"This is a highly recommended biography which readers familiar with Manchester will find fascinating. It is also a valuable addition to the social history of the city."

North West Labour History Journal

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I really enjoy the Sherlock Holmes series as a whole and a lot of the modern adaptations. So when I saw that this was a biography on the real Sherlock Holmes, I found that Jerome Caminada was a really unique character and I enjoyed reading this biography.

NetGalley, Kay McLeer

Lovely historical book about the ‘real’ Sherlock Holmes. Would definitely recommend to those that lovely historical crime stories.

NetGalley, Charlie Read

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is a well-written and researched narrative about a British detective of Catholic Roman Irish descent who served with distinction in the mid- to late 1800s in Manchester. Packed full of details about crimes and how Detective Jerome solved was entertaining and kept me coming back for the details of each new crime he was involved in solving.
Detective Jerome's knowledge of his childhood neighborhood and abilities to watch and make deductions in solving crimes for the force went unrivaled except in detective fiction as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle about his character Sherlock Holmes. Anyone interested in the British history of nineteenth century detectives won't want to miss this book.

NetGalley, Brenda Yeager

I was thoroughly entertained with the authors depiction of 19th century Manchester, England. and learning about Caminada's policing career. I would recommend this book to the readers that are interested in police history and 19th century England and specifically Manchester history. The author does mention how detective books, such as Sherlock Holmes, gained popularity in the time of Caminada's time on the force as a detective.

NetGalley, William Lowe

Suffice to say, really enjoyed reading this one!

Caminada - a man's whose career rivaled and paralleled that of London's Inspector Frederick Abberline. Both men came from humble beginnings, went into a trade before entering the Police Force; both were skilled and rose through the ranks; both become private detectives after leaving the force; and both would be remembered for their most famous of cases.

Buckley provides us with a series of vignettes that introduce us to this remarkable man, his methods, his crimes (ie: the one he solved), and his life. Caminada truly was unique among his peers and possibly, even among investigators regardless of the time period in which they worked. Reading some of these cases, you would be inclined to think that Caminada himself was a fictional character due to his highly successful methods of crime-fighting and policing. It is a testament to this man that we are still amazed today at his level of cunning, doggedness, and dedication to his career.

I found this to be a most interesting read - and whether he truly was the inspiration for Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes", there is no doubting the man's obvious (subconscious) influence.

NetGalley, Melisende d'Outremer

People familiar with the origins of Sherlock Holmes might have expected this to be about Joseph Bell, the real person Sir Arthur Conan Doyle based his famous detective on but instead this is about a real detective based in Manchester at the time Sherlock Holmes first made his appearance and who was compared to Sherlock Holmes in the press at times. But don’t be disappointed because it makes the exploits of Jerome Caminada all the more impressive because they were real. He was involved in everything from capturing thieves, counterfeiters, exposing and bringing to justice charlatan doctors and, even, international espionage.

Angela Buckley brings to life the personal life as well as the professional endeavors of this man who published his own case book during his lifetime but, as was the practice of the time, left out anything personal and used terms familiar to contemporaries. Buckley is able to give historical context and interpret the cant modern readers may not be cognizant of.

Interesting and fun to read about a very competent police officers in contrast to the often bumbling fools as the writer often portrays them.

NetGalley, Juliane Silver

Author article 'Trinity House Records' as featured by

WDYTYA? magazine, December 2018

As featured on Jacqueline Grima's Blog.

Jacquelinegrima.wordpress

As mentioned in

Newbury Weekly News

Author article as featured in. 'My ancestor was a police detective' Angela Buckley explores the ground-breaking work of intrepid Victorian detectives

WDYTYA? Magazine, February 2017

The Real Sherlock Holmes – The Hidden Story of Jerome Caminada written by family historian Angela Buckley, takes us back to Victorian Manchester, and the man said to have been the inspiration behind Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. At the same time this book is an interpretation of Manchester’s urban history during the latter part of the nineteenth century.

