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Book Review: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Book Review - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Series: Sherlock Holmes: Book 3

Publisher: George Newnes

Genre: Crime, Mystery, Detective Fiction

First Publication: 1892

Language: English

Major Characters: Sherlock Holmes, Dr. John Watson, Inspector Lestrade, Irene Adler

Setting Place: late 19th century London

Narration: First person

Preceded by: The Sign of the Four

Followed by: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is the series of short stories that made the fortunes of the Strand magazine, in which they were first published, and won immense popularity for Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson.

The detective is at the height of his powers and the volume is full of famous cases, including ‘The Red-Headed League’, ‘The Blue Carbuncle’, and ‘The Speckled Band’. Although Holmes gained a reputation for infallibility, Conan Doyle showed his own realism and feminism by having the great detective defeated by Irene Adler – the woman – in the very first story, ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes collects the first twelve Sherlock Holmes stories, originally published in The Strand magazine throughout 1891-1892. The first story in the collection, “A Scandal in Bohemia,” is the story that made Holmes and his creator a household name.

What this collection offers is a great look into the character of Holmes as a master of solving what seems to be the unsolvable: puzzling crimes, murders, mistaken identities and generally mysterious circumstances. Doyle really sets the bar and precedent for the detective genre with Holmes as his lead. Many mysteries in contemporary film and book have been influenced in some manner by Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.

“As a rule, the more bizarre a thing is the less mysterious it proves to be. It is your commonplace, featureless crimes which are really puzzling, just as a commonplace face is the most difficult to identify.”

Some of the highlights in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle:

In “A Scandal in Bohemia”, Sherlock Holmes employs disguises in attempts to find a photograph that could ruin the potential marriage of the King of Bohemia. This story has a light mood and it is enjoyable to see Holmes battle wits with Irene Adler.

“The Boscombe Valley Mystery” has Holmes trying to prove the innocence of James McCarthy, whose father was found dead under odd circumstances. Holmes goes to Hatherly Farm, the scene of the murder, to investigate.

“The Man with the Twisted Lip”—Holmes and Watson try to discover the whereabouts of Neville St. Clair, who has disappeared without a trace after last being seen in, of all places, an opium den. Many signs point to a mysterious and deformed beggar as the lead culprit. Holmes’ investigation takes them into the dangerous East End opium den.

“It’s a wicked world, and when a clever man turns his brain to crime it is the worst of all.”

I enjoyed “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” the most. It is a closed-room mystery at hand for Holmes to solve, as one woman’s sister dies under the most unusual and remarkable circumstances. With seemingly no explanation for the murder and no real clue as to a suspect, Holmes and Watson go to the room where the murder happened. The suspense and tension in the dark room towards the conclusion was top notch.

Also included: “The Red-Headed League”, “A Case of Identity”, “The Five Orange Pips”, “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle”, “The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb”, “The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor”, “The Adventure of Beryl Coronet”, and “The Adventure of the Copper Beeches.”

Holmes’ methods of deducing are almost always fascinating and entertaining. He is an astute and keen observer of human behavior, and pays attention to every detail in his surroundings. Watson makes for a great sidekick and ally to Sherlock Holmes, and his narration really makes these stories tick and work in a way that would be much less effective with an outside narrator.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle is a wonderful collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, some of the most popular out there. A collection like this is the best way to start reading Holmes. Sherlock Holmes’ fans will want to also check out A Study in Scarlet as well as The Hound of the Baskervilles, full length novels.

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The Sherlock Holmes Series by Arthur Conan Doyle - review

Arthur Conan Doyle, The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is the world's only consulting detective. Money and prestige don't interest him, simply the chance to flex his intellectual muscles and practise his unique method of deduction are enough. Following him through a series of problems, you are able to watch a great mind at work and delve into the criminal world of London.

I loved the Sherlock Holmes books and really enjoyed following the various mysteries that Watson and Holmes dealt with through the years. I fancy myself better at reaching the correct conclusion than Dr Watson is, although I am nowhere near as observant as Holmes.

I liked the range of problems: from the oddly eccentric, with a society for men with bright red hair to the boringly mundane that turned out to be something much more malicious. And with others like a lost hat leading to the case of a stolen jewel, every story of both Holmes' triumphs and failures was highly entertaining.

However, I would have liked to know more about what went on between Holmes and Moriarty. Doyle writes that they were sparring and the problems faced had been numerous and difficult, but doesn't go into details.

I would recommend his books to anyone who enjoys mystery and adventure and any budding sleuths.

Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop .

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Book Review: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson have captivated audiences for generations. This collection of twelve short stories is fantastic. From stolen jewels to mysterious circumstances and brilliant crimes, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes has it all. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is full of mesmerizing deductions and wonderful short adventures. I highly recommend this collection of short stories for every Sherlock Holmes fan and anyone searching for great mystery novels or short stories.

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Book Review

The adventures of sherlock holmes.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Historical , Mystery

Readability Age Range

Originally these stories were serialized in The Strand Magazine (between July 1891 and June1892), then published in 1892 by George Newness. The reprint reviewed was by Dover Publications in 2009.

Year Published

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine .

Plot Summary

Sherlock Holmes is a quirky British detective with an unusually keen eye for detail. With the help of his friend and biographer, Dr. John Watson, Holmes takes on strange and challenging cases. He often solves crimes Scotland Yard cannot. The following are the cases included in this book:

A Scandal in Bohemia The Bohemian king, preparing to marry, asks Holmes to retrieve an incriminating photograph of him with a former mistress, Irene Adler. Holmes dons several disguises and enlists Watson’s help to find the photo in Adler’s home. Holmes accidentally ends up serving as a witness in Adler’s elopement with another man. Adler bests Holmes when she discovers his investigation. She tells him she is happy with her new husband and has no intention of blackmailing the king. She is only keeping the photo in case the king should try to ruin her reputation. The king is satisfied to let the matter drop.

The Red-Headed League A pawnbroker named Jabez Wilson approaches Holmes about the strange and sudden loss of his side job. He applied for a position with the Red-Headed League, which his assistant insisted was an elite organization that paid well. Once able to prove his hair was legitimately red, Wilson was hired and asked to copy pages from the encyclopedia for several hours a day. One day, a note on the office door said the society was disbanded. Holmes discovers a pair of criminals concocted the Red-Headed League to keep Wilson out of his shop so they could dig a tunnel beneath it and access a bank vault.

A Case of Identity A woman named Mary Sutherland asks Holmes for help finding her missing fiancé, Hosmer Angel. Just before Angel’s disappearance, he made her promise to wait for him, no matter what. Holmes deduces that Angel was Sutherland’s stepfather, Windebank, in disguise. As long as Sutherland lived in his home, waiting for her beloved (but phony) fiancé, Windebank had access to her money.

The Boscombe Valley Mystery Holmes investigates the murder of an Australian named Charles McCarthy. He and his son, James, lived on land owned by a wealthy old acquaintance, John Turner. Witnesses say McCarthy and James argued just before McCarthy’s body was discovered. Holmes learns McCarthy was trying to arrange a marriage between James and Turner’s daughter. McCarthy and Turner had worked together with a band of thieves in Australia, and McCarthy was blackmailing Turner. Turner, who was dying anyway, murdered McCarthy so he wouldn’t gain control over his daughter.

The Five Orange Pips A young man named John Openshaw approaches Holmes when his uncle and father die in the same strange manner. Each received a letter containing five orange pips and demanding the recipient leave some papers on the sundial. Openshaw is concerned, as he has just received the same cryptic message himself. Holmes ties the orange pips back to the Ku Klux Klan in America and conjectures someone is after papers incriminating specific Klansmen. Openshaw is killed before Holmes can solve the case, but Holmes finally tracks the antagonist to an American ship that sinks at sea.

The Man with the Twisted Lip Watson visits an opium den to retrieve a neighbor and finds Holmes there in disguise. Holmes is helping Mrs. St. Claire find her missing husband, whom she recently saw in a window nearby. She says when her husband made eye contact with her, he looked frightened. Holmes learns Mr. St. Claire, a former actor, discovered by accident that begging was more lucrative than his normal job. He had been disguising himself as a homeless man and begging. When he saw his wife, he fled in fear that his family would learn his secret and be ashamed of him.

The Blue Carbuncle Holmes’ cohort discovers a priceless blue carbuncle gemstone inside a goose his wife just killed. Holmes deduces a hotel employee named Ryder stole the jewel from a wealthy guest. Ryder admits he tried to hide the stone by forcing it down a goose’s throat while visiting his sister’s farm. He ended up retrieving the wrong bird by mistake. Holmes lets Ryder go free so he won’t rot in the prison system.

The Speckled Band A woman named Helen Stoner, who lives with her stepfather, Dr. Grimsby Roylott, asks for Holmes’ help. Her twin sister was murdered in her bedroom under suspicious circumstances two years earlier and mentioned a speckled band just before dying. Now that Miss Stoner is engaged, Roylott is making her sleep in her dead sister’s room. Holmes examines the house and discovers Roylott has set up an elaborate system to get a poisonous reptile in and out of the room. Holmes uses Roylott’s own trick to provoke the snake to attack its trainer.

The Engineer’s Thumb An engineer named Hatherley, with a recently severed thumb, comes to Holmes’ house. He says a secretive man hired him to fix a hydraulic press he claimed was used to filter a type of clay. Hatherley discovered the press was actually full of metal. The men at the site tried to crush Haverley in the press, and they severed his thumb as he was escaping. Holmes investigates and deduces the men were silver counterfeiters.

The Noble Bachelor Holmes meets with Lord St. Simon, one of England’s highest-ranking noblemen. St. Simon had just married an American woman of means, Hatty Doran, and she promptly vanished. Holmes learns the woman was already married to a miner she met years earlier. He had gone off to seek his fortune to earn her family’s favor. Hatty thought her husband was dead, but he reappeared right before the wedding. Holmes convinces Hatty and her husband to tell St. Simon the truth.

