book review of sherlock holmes

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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.

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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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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.

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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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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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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Books | Book review: ‘The Murder of Mr. Ma’ a clever…

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Books | book review: ‘the murder of mr. ma’ a clever homage to sherlock holmes.

"The Murder of Mr. Ma," by S.J. Rozan and John Shen Yen Nee. (Soho Crime/Courtesy)

‘The Murder of Mr. Ma’ by S.J. Rozan and John Shen Yen Nee. Soho Crime, 213 pages, $25.95

Sherlock Holmes’ skills have provided the foundation of many mystery novels, films and TV series — the key being a sleuth who is uber-observant, who sees details others don’t. Holmes’ abilities can be connected with a multitude of backgrounds and ages.

Multi-award-winning author S.J. Rozan and debut author John Shen Yen Nee team up for a clever homage to Holmes set in 1924 London. Well-known Judge Dee Ren Jie has come to London to investigate the murder of Mr. Ma, who he knew during WWI while serving in the Chinese Labour Corps.

John Shen Yen Nee's debut novel is "The Murder of Mr. Ma," co-authored by S.J. Rozan. (Stan Prokopenko/Courtesy)

Through circumstances, Dee — the Sherlock — finds a partner in shy novelist and academic Lao She, the Watson. They learn that other newly arrived men who also served in the Chinese Labour Corps are being killed. Dee believes that the men’s murders will not be taken seriously because of racism toward Chinese. He especially is leery of Metropolitan Police inspector William Bard, who openly disparages the Chinese. Bard harbors a grudge against Dee who angered him during the war.

S.J. Rozan co-wrote "The Murder of Mr. Ma" with John Shen Yen Nee (Robert Hughes/Courtesy)

Rozan and Shen show the rampant prejudice against Chinese, affecting business, housing and other aspects of life in London. Vivid details about the period further enhance the story, including a running reference that the game of “mei-jongg” is “sweeping London,” plus underground gambling, clandestine opium use, and interest in Chinese antiques and goods. Dee wryly observes that the “current fashion for our art does not, it seems, translate to a fashion for our persons.”

The authors pepper “The Murder of Mr. Ma” with real people, such as mathematician Bertrand Russell and poet Ezra Pound. Dee and Lao are based on real people as well, though they lived 1,200 years apart. Dee is based on Di Ren Jie, a magistrate who lived during the early Tang Dynasty, while Lao was the pen name of a Manchu intellectual. Judge Dee was the hero of a series of novels during the 1940s and 1950s.

This attention to real people adds heft to the plot. Rozan, author of the award-winning series about private detectives Lydia Chin and Bill Smith, and Shen, whose background is in comics and digital storytelling, have launched a highly entertaining new series with “The Murder of Mr. Ma.”

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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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Book Review: Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume II – Rainy Day's Books, Video Games and Other Writings

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February 6 Tribute to Mr. Luft
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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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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.

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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.

If you need help and would like a program that’s already set-up to help you read more books, Join MoreReads: Blueprint to Change the World, click the link to buy .

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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Publishers Weekly Reviews - The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories

Posted by Steve Emecz on July 10, 2023

The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories has reached thirty-nine volumes and just keeps breaking records - the most new stories (over 800), the most participating authors (over 200), etc - but its the quality of the reviews that is the most rewarding.

There are a staggering 23 positive reviews from Publishers Weekly - a record - here are links to them all (nineteen are starred reviews).

We've launched the Sherlock Holmes Book Club where fans can three paperbacks every quarter.

Contributors include Lee Child, Jonathan Kellerman, Lyndsay Faye, Les Klinger, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and many more.

"Mind-bending puzzles are the highlight of Marcum’s fully satisfying 34th anthology, which again demonstrates that multiple authors are capable of giving Sherlock Holmes and Watson innovative mysteries to tackle while staying in character. In Will Murray’s “The Mystery of the Spectral Shelter,” the sleuths’ cabdriver asks for help with a bizarre encounter: on visiting a shelter built to give drivers some respite he found a man who seemed frozen in place. When he tried to return on another day, there was no trace of the structure he previously visited. In Marcia Wilson’s “The Monster’s Mop and Pail,” Holmes finds a vital clue in what’s missing: the locked room containing a man murdered by an unknown method has a mop bucket filled with water, but no mop. In Arthur Hall’s “The Adventure of the False Confessions,” Holmes explores why men who could not have committed the crimes they admitted to confessed, using identical language. Marcum’s inventory of canonical pastiches shows no signs of being exhausted any time soon."

