Holmes was the equivalent of James Bond.
Like Bond, he's entertaining as hell, but you can't take the character seriously. His feats of deduction were comparable (and as believable)to Bond swimming out of the sea, taking out a few armed guards, blowing up a refinery, then stripping off his wet suit and scuba gear to reveal a perfectly pressed tuxedo for his grand entrance into the casino. Superb, but too cool to be believed.