The Beryl Coronet A man named Holder was tasked with looking after a priceless tiara containing gemstones called beryls. He went crazy when he caught his son holding the crown one night. Several of the gems were gone. Holder’s niece, Mary, defended her cousin as the police investigated. After Holmes joins the investigation, Mary runs off with a scoundrel named Burnwell. Holmes deduces the two robbed Holder. Holder’s son had seen them, but he loved Mary too much to tell her secret. Holmes recovers the missing jewels and tells Holder that Mary will receive ample punishment by being stuck with someone like Burnwell.

The Copper Beeches Miss Violet Hunter consults with Holmes about whether to take an unusual governess position. The Rucastles wants her to cut her hair, wear certain clothes and sit in certain places at certain times. Violet takes the job because the money is great. She reconnects with Holmes when things become stranger. Holmes discovers Rucastle is using Violet as a decoy for his daughter, whom he has locked in another wing of the house to hide her from a suitor. Rucastle has tried to keep his daughter under his roof so he can control her money.

Christian Beliefs

Other belief systems, authority roles.

Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard admires Holmes’ investigative skills and calls on him for help solving cases. Parents in several stories go to desperate lengths of control to retain their children’s money.

Profanity & Violence

The Lord’s name is used in vain. Fingerprints and bruises on Miss Stoner’s wrists indicate her stepfather has been abusing her. The stepfather is later mangled and nearly killed by a hungry dog, which Holmes shoots to death (“The Speckled Band”). A man’s thumb is severed and bloody (“The Engineer’s Thumb”). Blood and murder are mentioned in other stories as well.

Sexual Content

A man doesn’t want his daughter to be looked upon as a slut .

Discussion Topics

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

Drugs/Alcohol: Sherlock Holmes uses cocaine and alcohol to combat his boredom in life. As a doctor, Watson expresses his concern about Holmes’ cocaine use. Other characters, such as Whitney in “The Man with the Twisted Lip,” use and abuse opium in opium dens.

Prejudice: Ku Klux Klan members kill those who could expose their crimes (“The Five Orange Pips”).

You can request a review of a title you can’t find at [email protected] .

Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

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The Essential Guide to Reading the Sherlock Holmes Books

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Blog – Posted on Tuesday, Jun 30

The essential guide to reading the sherlock holmes books.

Everyone’s heard of the famous British detective, many have seen one of the thrilling TV/movie adaptations, but not everyone’s read the original Sherlock Holmes books. Trust us — it’s worth it.

The fact that there’s so many Sherlock Holmes books (novels as well as short story collections) can be confusing, with newcomers wondering which order they should read them in. The books were also not written in chronological order in terms of plot, and reading them in the order of publication doesn’t help much either. So if you’re new to the works of Arthur Conan Doyle, we’re here to suggest a reasonable order to read them in that should keep things from getting too confusing!

We’ll explain our reasoning below, but without further ado, here’s the order of Sherlock Holmes books we recommend:

1. A Study in Scarlet

2. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

3. The Sign of Four

4. The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes

5. The Valley of Fear

6. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

7. The Return of Sherlock Holmes

8. His Last Bow

9. The Hound of the Baskervilles

1. A Study in Scarlet (1887, novel)

The first one’s a no-brainer. A Study in Scarlet was the first Sherlock Holmes book to be published, in 1887! So if you’re here because of BBC’s Sherlock , take a second to mentally lose the smartphones, cars, GPS systems ... and, well, we hate to say it, but Benedict Cumberbatch will have to go too. This novel introduces readers to the original, late-Victorian Sherlock and Watson; it’s the first time the two characters meet, and the book cleverly establishes the dynamic between the duo (partly through masterful dialogue ), with Watson, as narrator, standing in for the reader as he tries to understand Sherlock’s superior mind. The two settle in together at the now-famous fictional apartment at 221B Baker Street in London, and work on a demanding and complicated murder case involving a wedding ring, some pills, a pipe, several telegrams, and a mysterious inscription reading “RACHE”...but you’ll have to read the novel if you want to connect the dots — or, as Sherlock says, unravel the “scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life.” The second half of this novel follows a flashback tale that may seem somewhat off-putting, and is the reason some readers recommend starting with a short story collection, but we still think it’s important for the reader to be introduced to the duo in a chronologically accurate way. So hang on in there for the second half — it’s definitely worth persevering, so you can move on to the next book.

🕵️ Fun fact: A Study in Scarlet is the book that first established the magnifying glass as a tool used by detectives to solve crimes! 🔎

2. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892, short story collection)

The stories in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes are a fantastic way to deepen your understanding of Sherlock’s fascinating personality. The first story in this collection, ‘A Scandal in Bohemia,’ featuring a certain someone called Irene Adler. It was also the story that began the Sherlock fandom, despite not being the first published tale about the detective. For that reason, we think it’s important to deviate slightly from the chronology of publication, in order to get a strong sense of the detective’s intriguing methodologies and attitude. With stories averaging around twenty pages, this is a volume you can dip in and out of whenever you need that satisfying spark of intelligence that Sherlock Holmes never fails to deliver.

3. The Sign of Four (1890, novel)

To return to the order of publication, the second novel in the Sherlock Holmes books canon, The Sign of Four , is where Sherlock’s drug use is first depicted and where readers finally begin to see the man behind the detective. This is also the novel where (130-year spoiler alert) Dr. Watson’s future wife, Mary Marston, appears. In this darkly atmospheric book of strange London alleys, a mysterious annual package of pearls, and a vanished father, readers are in for a thicker, more complex plot than short stories can supply!

🕵️ Fun fact : This novel was first published in Lippincott’s Monthly magazine, a literary magazine that also published Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray in the same year. Other authors featured in Lippincott’s include Willa Cather and Rudyard Kipling — quite the magazine!

4. The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (1927, short story collection)

Okay, we’re really breaking with the order of publication here, but we think this book is best read before the complicated interconnectedness of The Memoirs and The Return (details below), even though it was the last to be published. In The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes , the reader can enjoy a selection of straightforward detective adventures pursued by Holmes and Watson, which can stand autonomously. Two of these stories are actually narrated by Sherlock himself, which makes for an exciting reading experience!

A final note, if you’re trying to be selective and aren’t able to read the entire Sherlock canon: this is often considered the weakest Sherlock Holmes book, with the author seeming tired of the detective by this point in his career. If you leave something out, this should probably be it. This weakness is another reason we recommend not reading this book last even if you’re reading things in order of publication, as it sadly tends to be pretty anticlimactic!

5. The Valley of Fear (1915, novel)

Within the chronology of the Sherlock Holmes books, The Valley of Fear takes place before The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes , despite its later publication, since Sherlock states he has never met James Moriarty before. A book cipher message is followed by a mysterious murder at a manor house and a set of strange but promising clues. This novel is one of the most satisfying Sherlock books, and its detailed and well-planned plot is able to convey Holmes and Watson’s detective procedure with a sustained suspense that Conan Doyle doesn’t have the room for in some of his shorter works. Add to that the intrigue of secret societies, and The Valley of Fear is rightly shown to be a simply irresistible tale.

🕵️ Fun fact : The novel is loosely based on the real James McParland and his success against the Molly Maguires secret Irish society — though we would advise you not to Google this stuff before reading the book!

6. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894, short story collection)

Did you know that Arthur Conan Doyle was so tired of writing Sherlock Holmes books that he killed the beloved detective off in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes , but then had to find a way to bring him back to life due to fan outrage? Yep, that’s right; Conan Doyle had written to his mother that Sherlock “[took his] mind from better things.” Though she was horrified and urged him not to do it, he went ahead with it anyway in the last story of this collection, ‘The Final Problem.’ But that’s not the only reason to read this collection — the Memoirs is also where Sherlock’s archenemy Professor James Moriarty and brother Mycroft are introduced to the readers, in ‘The Final Problem’ and ‘The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter’ respectively.

🕵️ Fun fact : Later, Conan Doyle stated the following: “I have had such an overdose of him that I feel towards him as I do towards paté de foie gras, of which I once ate too much, so that the name of it gives me a sickly feeling to this day.” The 20,000+ people who cancelled their subscriptions to The Strand magazine (where these stories were published) as a result of Sherlock’s death were not happy. It is safe to assume the magazine staff was not happy either.

7. The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905, short story collection)

With The Return of Sherlock Holmes , Conan Doyle “revived” the popular detective — no zombie stuff, don’t worry. He found a way to explain the ending of Memoirs to his readers’ satisfaction, and so the legend continued, set three years after Sherlock’s apparent death. As usual, Dr. Watson is on the reader’s side: just as baffled by Sherlock’s reappearance, he facilitates the clarification of events. The duo finds itself returning to the area near their old Baker Street apartment, though things are not as they were before… Their humorous dialogue, however, is back and as strong as ever!

8. His Last Bow (1917, short story collection)

His Last Bow is the last book in the chronology of Sherlock’s life, but not the last to be published, despite an assurance by Watson that Holmes had retired and would not permit him to write any further books (remember, The Casebook is set in the past). Reaching the public while the First World War was still unfolding, His Last Bow features a final story by the same title where Sherlock and Watson are part of the British intelligence efforts. Their war service includes catching foreign spies and feeding Germany confusing and unreliable intelligence; gone are the days of the duo’s iconic detective work. For this reason, we suggest that you do not end with this book, despite the chronological closure it provides.

9. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902, novel)

The Hound of the Baskervilles was the first book Conan Doyle published after he initially killed Sherlock, and it’s set before the events of that story. This novel is widely considered the best of the Sherlock Holmes books — so we’ve saved the best for last. In Devon’s moors, Charles Baskerville is found dead with a horrified expression, prompting speculation that an old folk story about a demonic hound haunting the area might be true. Sherlock is called to investigate, and so begins this darkly Gothic novel, complete with marshes, suspense, candle signals from nightly windows, and impenetrable fog. Chilling, immersive, and incredibly satisfying, this truly frightening novel will not disappoint. Expertly blending suspense, mystery, and supernatural horror , The Hound of the Baskervilles is an extraordinary literary achievement.