Today much of Manchester looks similar to Victorian Manchester, which to those of us who study and write about the City’s history we would tell you looks can be deceiving. Deansgate at the start of Caminada’s career in the Manchester Police, was a lot narrower than it is today, was home to quite a few rookeries and was cheek by jowl to King Street and St Ann’s Square. Not only was it home to some notorious criminals it would be part of Caminada’s beat.

Born in Ancoats a mixture of slum housing and some middle classes along with warehouse and mills Caminada was a member of the large Italian community that resided there. From there he would rise and become one of Manchester’s most important police officers in the latter part of Queen Victoria’s reign. From Police Constable to the rank of Superintendent and served every area of the town and had the reputation of being a brilliant thief catcher.

Angela Buckley in her book charts his thirty-year career as a Manchester Police Officer and gives some interesting insights in to both the character of Jerome Caminada as well as some of his cases that he became famous for. She even brings Caminada’s very own Moriarty in a professional thief and very dangerous man who blamed him for being arrested and imprisoned for a few years.

This is a fascinating account for all those that like a mixture of social history, urban history and true crime stories, as we see Caminada’s attempt to clean up Manchester. This really is an interesting book well worth reading and then investigating Manchester’s Victorian Criminal history and you will discover a totally other world.

Paul Diggett, freelance reviewer

The Real Sherlock Holmes – The Hidden Story of Jerome Caminada written by family historian Angela Buckley, takes us back to Victorian Manchester, and the man said to have been the inspiration behind Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. At the same time this book is an interpretation of Manchester’s urban history during the latter part of the nineteenth century.

Today much of Manchester looks similar to Victorian Manchester, which to those of us who study and write about the City’s history we would tell you looks can be deceiving. Deansgate at the start of Caminada’s career in the Manchester Police, was a lot narrower than it is today, was home to quite a few rookeries and was cheek by jowl to King Street and St Ann’s Square. Not only was it home to some notorious criminals it would be part of Caminada’s beat.

Born in Ancoats a mixture of slum housing and some middle classes along with warehouse and mills Caminada was a member of the large Italian community that resided there. From there he would rise and become one of Manchester’s most important police officers in the latter part of Queen Victoria’s reign. From Police Constable to the rank of Superintendent and served every area of the town and had the reputation of being a brilliant thief catcher.

Angela Buckley in her book charts his thirty-year career as a Manchester Police Officer and gives some interesting insights in to both the character of Jerome Caminada as well as some of his cases that he became famous for. She even brings Caminada’s very own Moriarty in a professional thief and very dangerous man who blamed him for being arrested and imprisoned for a few years.

This is a fascinating account for all those that like a mixture of social history, urban history and true crime stories, as we see Caminada’s attempt to clean up Manchester. This really is an interesting book well worth reading and then investigating Manchester’s Victorian Criminal history and you will discover a totally other world.

Paul Diggett, freelance reviewer

This excellent guide to the increasingly accessible source of contemporary newspapers, is essential for all types of historical research, from family history to academic study. The book opens with an extremely useful introduction to all aspects old newspapers, including the history of specific titles and the processes of publication


Denise Bates writes confidently and with authority on this fascinating topic and her advice is invaluable. She addresses all kinds of readers and researchers, from beginners to more experienced historians and there is something new for everyone to learn. She explains more complex usages, such as data handling techniques, with ease and clarity.

I use historical newspapers regularly in my work and yet there was plenty of interesting ideas and new ways of exploiting this wonderful resource for me to try. ‘Historical Research Using British Newspapers’ is indispensable for all those interested in history and I would highly recommend it.

Angela Buckley

An excellent reference work for local and family historians.

Sue Wilkes

This is an excellent little volume that will aid both experienced and inexperienced researcher, even though it guides you through using newspapers the techniques in this book are important. An excellent tool for those interested in doing any historical research.

Goodreads reviewer

As featured in.

Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine - April 2016

This is an excellent, welcome and very interesting book, which serves as a memorial, re-establishing Caminada as one of police history's memorable characters. Caminada will now embody those men whose brave and selfless deeds are no longer remembered and for whom there is no memorial.

Surrey Constabulary History Journal

As seen in...

Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine

Author Angela Buckley gave a light-hearted, entertaining evening talk to an audience at Caversham Library…fascinating, lively, informative and funny.