Volume XXXIV Review

"Might one of the major tragic accidents of Victorian England actually have been a crime? Why has the owner of a small furniture van disappeared? Those are just two of the puzzles Sherlock Holmes tackles in yet another stellar anthology of 21 short pastiches that effectively mimic the originals. Terry Golledge (1920–1996), whose stories were unpublished during his lifetime, stands out with two entries, “The Grosvenor Square Furniture Van” and “The Case of the Woman at Margate,” both based on Dr. Watson’s references to unpublished investigations. The latter is an exemplar of cleverly building on the slimmest of narrative reeds—a single sentence about the absence of powder on a woman’s face. John Lawrence’s “The Princess Alice Tragedy” delves into a real-life 1878 collision on the Thames, which caused the sinking of a paddle steamboat. Hundreds of its mostly lower-class passengers, out for a day’s excursion, perished; a man whose wife and five daughters drowned asks a young Holmes to look into what happened. As the recent discovery of Golledge’s work shows, Marcum’s diligent searches for high-quality stories has again paid off for Sherlockians.

Volume XXXI review

"A locked-room mystery without bloodshed and a seemingly motiveless serial killer tale highlight Marcum’s impressive 28th anthology, featuring 18 pastiches from early in Sherlock Holmes’s sleuthing career....All entries adhere to the spirit, language, and characterizations of Conan Doyle’s originals, evincing the deep pool of talent Marcum has access to. Against the odds, this series remains strong, hundreds of stories in."

Volume XXVIII review

"The gifted authors of the 19 pastiches in this superior MX Sherlock Holmes anthology eschew murder in favor of lesser but still baffling crimes such as blackmail and kidnapping. In one of the standouts, Marcum’s “The Sunderland Tragedies,” a desperate mother fears her young daughter has been abducted by the girl’s birth father; a horrific tragedy that claimed many children’s lives gives the tale the kind of emotional depth Conan Doyle’s emulators often lack....

Volume XXV review

"How can a piece of parsley supply a vital clue to a detective? The answer is supplied in one of the 21 short stories in MX’s excellent 24th anthology of tales emulating Conan Doyle’s originals, all inspired by Dr. Watson’s teasing mentions of investigations he never published. In Jayantika Ganguly’s “The Adventure of Parsley and Butter,” Holmes is consulted by a prominent attorney who has survived five attempts on his life, but is unable to forestall another attack... Marcum’s expertise at selecting high-quality pastiches remains impressive.

Volume XXIV review

"Marcum’s outstanding 23rd anthology features 11 sets of paired stories that each interprets a cryptic canonical reference differently. The highlight is a superior integration of the fictional worlds of Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker, “The Adventure of the Tired Captain,” by Stoker’s great-grandnephew Dacre Stoker and Leverett Butts, in which Holmes is consulted by the father of one of the characters who didn’t survive the plot of Dracula, who’s desperate to know the fate of his child...Marcum’s well of talented authors able to mimic the feel of the canon seems bottomless.

Volume XXIII review

"Marcum’s superlative 22nd Sherlock Holmes pastiche anthology features 21 short stories that successfully emulate the spirit of Conan Doyle’s originals while expanding on the canon’s tantalizing references to mysteries Dr. Watson never got around to chronicling...again demonstrating the creativity of the writers Marcum has recruited. This will whet the appetite of many Sherlockians."

Volume XXII review

"One of Conan Doyle’s most tragic creations, the eponymous “Veiled Lodger,” gets a believable and intriguing after-story in Mark Mower’s “The Unveiled Lodger”; Eugenia Ronder, the original veiled lodger, has rebuilt her life, but is troubled by a coded message she found on her property. In a clever twist, Michael Mallory makes Watson’s decision to reveal in print the location of his sensitive cache of untold tales essential to the plot of “The Adventure of the Doctor’s Hand.” This is another must-have for Sherlockians."

Volume XXI review

"Other authors offer intriguing takes on some of Watson’s tantalizing references in the canon to untold tales, including a baffling vanishing of a man who went missing after going to retrieve his umbrella and a gory death linked to a bizarre worm. Marcum’s reserve of high-quality new Holmes exploits seems endless."

Volume XX review

"Matthew White demonstrates how a gripping and moving mystery not centered on violence can be crafted in “A Case of Paternity.” Other tales examine Watson’s relationship to religion, his opinion of the British Empire, and his experiences during the Afghan War. Marcum continues to burnish his reputation as a superior selector of quality new Holmes stories."

Volume XIX review

"The 16 pastiches in Marcum’s splendid 18th Sherlock Holmes anthology prove that creative authors can recapture the essence of Conan Doyle’s characters with an impossible crime or seemingly supernatural angle without relying on vampires or werewolves."

Volume XVIII review

"This is yet another impressive array of new but traditional Holmes stories."

Volume XVII review

"The 16 stories in Marcum’s excellent 16th pastiche anthology pit Sherlock Holmes against ghosts, werewolves, and various other monsters, offering clever, rational solutions to seemingly paranormal mysteries".