🕵️ Fun fact : The inspiration for this novel came in part from the real legend of Squire Richard Cabell in Devon. The squire was famously immoral and considered evil by the community, and his tomb was said to be visited at night by the ghosts of a pack of hounds that would howl near his grave. Not exactly tourist attraction material!

If the nine original books in the Sherlock Holmes canon still aren’t enough, worry not. Sherlock’s afterlife is still going strong, and now that the character has entered public domain, many Sherlock Holmes books continue to be written even now. So if you’re still thirsty for more, here’s a few recommendations:

10. Shadows Over Baker Street , eds. Michael Reaves and John Pelan

Shadows Over Baker Street is a short story anthology edited by Michael Reaves and John Pelan. Here, twenty contemporary writers (including Neil Gaiman!) contribute a story where Sherlock must solve a mystery in the world of H. P. Lovecraft . These creepy and atmospheric tales are the perfect fusion of the mathematical world of logical deduction and the supernatural world of horror.

11. The House of Silk and Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

Anthony Horowitz, author of the popular Alex Rider series, was authorized by the Conan Doyle estate to write some new Sherlock Holmes pastiche. This has taken the form of two novels, The House of Silk and Moriarty . In the former, which is set in 1890, Sherlock is hired by an art dealer, whose art business has been in trouble with an Irish gang — but as the story progresses, it becomes apparent that the detective has chanced upon a loose thread of a formidable global conspiracy. The latter novel, set after the events of ‘The Final Problem,’ sees detective Frederick Chase team up with Inspector Jones to pursue an emerging criminal mastermind hoping to take Moriarty’s place. Fast-paced, suspenseful, and immensely satisfying, these novels are a wonderful opportunity to re-enter the world of Sherlock Holmes.

12. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

The first in a long and very popular series, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice sees a retired Sherlock meet teenage detective talent Mary Russell. The young American’s life is changed when she becomes the detective’s pupil. The book follows the pair from the Sussex Downs to Oxford, Wales, Palestine and back, as they realize they’re facing an opponent more formidable than either of them had anticipated.

13. The Final Solution by Michael Chabon

Michael Chabon’s The Final Solution sees a retired Sherlock Holmes, referred to only as the “old man,” decipher the meaning of a parrot’s listing of seemingly random German numbers. The parrot belongs to a young German-Jewish refugee boy (the novel is set in 1944), and the bird abruptly disappears as soon as interest in his mumbling begins to grow. Add to that the classic murder ingredient, and Sherlock Holmes has another mystery cut out for him. This suspenseful novella is guaranteed to please Sherlock fans with the clever, funny mystery it poses.

And that’s it! With so much to choose from, we hope your Sherlock needs will be met, and that you’re ready for the incredible journey that lies ahead of you. Put on your deerstalker hat (a detail, by the way, that never appeared in the original text, only the illustrations ), grab your pipe, and let’s go!

Hungry for more? Check out this list of the 30 best mystery books of all time !

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Book Review – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

First published, 1892 This edition published, 2020

An excellent introduction to the world of Sherlock Holmes. This collection of short stories, written from Dr Watson’s perspective, show the logical, excitable, slightly-manic but always incisive Holmes as he uncovers various plots and baddies.

The writing is exceptional. Rich and highly textured, there’s so much to enjoy here. Also, although Watson is a clearly devoted sidekick, he lacks the haphazard, judgemental edge of early Hastings in Christie’s Poirot stories. For example:

“ ‘You appeared to read a good deal upon her which was quite invisible to me,’ I remarked. ’Not invisible but unnoticed, Watson. You did not know where to look, and so you missed all that was important. I can never bring you to realise the importance of sleeves, the suggestiveness of thumbnails, or the great issues that may hang from a bootlace…’ ” page 77, A Case Of Identity, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Some stunning imagery: “As evening drew in, the storm grew higher and louder, and the wind cried and sobbed like a child in the chimney.” page 123, The Five Orange Pips, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Highly enjoyable. Definitely recommended.

The stories in this collection are: A Scandal In Bohemia, The Red-headed League, A Case of Identity, The Boscombe Valley Mystery, The Five Orange Pips, The Man With The Twisted Lip, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, The Adventure of the Speckled Band, The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb, The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor, The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet, and The Adventure of the Copper Beeches. They were first serialised in The Strand magazine.

https://amzn.to/34COBOT

A Journey of Words

Book review: the adventures of sherlock holmes, the adventures of sherlock holmes sherlock holmes #3 by arthur conan doyle, my rating: 4 / 5 genre: classic mystery.

This is the first Sherlock Holmes I’ve ever read, though like many, I’ve seen various adaptations. I started with this book of short stories mostly because it was the one I owned. I’ve never been a huge fan of short stories, though, and while I wish now that I’d started by checking A Study in Scarlet out from the library, I’m still glad I’ve started reading Holmes in any form. The issue with reading this book of shorter mysteries, though, is that a lot of the clients start to blend together, as many of them talk and act similarly when they bring Holmes their case. I did spread the stories out, reading 3 at a time, then reading other books before coming back for more, and I think that helped some.

My view of Holmes and Watson, and even some of the other characters, started with an understanding based on some of the adaptations I’ve seen, and while Holmes was indeed standoffish and generally assumed he was the smartest one in the room, I didn’t think he was quite as cold as I’ve seen him portrayed. A few of the cases were really interesting, while there were a couple that I thought had a much less intriguing solution. The introduction of Irene Adler wasn’t at all what I expected, but I wonder if she’ll be back in a future story. Overall, I enjoyed reading these vignettes, and have a feeling I’ll appreciate even more the longer stories when I get to them.

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The hound of the baskervilles, common sense media reviewers.

Holmes in top form vs. spectral hound on the moor.

The Hound of the Baskervilles Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

This is arguably the best introduction to detectiv

While Doyle wrote his stories as entertainment, bo

Holmes himself, not merely brilliant but also inge

Relatively little violence happens in real time, b

Besides being a murderer, the villain is both a wi

The word "hell" comes up periodically, always with

The alcoholic carousing of Sir Hugo Baskerville an

Educational Value

This is arguably the best introduction to detective fiction kids can get. The quality of writing and plot construction deserve attention in themselves, but equally noteworthy are the characters, settings and plot devices that have become mainstays of the genre ever since: from Holmes and his faithful, obtuse, long-suffering Watson to the lonely house on the windswept moor, the fresh-faced heir from foreign parts, the mysterious family curse. It is also a good introduction to the views and mores of the later Victorian era.

Positive Messages

While Doyle wrote his stories as entertainment, both he and his protagonist had a fairly rigorous moral compass, along with some sense of realism. Hence, while Holmes is ultimately able to foil the adversary who's seeking to destroy the innocent Sir Henry, the path is neither smooth nor free of consequences, even to Sir Henry himself.

Positive Role Models

Holmes himself, not merely brilliant but also ingenious and diligent in his client's service and a true friend to Watson, has become an icon through the years but appears especially well here. Likewise Watson, tenaciously loyal both to Holmes and to his appointed task. Sir Henry Baskerville, newly arrived from North America to the strange, accursed family estates, shows courage and a generous spirit, particularly in dealing with his longtime family retainers the Barrymores, who turn out to have a family secret of their own and repay him with their own loyalty.

Violence & Scariness

Relatively little violence happens in real time, but its anticipation and aftermath figure prominently in the story. The Baskerville ancestor who brought about the curse was ostensibly mauled to death by a giant dog; now another Baskerville has died, apparently of fright, with giant paw prints seen in the vicinity of the body. Howls are heard on the moor at night, the new heir receives dire warnings to stay away. Meanwhile, an escaped murderer is loose on the moor, which also contains numerous patches of deadly quicksand that dooms unwary local ponies. One man is killed trying to escape the hound, another has a near escape, and the hound himself is killed by Holmes, et al.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Besides being a murderer, the villain is both a wife-beater and a cad, as we learn by the end of the story that he's been making false promises of marriage to a woman in the district to advance his plans. However, while the disapproval of Doyle, Holmes, and Watson is evident, salacious details are not.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

The word "hell" comes up periodically, always with reference to the hound's origins.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The alcoholic carousing of Sir Hugo Baskerville and his friends is criticized for its excess; Dr. Watson, Holmes, and their peers consume wine in moderation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this is classic Holmes and Watson, and also free of some of the more problematical content that crops up elsewhere in the Sherlock canon (e.g. the famous 7 percent solution of cocaine). Probably more cerebral and less spooky than its many movie treatments, it's still effective at evoking an atmosphere of foreboding, which may be an issue for more sensitive kids. This edition also includes the original illustrations that accompanied the story when it was first serialized in The Strand , a nice atmospheric period detail.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

Parents say (5)
Kids say (11)

Based on 5 parent reviews

A Solid Introduction to a Cultural Icon

13 y/o daughter not interested, what's the story.

Sir Henry Baskerville, a young man recently arrived from North America to take possession of the estate of his uncle, who's died suddenly, seeks the counsel and protection of Sherlock Holmes. The wealthy Sir Charles apparently died fleeing in terror from an unknown enemy; meanwhile, Sir Henry himself is receiving mysterious threats, perhaps related to a Baskerville family curse involving an innocent maiden, a reprobate ancestor, and a vengeful hound. Holmes, busy with other affairs, sends the faithful Dr. Watson to the country to keep watch over Sir Henry and send back reports, which are soon flowing with accounts of the gloomy moor and surroundings. Among the cast: Dr. Mortimer, the eccentric country practitioner; the enigmatic Barrymores, who have has been servants to the Baskervilles for generations; Stapleton and his ubiquitous butterfly net, not to mention his sister, who quickly becomes Sir Henry's romantic interest. Meanwhile a murderer has escaped from the nearby prison and is loose on the moor, spine-chilling howls are heard at night by sober men, and Watson and Sir Henry are more nervous than they care to admit. Surprise revelations and terrifying moments ensue before Holmes brings things to a generally safe conclusion.

