Buckley is a freelance writer specialising in local and family history. She has published many articles on genealogy, social history and Manchesters colourful past and writes regularly for several family history magazines. In her previous career in modern languages education Angela published three teaching guides for GCSE French with Hodder & Stoughton. See her website http://angelabuckley.wordpress.com for more information. The life and law enforcement career of the legendary Victorian police detective: “Caminada’s story is a remarkable one . . . [a] fascinating book.” — The Manc On December 6, 1886, Arthur Foster leaves the Queen’s Theatre, Manchester, with a pocket full of gold and a lady bedecked with diamonds on his arm. He hails a hansom cab, unaware that a detective has been trailing him as he’s crisscrossed the streets of the city. As the cab pulls away, the detective slips inside and arrests the infamous “Birmingham Forger.” The detective is Jerome Caminada, legendary policeman and real-life Victorian super-sleuth. A master of disguise with a keen eye for detail and ingenious methods of detection, Caminada is at the top of his game, tracking notorious criminals through the seedy streets of Manchester’s underworld. Relentless in his pursuit, he stalks pickpockets and poisoners, unscrupulous con artists and cold-blooded murderers. His groundbreaking detective work leads to the unraveling of classic crime cases such as the Hackney Carriage Murder in 1889, secret government missions, and a deadly confrontation with his arch-rival, a ruthless and violent thief. Caminada’s compelling story bears all the hallmarks of Arthur Conan Doyle and establishes this indefatigable investigator as one of the most formidable detectives of the Victorian era—and a real-life Sherlock Holmes. “The real-life figure who inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's infamous detective, Sherlock Holmes, may have been uncovered.” — Daily Mail On 6 December 1886, Arthur Foster leaves the Queen's Theatre, Manchester with a pocket full of gold and a lady bedecked with diamonds on his arm. He hails a hansom cab unaware that a detective has been trailing him as he crisscrossed the streets of the city. As the cab pulls away, the detective slips inside and arrests the infamous 'Birmingham Forger.' #8232;#8232;The detective is Jerome Caminada, legendary policeman and real-life Victorian super-sleuth. A master of disguise with a keen eye for detail and ingenious methods of detection, Caminada is at the top of his game, tracking notorious criminals through the seedy streets of Manchester's underworld. Relentless in his pursuit, he stalks pickpockets and poisoners, unscrupulous con artists and cold blooded murderers. #8232;#8232;His groundbreaking detective work leads to the unravelling of classic crime cases such as the Hackney Carriage Murder in 1889, secret government missions and a deadly confrontation with his arch-rival, a ruthless and violent thief. Caminada's compelling story bears all the hallmarks of Arthur Conan Doyle and establishes this indefatigable investigator as one of the most formidable detectives of the Victorian era and The Real Sherlock Holmes.#8232;#8232;As seen in The Sunday Telegraph, The Sunday Express, The Times, La Stampa and Lancashire Life.#8232;#8232;Also featured in Discover Your History Magazine. [Elib] On 6 December 1886, Arthur Foster leaves the Queens Theatre, Manchester with a pocket full of gold and a lady bedecked with diamonds on his arm. He hails a hansom cab unaware that a detective has been trailing him as he crisscrossed the city. As the cab pulls away, the detective slips inside and arrests the infamous Birmingham Forger. The detective is Jerome Caminada, legendary policeman and a true Victorian super-sleuth. Known as a terror to evil-doers, Caminada is at the top of his game as he stalks nefarious criminals through the seedy streets of Manchesters underworld. Born in the slums, he has an intimate knowledge of the labyrinth of dark alleyways and the shady characters that inhabit them. Caminadas compelling story bears all the hallmarks of Arthur Conan Doyle and establishes this indefatigable investigator as one of the most formidable detectives of the 19th century and a real-life Sherlock Holmes. Chapter 9: 'The Professor Moriarty of the Slums' (1887)Chapter 10: 'City of Martyrs': Caminada and the Irish Nationalists (January 1889); Chapter 11: The Manchester Cab Mystery (February 1889); Chapter 12: The Beautiful Crook (1890-1891); Chapter 13: Scuttlers and the Art of Gang Warfare (1892); Chapter 14: False Lovers and Wily Seducers (1892-1893); Chapter 15: The Anarchists of Ardwick Green (September 1893); Chapter 16: The Blackley Mystery and other Suspicious Deaths (November 1893); Chapter 17: 'A Chronicle of Crime' (1895-1899); Chapter 18: State Secrets and Undercover Missions (1901) Cover; Title Page; Copyright page; Contents; Preface; Prologue; Chapter 1: 'A very hot-bed of social iniquity and vice' (1844-1868); Chapter 2: 'A "Lively" Beat' (1868-1871); Chapter 3: 'Detective Jerome': Racecourse Duty and Street Brawls (1871-1876); Chapter 4: Quack Doctors: 'Rascality, rapacity and roguery' (1876-1877); Chapter 5: Sophisticated Swindles and Cunning Confidence Tricks (1878-1884); Chapter 6: 'Even my own fireside': Trouble at Home (1884); Chapter 7: Gin Palaces, Gambling Dens and a Cross-Dressing Ball (1885); Chapter 8: The Birmingham Forger (1886-1887) This will be the first full-length biography of Victorian detective Jerome Caminada, exploring his fascinating career fighting crime in 19th century Manchester's turbulent underworld. Chapter 19: 'The Garibaldi of Detectives' (1902-1914)Bibliography; Acknowledgements; Index