Volume XVI review

"This series shows no sign of flagging, welcome news for the many eager for more Holmes."

Volume XV review

“More than 300 pastiches later, this MX series shows no sign of running out of steam”

Volume XIV review

“Amazingly, Marcum has found 22 superb pastiches, almost all from unknown authors. This is more catnip for fans of stories faithful to Conan Doyle’s originals.

Volume XIII review

“Marcum continues to amaze with the number of high-quality pastiches that he has selected”

Volume XII review

“This is an essential volume for Sherlock Holmes fans”

Volume XI review

"Marcum continues to find new Sherlock Holmes adventures of consistently high quality”

Volume X review

“Sherlockians will rejoice that more volumes are on the way”

Volume IX review

“The imagination of the contributors in coming up with variations on the volume’s theme is matched by their ingenious resolutions”

Volume VIII review

“Sherlockians eager for faithful-to-the-canon plots and characters will be delighted”

Volume VII review

“This is a must-have for all Sherlockians”

Volume VI review

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A home for the stray thoughts of an ordinary christian woman.

Book Review: The Return of Sherlock Holmes

This book is a series of short stories that appeared first in a magazine called The Strand over 1903-1904. Holmes’s clients vary from a governess to the prime minister, and the cases include a missing heir, a stalker, a blackmailer, and crust ship’s captain, busted busts of Napoleon, a student cheating on an exam, a missing rugby player, a false testimony, and a stolen document which could lead to war if not found. Quite a variety! Watson says “As I have preserved very full notes of all these cases, and was myself personally engaged in many of them, it may be imagined that it is no easy task to know which I should select to lay before the public. I shall, however, preserve my former rule, and give the preference to those cases which derive their interest not so much from the brutality of the crime as from the ingenuity and dramatic quality of the solution.” Holmes accuses Watson once of sensationalism: “Your fatal habit of looking at everything from the point of view of a story instead of as a scientific exercise has ruined what might have been an instructive and even classical series of demonstrations. You slur over work of the utmost finesse and delicacy, in order to dwell upon sensational details which may excite, but cannot possibly instruct, the reader.” When asked why Holmes doesn’t write them himself, he replies that one day he will in textbook form.

Holmes’s personality continues to unfold in these stories. Here are a few of Watson’s comments:

“My friend, who loved above all things precision and concentration of thought, resented anything which distracted his attention from the matter in hand. And yet, without a harshness which was foreign to his nature, it was impossible to refuse to listen to the story of the young and beautiful woman, tall, graceful, and queenly, who presented herself at Baker Street late in the evening, and implored his assistance and advice.”

“Holmes, however, like all great artists, lived for his art’s sake, and, save in the case of the Duke of Holdernesse, I have seldom known him claim any large reward for his inestimable services. So unworldly was he—or so capricious—that he frequently refused his help to the powerful and wealthy where the problem made no appeal to his sympathies, while he would devote weeks of most intense application to the affairs of some humble client whose case presented those strange and dramatic qualities which appealed to his imagination and challenged his ingenuity.”

“Lestrade and I sat silent for a moment, and then, with a spontaneous impulse, we both broke at clapping, as at the well-wrought crisis of a play. A flush of colour sprang to Holmes’s pale cheeks, and he bowed to us like the master dramatist who receives the homage of his audience. It was at such moments that for an instant he ceased to be a reasoning machine, and betrayed his human love for admiration and applause. The same singularly proud and reserved nature which turned away with disdain from popular notoriety was capable of being moved to its depths by spontaneous wonder and praise from a friend.”

“My friend’s temper had not improved since he had been deprived of the congenial surroundings of Baker Street. Without his scrapbooks, his chemicals, and his homely untidiness, he was an uncomfortable man.”

“I may have remarked before that Holmes had, when he liked, a peculiarly ingratiating way with women, and that he very readily established terms of confidence with them. In half the time which he had named, he had captured the housekeeper’s goodwill and was chatting with her as if he had known her for years.”

“Sherlock Holmes was a past-master in the art of putting a humble witness at his ease.”

Some of what I have read concerning modern depictions of Holmes seem to cast him as socially awkward, even rude, and perhaps having Asberger’s. I think these samples show that he was not socially awkward at all – he was described as being quite genial when he wanted to be, and he could carry on a conversation with anyone. But he preferred working alone or with Watson and one or two others – a classic introvert, in my opinion.

There were a few cases before now and a couple of cases here where Holmes decided justice was served, and he did not see a reason to report his findings to the police even when he was working with them. In one case he said, “No, I couldn’t do it, Watson…Once that warrant was made out, nothing on earth would save him. Once or twice in my career I feel that I have done more real harm by my discovery of the criminal than ever he had done by his crime. I have learned caution now, and I had rather play tricks with the law of England than with my own conscience. Let us know a little more before we act.” I wouldn’t advocate that in real life, but it did make sense in the context of the story.