Reading Chronicle

Using Caminada’s own words, newspapers and other contemporary sources, Angela Buckley has written a well researched, detailed and readable book which effortlessly brings this period of history to life. I was captivated by the stories of poverty and crime she has woven into the narrative, and of the descriptions of Manchester’s crowded, grimy streets.

Michelle Higgs, author of A Visitor’s Guide to Victorian England

This is a compelling read – a vibrant account of an extraordinary man, written with a verve that brings nineteenth century to life in all its grimy detail. Buckley claims that Inspector Caminada deserves to be as well-known as Sherlock Holmes, and this book goes a long way to achieving that aim.

Dr Nick Barratt

A book that is highly descriptive of the life and crime in Manchester in the last three decades of the 19th century. It is a gripping tale of one extraordinary detective in his attempts to clean up the Manchester underworld…it provides a highly entertaining and informative insight into crime and crime fighting.

reviews.firetrench.com

The real Sherlock Holmes revealed: Historian finds Victorian investigator Jerome Caminada who was a master of disguise and even had a foe like Moriarty.

The Mail Online

He was a master of disguise, an expert in deduction and spent decades in hot pursuit of his nemesis. Biographer Angela Buckley commemorates 100 years since the death of Jerome Caminada, the original great detective.

The Sunday Express

A new biography, The Real Sherlock Holmes, by the historian Angela Buckley, highlights striking similarities between the fictional detective and Jerome Caminada, a police constable in Manchester who gained national fame in the 19th century for his crime solving.

The Times

…reveals a series of striking similarities between him and the fictional character, in terms of their orthodox methods and character. It also establishes strong echoes between the real detective’s cases and plot lines used by Doyle

The Telegraph

Highly descriptive of life life and crime in Manchester in the last three decades of the 19th Century. It is a gripping tale of one extraordinary detective in his attempts to clean up the Manchester underworld.

Firetrench

A most interesting popular biography of a great Victorian police detective.

The Sherlock Holmes Journal

As seen in Medway Messenger.

Medway Messenger

Angela Buckley has used the memoirs and other published and archive sources to produce a rounded account of Caminada's life before, during and after his police career.
Holmes' main methods were deduction and science, Caminada's the more traditional police tools of surveillance, informers and a good memory for villains previously previously encountered. His success was real, not fictional, and is well worth reading about.

Police History Society

Although largely forgotten today, Jerome Caminada was one of the most celebrated police officers of the Victorian age. A master of disguise who kept an extensive network of informers, it is said of him that he could recognise a thief by his walk. He solved many of the most notorious crimes in his native Manchester during his 31 year career, retiring with the rank of Superintendent. In her fast-paced and informative book, Angela Buckley recounts his adventures, giving the reader a detailed view of the 19th century slums and the criminals that they spawned. Of course, some of the most appalling crimes were committed by people from an altogether more affluent background. Caminada pursued them with no less vigour. The author believes that Sherlock Holmes must been, at least in part, based on Jerome Caminada. Not wishing to spoil her book for the reader, I will say no more than that she makes a very good case. A highly enjoyable book that deserves a place on the shelves of every student of Victorian criminal history.

Whitechapel Society Review

Jerome Caminada is remembered because he wrote his memoirs and it is refreshing to see a book about a detective that is not London-based. The book uses material from the Greater Manchester Police Museum, newspaper sources and other material, and is well written.

History by the Yard

The first full-length biography on Caminada... brings to life not just his own work but the wider world of crime and society in Manchester...

Your Family Tree

The Real Sherlock Holmes not only narrates the life of Caminada, but provides an interesting insight into the general and criminal history of Manchester in the Victorian period. Buckley provides great context to Caminada's story, educating the reader of how it was possible to rise from financial hardship to wealth in inner city Manchester. The book is thoroughly interesting - a leisurely, yet well informed read. After 'decades of silence', Buckley has certainly voiced Caminada's story again.

Manchester Historian

a gripping new book...

Manchester Evening News

A biography of Jerome Caminada reveals a series of striking similarities between him and the fictional character. It also finds strong echoes of the real detective's cases in plot lines used by Doyle.

Irish Independent