Is It Any Good?

There's a pretty good case to be made that this is Holmes at his finest; in any case, it's a great introduction to the master detective and his faithful chronicler. The plot moves along at a good pace, the quality of the writing is excellent (even if Watson and Doyle are a bit wordy by today's standards), and none of the potential pitfalls that crop up elsewhere in the canon and might require parental intervention, from Mormon-bashing to drug use, is in evidence here. Holmes and Watson are well portrayed and have some classic, character-defining interactions.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about detectives and how they solve problems. How did Sherlock Holmes figure out the true nature of the threat to Sir Henry and the identity of the villain?

What do you think about the idea of a family curse? Do you think they're real? How might the idea of a family curse be used to manipulate people in ways other than in this story?

Do you think Holmes and Watson might have done a better job of protecting Sir Henry? How?

One of the great scenes in this story involves Holmes looking at the portraits of Baskerville ancestors in the hallway of the mansion and seeing their resemblance to his contemporaries. What stories come to mind when you look at photos of your ancestor? What living family members do they remind you of?

Book Details

Author : Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Illustrator : Sidney Paget
Genre : Mystery
Book type : Fiction
Publisher : Finisterra Books
Publication date : February 25, 2011
Number of pages : 228
Last updated : June 9, 2015

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The Best Fiction Books » Mystery

The best sherlock holmes books, recommended by michael dirda.

On Conan Doyle by Michael Dirda

Arthur Conan Doyle wrote 56 short stories and four novels starring his fictional sleuth. Michael Dirda – Pulitzer Prize-winning critic, writer and lifelong Sherlockian – gives us his personal choice of the best Sherlock Holmes books and tells us more about their creator.

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters by D Stashower & C Foley & J Lellenberg

The Best Sherlock Holmes Books - A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

1 A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

2 the complete sherlock holmes by arthur conan doyle, 3 the hound of the baskervilles by arthur conan doyle, 4 the lost world by arthur conan doyle, 5 arthur conan doyle: a life in letters by d stashower & c foley & j lellenberg.

B efore we talk about the books you’ve chosen, I am intrigued about what goes on in the Baker Street Irregulars group, which you were inducted into in 2002.

The Morley kids had grown up reading the Sherlock Holmes books and used to tease each other with questions about the most minor details in them. They decided to run a contest in the Saturday Review of Literature for people who had the same kind of passionate interest in 221b Baker Street, and from this contest there emerged a kind of literary society and dining club, which has being going strong for more than 75 years now. In it people play what is called “the Game”, which is founded on the premise that Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are actual historical figures and the stories historical records of their exploits. There are discrepancies in “the canon”, there are gaps, there are problems with chronology but Irregular scholarship will find a way to reconcile or make sense of them all.

Let’s have a look at some of the books you are all such fans of. Your first choice is A Study in Scarlet, which describes how the famous detective pair, Holmes and Watson, met.

If you’ve never read any Sherlock Holmes books you really need to start with that one because it introduces this rather mysterious and romantic character. At the beginning, Doctor Watson tries to puzzle out the profession of his strange roommate at 221b Baker Street. He makes lists of what Holmes seems to know a lot about and what he doesn’t seem to know about at all – including the Copernican theory. In short, this is an introduction to a partnership and friendship that will be chronicled over 56 short stories and four novels. I think everyone needs to know the foundation of that relationship.

There have been so many different Sherlock Holmes films, which all depict Watson and Holmes differently. From your readings of the books how would you describe them?

Most of us grew up on Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in those old B movies of the 1930s and 40s. Nigel Bruce deliberately portrayed Watson as this bumbling dolt, which is very different from the Watson of the books, who is a soldier, doctor, battle veteran and an authority on “the fair sex”. Happily, the 21st century Sherlock produced by the BBC, with Benedict Cumberbatch as this very Aspergian Holmes and Martin Freeman as this vulnerable and engaging Watson, gives us a more accurate portrait of their relationship.

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Watson, we know from the books, marries at least a couple of times and is a much more admirable and humane figure than Holmes. Over time, the stories show how Watson gradually humanises this thinking machine. Agatha Christie – through the mouth of her own detective Hercule Poirot – asserted that Conan Doyle’s greatest creation wasn’t Sherlock Holmes but Doctor Watson.

Do you agree?

Good point. Next up on your list of the best Sherlock Holmes books is the short story, The Adventure of the Speckled Band. You can buy it on its own or read it for free online , but if you’re committed, you could also buy it as part of the Complete Sherlock Holmes . It’s described as a locked room mystery – what is that?

It is essentially an impossible crime. A victim is found murdered in a locked room and there are no obvious entrances or exits from it. How was the crime committed? How did the murderer escape? Seemingly only supernatural means can explain this impossible situation. But a detective like Sherlock Holmes will figure out how it all really happened.

The Speckled Band is also a kind of gothic story. You have a wonderful villain in Dr Roylott, and you have the isolated home, the mysterious sounds and habits of the household. Most Sherlockians, if they had to pick just one story to represent the canon, would choose this one. For many years, it and The Red-Headed League were the two adventures most often reprinted in school textbooks.

We can’t discuss Conan Doyle without mentioning his most famous Sherlock Holmes book, The Hound of the Baskervilles.

The Hound of the Baskervilles was the first grown-up book I ever read. I can remember buying the novel as part of a school book club and waiting until just the right November evening to read it, one when my sisters and parents would be away. It was literally a dark and stormy night and I pulled all the covers down from my bed and turned off all the lights in the house except one and read the pages absolutely wide-eyed.

When you come to the end of that second chapter, there is this particularly brilliant exchange when Doctor Mortimer describes the death of the latest Baskerville and mentions that there were footprints seen near the body. Holmes turns to Mortimer and says, “A man’s or a woman’s?” and Mortimer delivers the greatest reply in 20th century literature, “Mr Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!” I shivered with pleasure and realised that life didn’t get much better than that. After I finished the book, I went to the library and found the complete Sherlock Holmes stories and devoured those.

Eventually I went on to learn that Conan Doyle wasn’t just the creator of Sherlock Holmes but that he was really a multi-talented writer. He also wrote wonderfully evocative ghost stories and historical fiction . He has these rather swashbuckling tall tales told by a Napoleonic cavalryman, Brigadier Gerard. I recommend them.

Still, The Hound of the Baskervilles was the book that persuaded Conan Doyle to bring back Holmes in a serious way. You know that he killed off the detective at the end of the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and people thought for several years that their beloved Sherlock was dead after the tumble with Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls. But eventually Conan Doyle bowed to audience pressure and came out with The Hound of the Baskervilles, though he insisted that this was a pre-Reichenbach adventure. But the book was so fabulously popular – it was the Da Vinci Code or Harry Potter of the day – that ultimately Conan Doyle was offered so much money he couldn’t refuse to produce more Sherlock Holmes stories.

Despite its popularity, is there anything that you don’t like about it?

As you mentioned, Conan Doyle wrote other novels that don’t feature Sherlock Holmes. One of them is The Lost World .

One of the aims of my little book On Conan Doyle is to urge people to explore Conan Doyle’s many wonderful non-Sherlockian works. Certainly the one that most people should start with is The Lost World . It introduces Professor George Edward Challenger, a self-important but wonderfully funny and committed scientist who discovers a plateau in a South American jungle where dinosaurs still roam the earth. This is based on some actual historical explorations that were going on at the time. The novel obviously inspired Jurassic Park . It is one of the great classic versions of a lost civilisation.

Challenger is a larger than life, humorous character, and I stress repeatedly that Conan Doyle is often very funny. He himself, unlike many writers, was something of a man of action – a great sportsman who skied, climbed and hiked, and a man who served on a whaler as a ship’s doctor and attended the wounded during the Boer War.

So why do you think that Sherlock Holmes books are so much better known?

Finally you have chosen Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters , edited by Jon Lellenberg, Daniel Stashower and Charles Foley.

Particularly after he became famous, Conan Doyle thought of himself as a public intellectual and he wrote many letters to The Times protesting about atrocities in the Belgian Congo, arguing for divorce law reform, and trying to right the wrongs of people unjustly incarcerated. Arthur and George , Julian Barnes ’s novel previous to his Booker Prize winner, was about Arthur Conan Doyle in one of these cases.

Some of that public intellectual side of Conan Doyle comes across in these letters, but they are also highly personal and reveal a really endearingly winning personality. Conan Doyle is funny, witty, concerned with his family life, and he writes very entertainingly about all sorts of subjects. Above all, with its abundant annotation, the book offers a good survey of Conan Doyle’s career and some of his many interests.

How did it help you with your research for your book?

To write my own book I read almost all of Arthur Conan Doyle . There were a few of his books I didn’t get to – some of the spiritualist tracts, for instance, that he wrote in his later years. I drew on the letters, of course, but also his essays and memoirs, the Sherlockian scholarship of the Baker Street Irregulars, various biographies. I naturally touch on the many films and stage plays and pastiches that employ the great detective.

In short, I aimed to distil a lot of information about Conan Doyle’s writings and the full range of Sherlockian activities into an easy-going, highly personal short book. If I have any talent at all as a writer, it lies in conveying real enthusiasm about the authors I love. I certainly hope people enjoy my book for itself but also use it as a means to better appreciate the Sherlock Holmes stories and as a gateway to Conan Doyle’s other work.

December 7, 2012

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Michael Dirda

Michael Dirda is a Pulitzer Prize-winning critic and longtime book columnist for The Washington Post . He is the author of several collections of essays as well as the memoir An Open Book . A lifelong Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle fan, he was inducted into the Baker Street Irregulars group in 2002.

