Is this the book that inspired Sherlock Holmes? Appearing in 1871, sixteen years before the great British detective made his appearance, the Frenchman Maximilien Heller was a misanthropic, drug-taking private detective with an extraordinary gift for observation and logical deduction, and fully conversant with the chemical science and forensic practices of the day. He was a master of disguise and his audacious exploits were chronicled by his friend and confidant, a doctor. Sound familiar? The Killing Needle is a seminal work by any standards: fast-moving, well plotted and well written, it chronicles the adventures of a talented young detective determined to risk all to save an innocent man and bring a master criminal to justice.