Julia Knaus, writing for Transformative Works and Cultures, called the work "a fascinating read."[4] Clea Simon of The Boston Globe appreciated the scholarship but found Dundas' use of personal memoir as framing device to be "the least interesting thread."[2] Kirkus Reviews called it "A bright read for Sherlock’s fans."[5] Leslie S. Klinger, writing for the Los Angeles Review of Books, found Dundas' account of Holmesian history "skillful" and said of the book it "feels like a long conversation with a new friend."[6]