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Review – The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Introduction to the memoirs of sherlock holmes, sir arthur conan doyle studied medicine at edinburg university. but had far more success as a writer than he did as a physician. doyle modeled his character sherlock holmes after his professor joseph bell who emphasized to his students the importance of careful observation. and drawing conclusions based on very little evidence..

memoirs of sherlock holmes, memoirs sherlock holmes, sherlock holmes memoirs

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a collection of 11 short stories, each about 20 pages in length, which were first published monthly in the Strand magazine from 1891 to 1893.

Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick Dr. Watson is his biographer, who captures the detective’s life story through the cases that he has worked on. And the best way Watson does that is by accompanying Holmes while he solves his cases. So the stories are told through the eyes of Watson.

Continuous learning is a part of life. If you’re not a reader, you can find a synopsis of many books from Readitforme that you can listen to. Click the link to join. This is a great way to learn the latest thinking on many topics. And it is a great way to learn which books to buy and devour.

Have you read?

The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a Book Review

Looking for Creative Problem Solving Scenarios? Read More Mysteries

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes: 11 Stories

Silver Blaze
The Yellow Face
The Stockbroker’s Clerk
The Gloria Scott
The Musgrave Ritual
The Reigate Squires
The Crooked Man
The Resident Patient
The Greek Interpreter
The Naval Treaty
The Final Problem

I found that I enjoyed the short stories where Sherlock Holmes was assigned a case and worked on it in the here-and-now far more than the cases that Watson reflected on – that’s my bias, because I have never liked flashbacks as a literary device, I prefer when stories are told in chronological order.

I got caught up in a few of the stories and found myself very upset with the characters in the story as it unfolded. For instance, in The Naval Treaty , Percy Phelps ’ uncle, Lord Holdhurst asks him to copy and keep secure a confidential naval treaty because it would be problematic if it gets into the wrong hands prematurely.

Holdhurst tells him that he should not begin copying the document until everyone has already left for the day. Phelps complies, but the copying of the document is taking a lot longer that he anticipated and he is now feeling very tired and sleepy so he decides to get some tea to stay awake.

Because he is alone in the building, he leaves the documents unattended on the desk to go in search of tea in another part of the building. When he returns, the naval treaty document is missing. I am so much into the story that I was asking,

“How stupid could you be? It doesn’t matter if you think you are alone, if you have to leave, secure the document first since it’s so important.”

I may have been a bit harsh with the character, but I had little tolerance for his stupidity. But it was quite clever how Holmes solved the mystery to show who stole the naval treaty and why.

In The Final Problem , Sir Arthur Conan Doyle kills off the Sherlock Holmes character , and I thought it was quite odd the way in which he did it. I know that each short story stands alone, but the author introduces the character Professor Moriarty . Moriarty is very evil, a criminal mastermind, and Holmes thinks that if he gathers enough evidence to get him arrested for life he could retire a happy and accomplished man.

The issue is that Moriarty is just as intelligent as Holmes and their deductive reasoning abilities are on par. The question I had is if this character was so evil, and just as smart as Holmes, why wasn’t he in some of the other stories included in the book?

I have read many Sherlock Holmes stories but that was years ago and I cannot remember if Professor Moriarty was in any of them. Perhaps I am going too deep into the book, but I think, at the very least, there should have been at least one other story in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes where both characters went head-to-head.

In most murder mysteries and detective stories, the authors provide clues in the story and readers discover the evidence the same time the detective discovers them so you have a great chance at foreshadowing, but in this instance, Holmes tells you what he sees as he uncovers the mystery, but Doyle doesn’t necessarily provide clues for you to make your own deductions.

However, even though you will not learn about problem solving from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes , you will learn about the art of reasoning. Holmes recognizes, and rightly so, that he will never have all the information he needs to solve a case. There will always be information gaps. The way he gets around that is to think things through carefully, and he often gains clarity about a situation by explaining it to another person.

That’s an important way for anyone to learn. And because Holmes is an astute observer, he sees many things that others don’t, and there are many instances in the book where his power of observation makes good teaching points for the reader.

Another good teaching point from the book is that Holmes is an active listener, and he knows the right questions to ask because of that. If something is not clear to him, he asks for clarification. These are good skills for any professional to possess.

And one of the things I really liked about the book was that, not all the stories were resolved in a complete manner where all the loose ends were tied up, because in real life, not all cases are solved completely. You have cold cases that are never solved, and you have partially solved cases.

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Final thoughts on the memoirs of sherlock holmes.

The picture is of Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty fighting to the bitter end via Wikipedia.

The Final Problem: A Review (smlaarg.wordpress.com)

About the Author Avil Beckford

Hello there! I am Avil Beckford, the founder of The Invisible Mentor. I am also a published author, writer, expert interviewer host of The One Problem Podcast and MoreReads Success Blueprint, a movement to help participants learn in-demand skills for future jobs. Sign-up for MoreReads: Blueprint to Change the World today! In the meantime, Please support me by buying my e-books Visit My Shop , and thank you for connecting with me on LinkedIn , Facebook , Twitter and Pinterest !

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Book Review: “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” by Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes had already appeared in two novels, but his popularity did not really take off until the brief “adventures” collected in this book began to appear in monthly issues of The Strand Magazine , from 1891 to 1892. And though there are two novels and three volumes of short stories still to come, these 12 mysteries include some of Holmes’s most memorable and celebrated cases. Few of them are concerned with actual murder or even actionable crimes, and Holmes doesn’t always get his man (or woman). But they are Holmes all over, the Sherlock you sure love, fascinating us (even when his cases don’t) by his keen observation, quick deduction, and encyclopedic recall of the history of crime—so that he can often solve in moments a case that keeps Scotland Yard guessing for days.

In “A Scandal in Bohemia,” the King of Bohemia (which Conan Doyle seems to confuse with Scandinavia) hires Holmes to help him neutralize a threat to his marriage plans. It seems His Majesty has been foolish enough to allow another woman to possess a photograph of the two of them. In the Holmes canon, this is actually the only appearance of “ the woman,” as Holmes describes her: Irene Adler, celebrated as the only woman who ever outwitted him.

“The Red-Headed League” is a comic tale about a stingy pawnbroker who suspects he has been had. It turns out that the harmless scam of which he is the victim is only part of a plot to play much dirtier trick. In “A Case of Identity,” Holmes is hired by a near-sighted spinster to solve the disappearance of her fiancé. In “The Boscombe Valley Mystery,” Holmes helps Inspector Lestrade prove the innocence of a young man who has been arrested for the murder of his father. “The Five Orange Pips” is the rare case in which Holmes fails to save the life of his client, who comes to him with a creepy story about three successive members of his family receiving a cryptic message before they died. Among the spooky secrets Holmes uncovers in this dark installment is a connection to that American institution, the Ku Klux Klan.

“The Man with the Twisted Lip” is a missing persons case in which a well-off businessman vanishes, almost before his wife’s eyes, from a room in which a lame beggar is found, along with some blood and the victim’s clothes. Is it murder? Or could there be something even stranger going on? “The Blue Carbuncle” is a case of a stolen jewel, which comes Sherlock’s way in the gizzard of a Christmas goose found lying in the street. His powers of detection are never shown more vividly than in “The Speckled Band,” in which a villain hatches a diabolical plot to murder his twin stepdaughters.

In “The Engineer’s Thumb,” Holmes helps a confused young man track down the gang of forgers who tried to use him as an unwitting accomplice, and then tried to kill him. “The Noble Bachelor” concerns a bride who, ten minutes after the start of her wedding breakfast, steps out of the room for a moment and is never seen again. In “The Beryl Coronet,” a banker fears his son has plundered a national treasure, and hires Holmes in the hope of recovering the lost gems. And finally, “The Copper Beeches” has to do with a governess who suspects that her employers are involving her in something sinister and dangerous.

These mysteries are very straightforward, simple, easy to enjoy. They follow a clear formula that has worked for millions of readers these 120-odd years. Sometimes Holmes solves them by spotting a clue that no one else noticed. Sometimes it is his knowledge of human nature, and of similar cases in the past, that does the trick. Again and again, the truth is revealed when Holmes asks someone the right question, or puts the right advertisement in the newspapers, or sets a trap into which his quarry cannot resist falling. Of course, Holmes isn’t always right. His deduction, for example, that the whole world would someday become one nation under the combined flag of the US and the UK, now rings somewhere between “spooky” and “unintentionally funny.”

But hey, Conan Doyle was a spooky customer. He believed in Spiritualism, which is why this book was briefly banned in the USSR. Spookiness works sometimes. It doesn’t hurt when you are an author of detective thrillers and science fiction novels. Eerieness and suspense were his friends. His best work, both generally and in the Holmes canon, was yet to come in the haunted pages of The Hound of the Baskervilles . But in this book, he already makes an excellent start. This is classic Sherlock. It’s attention-grabbing fun. And it is followed immediately by a second year’s worth of monthly Holmes tales, collected in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes .

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A Book Review: Sherlock Holmes

Detective’s Work Comes to Life in Short Stories

Christina Cherniske , Staff Writer February 21, 2022

Book being reviewed: Sherlock Holmes: Classic Stories (Barnes and Noble edition)

By: Arthur Conan Doyle

Genre: Mystery

Pages (Paperback): 368

A few months ago I received this thick rubbery book for my birthday. Being a lover of the classics, I readily dove into the wonderful world of mystery Doyle had laid out for me. I have not entirely finished yet (I am very close!), but, because it is a collection of short stories and I know they were all exquisitely written, I believe I can review them.

The stories center around the famous detective Sherlock Holmes operating in London, England. With his extraordinary talents he solves a baffling range of mysteries and explains his reasoning with such simplicity it is rather hard to not be amazed at both Holmes and Doyle. His trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson, is the narrator giving detailed insights to the renowned detective’s habits making the stories even more enjoyable.

