The Man on the Tor

As I noted recently at DanAndriaccoMysteries on Facebook, a friend and colleague of mine recently began his annual Advent re-reading of Sherlock Holmes. He began with The Hound of the Baskervilles. What a place to start!

In addition to being what Arthur Conan Doyle called "a real creeper," it's the best detective story of the four novels as well as the longest. One reason for both distinctions is the abundance excellent red herrings that make for a well-structured novel. The stories of Laura Lyons, Seldon, and the Man on the Tor all provide false trails and yet advance the story forward.

I would be hard pressed to recall a chapter title in most of my favorite book, but for some reason "The Man on the Tor" always stands out in my memory. There are many fine illustrations of this lonely figure in the dozens of copies of The Hound that I have in my library. And now, thanks to Ann, we have the one above.

My wife took this photo of me standing atop a tor -- a rock formation jutting out of the ground -- during our trip to Dartmoor two months ago. Standing there, imagining myself to be You Know Who, was for me another great highlight of our trip to England.