What I like about the book is how it is clean, intriguing, witty, unpredictable and all together an unforgettable experience. I like how Sherlock (or Doyle really) takes the time to lay out step by step how the case was solved, and that there was plenty to puzzle through before he does that. You do have to try and decode Holmes’s refined English, but quickly the pieces click into place and it’s a smooth read.

Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on May 22, 1859. For seven years he attended the Jesuit boarding school in England where he rebelled against brutal punishment regularly. There he discovered he had a talent for storytelling and was often found with a group of students enraptured around him. Doyle did a variety of things throughout his life, he went back to school and became a successful doctor, wrote many novels, narratives and plays, toured more than 30 cities making speeches, took care of his sick wife Louise, and served in the Boer War as a doctor. His levels of success were different for each profession but he definitely made a lasting impact on literature and society.

Most everyone I know has heard the delightfully curious name of Sherlock Holmes, but not everyone has read the written mysteries to grow more intimate with the psychological schemes that go on inside Sherlock’s racing mind. He is a mystery himself, but this book is a great introduction to mystery and the classics.

Nowadays with the influx of digital and audio books, the increase in fantasy and fiction, the classics seem to be covered in more and more dust. Everyone’s taste is different of course, yet I believe everyone should at least pick up one thick Charles Dickens book, reach into a Jules Vern adventure, laugh with Jane Austen and dance with the Little Women of Louisa May Alcott. The classics are rich and are made up of so many ideas, fantastic writings, well told tales and lessons that if you really read them they shine like jewels on library shelves . They are all different ranging from Comedy’s to Historical Fiction, Thrillers to Romances. There is an author for everyone.

The next time you spy a weather-worn book, pick it up. Be like Sherlock Holmes and grab every detail the author writes; you might like it.

Christina is a senior E.O Smith. She is into reading, playing piano, dancing, and writing for E.O's Newspaper. This is her fourth year a part of Panther...

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BOOK REVIEW: The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Return of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #6)

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Book Review: Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume I

Rating: 5 stars

Since his first appearance in Beeton’s Christmas Annual in 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes has been one of the most beloved fictional characters ever created. Now, in two paperback volumes, Bantam presents all fifty-six short stories and four novels featuring Conan Doyle’s classic hero – a truly complete collection of Sherlock Holmes’s adventures in crime! Volume I includes the early novel A Study in Scarlet , which introduced the eccentric genius of Sherlock Holmes to the world. This baffling murder mystery, with the cryptic word Rache written in blood, first brought Holmes together with Dr. John Watson. Next, The Sign of Four presents Holmes’s famous “seven percent solution” and the strange puzzle of Mary Morstan in the quintessential locked – room mystery. Also included are Holmes’s feats of extraordinary detection in such famous cases as the chilling “ The Adventure of the Speckled Band ,” the baffling riddle of “ The Musgrave Ritual ,” and the ingeniously plotted “ The Five Orange Pips ,” tales that bring to life a Victorian England of horse-drawn cabs, fogs, and the famous lodgings at 221B Baker Street, where Sherlock Holmes earned his undisputed reputation as the greatest fictional detective of all time.

As someone who’s never read any of Sherlock Holmes’s tales, this was such an enjoyable read for me. The first volume out of two that feature all of Holmes’ tales told from the perspective of his trusted friend Dr. Watson, each of these stories intrigued me in various ways. I wasn’t sure when I started if I would enjoy reading these stories because while I’m a fan of mysteries and crime, classics aren’t always enjoyable to me. I don’t know if its due to difference in writing style over the years, but some classics I have a difficult time reading. Luckily for me though, I found Arthur Conan Doyle’s writing enjoyable.

I believe what made this first volume of Sherlock Holmes so enjoyable to me was the characters themselves, especially Holmes and Watson. I loved their relationship throughout from the start as I feel like they both balance each other out. Holmes is the type of person most people normally wouldn’t be able to tolerate and I feel like Watson is the perfect person to handle all his quirks. From their introduction to each other, I knew they would become such wonderful friends and there would be so many tales of adventure to be told.

The way in which Watson tells of each of their adventures is marvelous. I especially enjoyed when the villain was caught hearing that person tell of why they committed their crime. I also enjoyed hearing Holmes and all of his deductions that he would make from some of the simplest things that most people wouldn’t ever think of. I found his knowledge of crime throughout so interesting, especially since he was the one who normally had everything figured out before the Scotland Yard detectives who would call on his aid. I feel like with a lot of these stories like I was there with Holmes and Watson, asking questions of those involved and trying to figure out who committed the crime and why.

What I also loved about reading these Sherlock Holmes stories was that not all of the crimes committed were murder. I love that there were all sorts of crimes committed throughout, some ending in a way which I as the reader didn’t at all expect. I found this to be interesting because it shows you Sherlock Holmes’s character and that he doesn’t always feel like a person needs to be brought to justice. I found that especially interesting because it makes you question his character and ethics even though he’s the one who ultimately solves all these crimes.

What I loved about hearing these stories told from Watson’s perspective is that I felt like as the reader, I was reading his personal journal regarding these cases he helped Holmes with. And I found myself extremely interested in hearing with each case what would happen next, even if the end result was unexpected to me. Some of my favorite cases from this first volume were the ones with a twist I didn’t see coming or the stories with interesting protagonists who came to Holmes looking for help.

I would say if I had to choose a criticism for this book it would be that there are so many cases Holmes solved that I know I won’t remember them all. But I don’t see that as too much of a problem here because I enjoyed reading this so much that I know I’ll be rereading it again in the future. For now though, I’ve already started reading the second Sherlock Holmes volume in this collection, which has the rest of his stories I’ve yet to read and am looking forward to sharing my thoughts on those as well when I have finished.

Thank you for those who’ve finished reading this post! Leave a comment below if you’re at all familiar with Sherlock Holmes or have any stories you’ve enjoyed just as much as I’m finding myself enjoying reading these.

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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | Arthur Conan Doyle | Book Review | Mystery Short Story Collection

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle is a collection of twelve mystery short stories featuring the iconic British Detective Sherlock Holmes. First published in 1892, these mind boggling mysteries not only wowed readers but also brought fame and fortune to the author. So, read the book summary, book release date, genre, reading age, book quotes, Sherlock Holmes books reading order, and book review of “ The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes ” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in this post below.

About The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle:

No. of Pages: 389

Book Release Date: October 1892 in The Strand Magazine

Genre: Classic Fiction, Mystery, Murder Mystery, Short Stories, Historical Fiction

Reading Age: 7 years and above

Can be read as a standalone? Yes

Buy From: AMAZON

Read the First Book that Introduced Sherlock Holmes: “A Study in Scarlet” by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle Book Summary:

This book is a collection of twelve short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, featuring his famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and his loyal friend Dr. John Watson. The stories were originally published in Strand Magazine between 1891 and 1892, and later compiled into a book in 1892.

The twelve stories included in “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” short story collection and their summaries are:

“a scandal in bohemia” by arthur conan doyle.

The King of Bohemia hires Holmes to retrieve a compromising photograph from his former lover, Irene Adler, who has threatened to use it against him. Despite Holmes’ best efforts, Adler outwits him and escapes with the photograph.

To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind. He was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen…. And yet there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory.”

“The Red-Headed League” by Arthur Conan Doyle

Jabez Wilson, a man with striking red hair, is offered a job by an unusual organization called the Red-Headed League. Holmes discovers that the League is a distraction meant to keep Wilson out of his pawnbroker shop, where criminals are tunneling in from a neighboring building.

“A Case of Identity” by Arthur Conan Doyle

Mary Sutherland seeks Holmes’ help in finding her missing fiancé, Hosmer Angel. Holmes discovers that Angel is a fictional character created by Sutherland’s stepfather, who wants to prevent her from marrying and taking her inheritance with her.

“The Boscombe Valley Mystery” by Arthur Conan Doyle

James McCarthy is accused of murdering his father in the woods of Boscombe Valley. Despite overwhelming evidence against him, Holmes is able to prove McCarthy’s innocence and identify the true killer.

“The Five Orange Pips” by Arthur Conan Doyle

John Openshaw receives five orange pips in the mail, a symbol of the KKK. He asks Holmes for help, but it’s too late to prevent his death. Holmes tracks down the KKK member responsible, but he too meets an untimely end.

“The Man with the Twisted Lip” by Arthur Conan Doyle

When Neville St. Clair disappears, his wife seeks Holmes’ help in finding him. Holmes discovers that St. Clair has been living a double life as a beggar and has been arrested for it, but he is eventually found alive and well.

“The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” by Arthur Conan Doyle

A valuable blue carbuncle goes missing, and a Christmas goose with the jewel inside is left behind. Holmes tracks down the owner of the goose and the thief, who had tried to hide the carbuncle in the goose’s crop.

“The Adventure of the Speckled Band” by Arthur Conan Doyle

Helen Stoner seeks Holmes’ help when her sister dies under mysterious circumstances. Holmes discovers that her sister was killed by a poisonous snake sent into her room by her stepfather, who was trying to protect his inheritance.

“The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb” by Arthur Conan Doyle

Victor Hatherley, a hydraulic engineer, seeks Holmes’ help when he loses his thumb in a mysterious accident. Holmes discovers a plot to steal his hydraulic press and helps Hatherley escape with his life.

“The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor” by Arthur Conan Doyle

Lord St. Simon seeks Holmes’ help when his wife disappears on their wedding day. Holmes discovers that she had previously been married and that her ex-husband had kidnapped her.

“The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet” by Arthur Conan Doyle

Alexander Holder, a banker, seeks Holmes’ help when the valuable beryl coronet he was holding as security for a loan is damaged. Holmes discovers that Holder’s son had taken the coronet to impress a woman and that it had been damaged by her angry stepfather.

when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

“The Adventure of the Copper Beeches” by Arthur Conan Doyle

Violet Hunter is offered a job as a governess at a remote country house, but the job turns out to be stranger than she had anticipated. Holmes helps her uncover a plot by the owner of the house to use her as a pawn in his scheme to gain his niece’s inheritance.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle Book Review:

Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence. If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs, and and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the cross-purposes, the wonderful chains of events, working through generations, and leading to the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable.”

The book begins with “A Scandal in Bohemia,” where Holmes is hired by the King of Bohemia to retrieve an incriminating photograph from an actress who is threatening to use it against him. Other notable stories include “The Red-Headed League,” where Holmes solves a case involving a strange organization that pays men with red hair to work for them, and “The Speckled Band,” where Holmes helps a young woman who fears that she will be the next victim of a family curse.

Depend upon it, there is nothing so unnatural as the commonplace.”

Never trust to general impressions, my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details.”

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Conclusion:

All in all, “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” is a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers of all ages. It has inspired countless adaptations, films, and television series, cementing Sherlock Holmes as one of the greatest literary detectives of all time.

Also, one of my absolute favourite books of all time and definitely one of my Top favourite Book Characters, I have read and reread Sherlock Holmes’ books innumerable times since the first time I read them as a kid. And they continue to wow me still. So, 5 out of 5 super shiny stars to this amazing piece of fiction, Njkinny recommends this classic book to all readers.

Come, Watson, come!” he cried. The game is afoot.”

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Sherlock Holmes Books In Order: The Best Way To Read The Stories

Reading the Sherlock Holmes books in publication order allows readers to experience the stories in the same way as Doyle's original audience, starting with A Study In Scarlet in 1887 and concluding with The Casebook Of Sherlock Holmes in 1927.
Alternatively, reading the books in chronological order, starting with A Study In Scarlet and ending with His Last Bow, follows the timeline of Holmes' adventures and includes significant events like his death and resurrection.
The best way to enjoy the Sherlock Holmes books is a hybrid order that combines elements of both publication and chronological order. This order introduces the detective in A Study In Scarlet, features his most iconic story in The Hound Of The Baskervilles, and ends with his last chronological appearance in His Last Bow.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories have endured since their initial publication, but just like the master detective’s mysteries, there is more to reading Sherlock Holmes books in order than meets the eye. Originating in 1887’s A Study In Scarlet , Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. John Watson have been solving mysteries together, both on the page and on the screen, for over 100 years. However, audiences who are likely familiar with the detective and his assistant’s most iconic adventures through the plethora of adaptations over the years, might not know the best way to enjoy the Sherlock Holmes books in order.

Initially, it may seem like picking an order in which to enjoy the Sherlock Holmes stories wouldn't be such an undertaking. However, since they weren’t published in chronological order, publication order is not the only logical way to read the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle classics. There are many ways to read the Sherlock Holmes books; in the order of release, in chronological order, and the best way to Sherlock Holmes books in order, which combines the two.

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Sherlock Holmes Books In Release Order

One of the most obvious ways to read the Sherlock Holmes books is in publishing order. Beginning with 1887’s A Study In Scarlet and concluding with The Casebook Of Sherlock Holmes in 1927, reading Doyle’s stories in publishing order is a great way to enjoy the stories surrounding the famous detective the way that Doyle’s original audience would have.

A Study In Scarlet (1887)

Released in 1887, A Study in Scarlet was the first ever appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The title of the book was based on a speech given by Holmes about how his murder investigations are "a study in scarlet" where he has to expose every inch of it. When a corpse is found at a derelict house in England, there is not a mark of violence on it, but there is one word written on the wall in blood. That is when Holmes takes the case and untangles a trail of murder bigger than the police imagined.

A Study in Scarlet was one of the first movie adaptations, arriving in 1914 as a British silent movie. Later in 1933, another movie arrived with the name of the book, but its plot has nothing to do with the Doyle story. On television, it appeared in the 1954-1955 television series, but only with the opening setting up a different story. It was more loyally adapted in the 1968 BBC series with Peter Cushing playing Holmes. The first episode of Sherlock in 2010 adapted the story but renamed it A Study in Pink . There was also an episode of Elementary that adapted it, titling it A Study in Charlotte .

The Sign Of Four (1890)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's second of his Sherlock Holmes books in order is The Sign of Four . This starts when a young woman asks Holmes and Watson to help her find her missing father. This leads Holmes and Watson on a treasure hunt with a mysterious map and little in the way of clues. This book remains an interesting one as Watson openly questions Holmes about his drug use. The book also features the Baker Street Irregulars who help Holmes investigate parts of the case. This is also the book where Watson falls in love with Mary Morstan and asks her to marry him.

The Sign of Four has several adaptations over the years, including three different silent films from 1905 to 1923. It was also part of the 1968 TV series with Peter Cushing and Nigel Stock as Holmes and Watson. In 1983, a TV movie arrived with Ian Richardson and David Healy in the starring roles. In 2014, the Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman series also adapted it with the changed name of The Sign of Three in the show's third season.

The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes (1892)

The next of the Sherlock Holmes books in order was called The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes and included 12 short stories about the famed detective. This collection of stories focuses mostly on one very important topic. Holmes spent most of his time in these mysteries attempting to correct social injustices and saw him seeking a way to find a fair sense of justice when many law enforcement officials looked for the quickest decisions. This is also the book that features the only appearance of Irene Adler (in A Scandal in Bohemia ). While it was her only appearance, she is one of the most popular characters in the movies and TV shows.

Sherlock Holmes has had several movies and TV shows based on his works, and that includes his short story collections such as this one. There were even TV shows that used this book's title as its name. Additionally, Irene has appeared as the love interest in both Elementary and in BBC's Sherlock . Rachel McAdams also played her in the Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes movies . The stories from this book appeared in the 1921 film series and the 1984 TV series.

The Memoirs Of Sherlock Holmes (1893)

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is another collection of short stories, and the second in the Sherlock Holmes books in order of its type. This time around, there were 12 stories included in the book. All the stories were originally published in The Strand Magazine and then collected into this book. This was also supposed to be the end of Holmes, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle said he was killing the character off in The Final Problem , the last story in the book's collection. However, Doyle eventually came around to the fans' demands and brought Holmes back.

Almost every story in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes has been adapted into a TV show or movie over the years. All the stories were part of the 1921 film series. In the 1984 TV series, eight of the 12 stories ended up as episodes in the series. There was even an adaptation of "The Cardboard Box" in that series, but it was retitled The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes .

The Hound Of The Baskervilles (1902)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes in The Final Problem and the detective remained dead for nine years. However, in 1902, Doyle brought him back for a new story (set in the past) called The Hound of the Baskervilles . The story involved the attempted murder that helped create the legend of the diabolical Hound of the Baskervilles. This was one of Holmes' more horror-centric tales, and while it kept all the detective's mystery tropes intact, added in a great deal of gothic horror surrounding the mythical beast. The book was a huge success and helped bring Holmes back from the dead.

The story was adapted into several short films and was part of the 1921 film series. In 1939, a big-budget Hollywood movie arrived with Basil Rathbone playing Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles . In 1959, another movie arrived based on the story with Peter Cushing in the lead role as Holmes. The Benedict Cumberbatch series took on the story in the second season of BBC's Sherlock, and it was also the inspiration for two different episodes of Elementary ( The Hound of the Cancer Cells and Hounded ).

The Return Of Sherlock Holmes (1905)

The Sherlock Holmes books started up again in 1905 when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle resurrected his detective following Sherlock's death a decade before. The Adventures of the Empty House has Holmes explaining how he lived after his apparent death. Interestingly, the last story in the book said that Holmes was retiring and would not be back, although Doyle gave in again a few years later. There were 13 total short stories in this collection.

Many of the stories included in The Return of Sherlock Holmes were adapted in different forms. Several of the stories were included in the 1921 film series. All the stories here except for three appeared in the 1984 TV series as well. The Benedict Cumberbatch BBC Sherlock series also took the idea from the first story in the book in explaining how he faked his own death after the second season. Black Peter was used in an episode of Elementary called Dead Man's Tale . The Pearl of Death was adapted in both Sherlock and Elementary .

The Valley Of Fear (1915)

Ten years after Sherlock Holmes retired at the end of the previous short story collection in the Sherlock Holmes books, Doyle wrote the fourth and final full-length novel in his Sherlock Holmes series. This was The Valley of Fear and was based loosely on the real-life Pinkerton agent James McParland and the mysterious Molly Maguires. Holmes and Watson arrive at a mansion in the English countryside where a man was either killed or died by suicide, and they end up revealing a secret society that might be responsible.

There have been four movies based on the story, including a silent film in 1916, a movie in 1935 called The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes , a 1962 movie that used minor elements from the story called Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace , and a 1983 animated movie with Peter O'Toole voicing Holmes. It was also part of the 1954 TV series and was referenced in BBC's Sherlock in the fourth season's final episode, The Final Problem.

His Last Bow (1917)

His Last Bow arrived two years after the last Sherlock Holmes novel and is a collection of previously published stories. These stories were mostly published in magazines between 1908 and 1917. There was also a fun statement in the book where Watson assured people that these were all old stories for Holmes and that the detective was still happily retired and in good health. The book even included a rarity for Holmes, as His Last Bow: The War Service of Sherlock Holmes was about his war service, not his work as a detective.

All the stories in this collection except for The Last Bow were included in the 1984 TV series. The Adventures of the Cardboard Box was included in Elementary as the retitled "Ears to You." The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans was partially used in BBC's Sherlock 's season 1 episode, "The Great Game." The Adventure of the Dying Detective was the inspiration for the season 1 Elementary episode "You Do It Yourself." The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax was the basis for the Elementary episode, "The Ballad of Lady Frances."

The Case Book Of Sherlock Holmes (1927)

The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes came 10 years after the last collection and three years before Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's death. There were 12 short stories in this final collection, all published between 1921 and 1927.

All but three stories in this collection of shorts were adapted in the 1984 television series. Elementary introduced two characters from The Adventure of the Illustrious Client in the third season of the series - Kitty Winter and Adelbert Gruner. Elementary's season 2 premiere was inspired by The Adventure of the Three Gables . The mystery from The Problem of Thor Bridge was used in Murder, She Wrote, CSI, and Elementary .

Sherlock Holmes Books In Chronological Story Order

Although reading the Sherlock Holmes stories in chronological order might make the most sense in theory, it's messy in practice. Because the series consists of both novels and short story collections, some short stories take place before certain novels while others from the same collection take place later. Attempting to read the books in chronological order might not perfectly line up with the actual Sherlock Holmes chronology. However, for those looking to experience the detective and his assistant’s adventures in the order they did, reading Doyle’s books in chronological order is the way to go.

A Study In Scarlet
The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes
The Valley Of Fear
The Sign Of Four
The Hound Of The Baskervilles
The Memoirs Of Sherlock Holmes
The Return Of Sherlock Holmes
The Case-Book Of Sherlock Holmes
His Last Bow

The Best Reading Order For Sherlock Holmes Books

Reading Doyle’s books in either publication or chronological order holds merit, but neither is the best way to enjoy the series. Although this order bears similarities to the chronological order, it varies slightly. The first three entries introduce the titular detective, while The Casebook Of Sherlock Holmes and The Valley Of Fear are great for simply enjoying his mysteries.

The Memoirs Of Sherlock Holmes and The Return Of Sherlock Holmes feature Sherlock Holmes’ death and resurrection , hence their chronological order. The Hound Of The Baskervilles is Sherlock’s most iconic story, while His Last Bow is Sherlock’s last chronological appearance. There may be multiple ways to enjoy Sherlock Holmes ' mysteries, but this is the best.

The Casebook Of Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes Books In Order: The Best Way To Read The Stories

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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Book Review: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes collects the first twelve Sherlock Holmes stories, originally published in The Strand magazine throughout 1891-1892. The first story in the collection, "A Scandal in Bohemia," is the story that made Holmes and his creator a household ...
The Sherlock Holmes Series by Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes is the world's only consulting detective. Money and prestige don't interest him, simply the chance to flex his intellectual muscles and practise his unique method of deduction are ...
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is the series of short stories that made the fortunes of the Strand magazine, in which they were first published, and won immense popularity for Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. The detective is at the height of his powers and the volume is full of famous cases, including 'The Red-Headed League', 'The Blue Carbuncle', and 'The Speckled Band'.
Book Review: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Review. Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson have captivated audiences for generations. This collection of twelve short stories is fantastic. From stolen jewels to mysterious circumstances and brilliant crimes, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes has it all. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is full of mesmerizing deductions and wonderful ...
The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
11.7k books22.6k followers. Follow. A series of stories, including The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), of known British writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle chiefly features Sherlock Holmes, the brilliant detective. Mary Foley, an Irish mother, bore Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, the third of ten siblings, to Charles Altamont Doyle, a talented ...
Sherlock Holmes Series by Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional consulting detective in London ~1880-1914 created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes, master of disguise, reasoned logically to deduce clients' background from their first appearance. ... The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes. ... 4.00 · 157 Ratings · 8 Reviews · published 1983 · 4 ...
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a Book Review
The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb is a short tale of greed and the consequences. The Five Orange Pips was very upsetting to me. In the story, a new client comes to see Holmes, relates his tale about the death of his uncle and then his father. The case has to do with the KKK.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a British private investigator. With the help of his comrade, Dr. Watson, he solves crimes and assists Scotland Yard when needed. ... Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of ...
The Essential Guide to Reading the Sherlock Holmes Books
To return to the order of publication, the second novel in the Sherlock Holmes books canon, The Sign of Four, is where Sherlock's drug use is first depicted and where readers finally begin to see the man behind the detective.This is also the novel where (130-year spoiler alert) Dr. Watson's future wife, Mary Marston, appears.
Book Review
Book Review - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle First published, 1892This edition published, 2020 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ An excellent introduction to the world of Sherlock Holmes. This collection of short stories, written from Dr Watson's perspective, show the logical, excitable, slightly-manic but always incisive Holmes as he uncovers various…
Book Review: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
My rating: 4 / 5Genre: Classic mystery. This is the first Sherlock Holmes I've ever read, though like many, I've seen various adaptations. I started with this book of short stories mostly because it was the one I owned. I've never been a huge fan of short stories, though, and while I wish now that I'd started by checking A Study in ...
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
I could have picked The Hound of the Baskervilles, which is brilliant. I could've picked anything Sherlock Holmes. But if someone said to me, 'You can only reread one Sherlock Holmes story' that first story in The Return would be the one for me. It's both a brilliant locked-room mystery and you have Holmes returning. It's great.".
The Hound of the Baskervilles Book Review
Our review: Parents say ( 5 ): Kids say ( 11 ): There's a pretty good case to be made that this is Holmes at his finest; in any case, it's a great introduction to the master detective and his faithful chronicler. The plot moves along at a good pace, the quality of the writing is excellent (even if Watson and Doyle are a bit wordy by today's ...
Sherlock Holmes Books
On Conan Doyle. by Michael Dirda. Read. 1 A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle. 2 The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. 3 The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. 4 The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle. 5 Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters by D Stashower & C Foley & J Lellenberg.
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Book Review
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a collection of 11 short stories, each about 20 pages in length, which were first published monthly in the Strand magazine from 1891 to 1893.. Sherlock Holmes' sidekick Dr. Watson is his biographer, who captures the detective's life story through the cases that he has worked on.
Book Review: "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" by ...
It doesn't hurt when you are an author of detective thrillers and science fiction novels. Eerieness and suspense were his friends. His best work, both generally and in the Holmes canon, was yet to come in the haunted pages of The Hound of the Baskervilles. But in this book, he already makes an excellent start. This is classic Sherlock.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
This is the review of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. This book tells 12 stories selected by readers and writers in the Sherlock Holmes series. Almost every story is about a murder. I think the most interesting story is "THE SPECKLED BAND". This is about finding out the main character's sister's death.
BOOK REVIEW: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
The story involves an uncharacteristically shaken Holmes, his arch-nemesis, and a trip to Reichenbach Falls. This collection includes some essential Sherlock Holmes stories, as well as some classic Holmsian cases and quotes. For 19th century literature, it's highly readable. Definitely a must read for fans of Sherlock Holmes. View all my reviews.
A Book Review: Sherlock Holmes
Book being reviewed: Sherlock Holmes: Classic Stories (Barnes and Noble edition) By: Arthur Conan Doyle. Genre: Mystery. Pages (Paperback): 368. A few months ago I received this thick rubbery book for my birthday. Being a lover of the classics, I readily dove into the wonderful world of mystery Doyle had laid out for me.
BOOK REVIEW: The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
This short story collection is the sixth book in the Sherlock Holmes canon, and - as the title suggests - it marks the return of the famous fictional detective after a hiatus. Doyle had tried to kill off the Holmes character so that he could work on other projects. At the end of "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes," Doyle leads us to ...
Book Review: Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume I
Rating: 5 stars. Since his first appearance in Beeton's Christmas Annual in 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes has been one of the most beloved fictional characters ever created. Now, in two paperback volumes, Bantam presents all fifty-six short stories and four novels featuring Conan Doyle's classic hero - a truly complete collection of Sherlock Holmes's adventures in crime!
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle is a collection of twelve mystery short stories featuring the iconic British Detective Sherlock Holmes. First published in 1892, these mind boggling mysteries not only wowed readers but also brought fame and fortune to the author. So, read the book summary, book release date, genre, reading age, book quotes, Sherlock Holmes books reading ...
Sherlock Holmes Books In Order: The Best Way To Read The Stories
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is another collection of short stories, and the second in the Sherlock Holmes books in order of its type. This time around, there were 12 stories included in the book.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Note. Also available as audio book: #9551. Note. There is an improved edition of this title, eBook #48320. Contents. A scandal in Bohemia -- The Red-headed League -- A case of identity -- The Boscombe Valley mystery -- The five orange pips -- The man with the twisted lip -- The adventure of the blue carbuncle ...
The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
December 18, 2021. The Return of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #6), Arthur Conan Doyle. The Return of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of 13 Sherlock Holmes stories, originally published in 1903-1904, by Arthur Conan Doyle. Missing, presumed dead, for three years, Sherlock Holmes returns triumphantly to his dear companion Dr Watson.
Adaptations of Sherlock Holmes
The stories of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have been very popular as adaptations for the stage, and later film, and still later television. The four volumes of the Universal Sherlock Holmes (1995) compiled by Ronald B. De Waal lists over 25,000 Holmes-related productions and products. They include the original writings, "together with the translations of these tales into sixty ...
Free Kindle Edition: Sherlock Holmes & Hudson Mystery Book 1 at Amazon
Dive into the thrilling Victorian mystery, Sherlock Holmes & Hudson Mystery Book 1. Uncover the secrets with Mrs Hudson, free on Amazon Kindle this month. ... Customer reviews: 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,581 ratings Paperback £8.15 What if Baker Street's most gifted resident wasn't called Sherlock Holmes?An evil stalks London, blown in from the ...

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Blog – Posted on Tuesday, Jun 30

1. A Study in Scarlet (1887, novel)

2. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892, short story collection)

3. The Sign of Four (1890, novel)

4. The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (1927, short story collection)

5. The Valley of Fear (1915, novel)

6. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894, short story collection)

7. The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905, short story collection)

8. His Last Bow (1917, short story collection)

9. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902, novel)

10. Shadows Over Baker Street , eds. Michael Reaves and John Pelan

11. The House of Silk and Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

12. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

13. The Final Solution by Michael Chabon

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