At the end of this book Holmes was said to have retired, and only allowed Watson to tell a few of the stories long after they occurred. Since there are three more books about him, however, either he didn’t retire, or those stories are more past cases.

Once again I listened to the audiobook version superbly narrated by Derek Jacob i. In my journey through the Holmes books, I look for versions read by Jacobi now. I also looked at some portions in closer detail in the online version of the book provided by Project Gutenberg .

(This will also be linked to Semicolon ‘s Saturday Review of Books. )

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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.”

Also checkout this classic mystery collection featuring “Indian Sherlock Holmes” “Byomkesh Bakshi” by Saradindu Bandyopadhyay

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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New Sherlock Holmes releases – Titan Books Review

Amy Walker catches up with some of the new Sherlock Holmes releases from Titan Books , including the festive Sherlock Holmes & The Twelve Thefts of Christmas , the Lovecraftian horror of The Cthulhu Casebooks: Sherlock Holmes and the Highgate Horrors , and the horror filled The Classified Dossier: Sherlock Holmes and Mr Hyde .

Sherlock Holmes & The Twelve Thefts of Christmas (Tim Major)

Things begin simply enough, when Holmes and Watson receive a Christmas gift of theatre tickets from a former client, and whilst Watson is delighted at the gift, Holmes knows that this particular client wouldn’t send such a gift, and that something else must be going on. Heading to the theatre, Holmes seems enraptured by a strange singer on stage, who soon flees. He reveals to Watson that the singer was none other than ‘The Woman’, Irene Adler, and that she had begun a mysterious game for him to solve. Thus begins a series of strange crimes and mysteries that our detective duo will need to investigate.

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Sherlock Holmes & The Twelve Thefts of Christmas is not your typical Holmes book, in that it doesn’t have a single central mystery that needs solving. Instead, the book sprinkles several throughout the story, some more obvious that others. A theft of a statue from a museum, and a river running dry are two of the most obvious, yet Adler always seems to have something going on in the background that eagle-eyed readers will have to try to spot. There’s also a sub-plot about a series of mysterious packages being left to torment a pair of Norwegian polar explorers that need the pair’s attention, resulting in a story where the characters are left running ragged.

The book moves at a very brisk pace, and several of the mysteries are solved the very same chapters in which they’re introduced, leaving the reader with not a whole lot of time to try and figure things out for themselves. The quality of the mysteries varies somewhat too, with some of them barely feeling like mysteries, whilst others take up a surprising amount of space within the book. The result is a book that feels a little frantic at times, that jumps from plot to plot as Holmes obsesses about the challenge Adler has left him. Despite this, it’s an enjoyable story that puts an interesting spin on how the character approaches a mystery.

Sherlock Holmes & The Twelve Thefts of Christmas is out now from Titan Books.

The Cthulhu Casebooks: Sherlock Holmes and the Highgate Horrors (James Lovegrove)

The Cthulhu Casebooks: Sherlock Holmes and the Highgate Horrors might be the fourth book in this series, but it’s as accessible as if it were the first, and doesn’t rely on the reader having knowledge of what came before. As with the original stories, the books are written in such a way that they’re episodic and isolated, with only small references to things that have come before. This book tells several short stories set in this universe, all of which could stand on their own as superb supernatural tales, but together make for a wonderful collection.

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Despite blending these two classic literary worlds together the book never loses the charm that the Sherlock Holmes stories have, and it’s still very much one of his books. I’ve read a lot of pastiches where Holmes is blended with other properties or genres, and there are occasions when that melding becomes a bit too much, and the book basically ceases to resemble what it was drawing from. Lovegrove knows how to avoid this, and can have Sherlock Holmes confronting zombies and monstrous creatures whilst still being the same character that you’ve read in the original tales.

Whilst the reading experience for this book is enriched if you have already read the other books in the series, its ability to stand on its own means that anyone leaning towards reading it can pick it up and try it out. It acts as both a great companion piece to the series, and a stand-alone book that fans of the two genres can enjoy.

The Cthulhu Casebooks: Sherlock Holmes and the Highgate Horrors is out now from Titan Books.

The Classified Dossier: Sherlock Holmes and Mr Hyde (Christian Klaver)

In the second book, the now vampire Watson and Holmes begin to investigate a series of killings across London; killings that suggest the return of Jack the Ripper. However, when a new client arrives at Baker Street claiming that his friend has been accused of the crime the two detectives encounter a whole new realm of the paranormal, as the two men, Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, are more closely connected than the two first believe. Over the course of the book, with the assistance of some old allies, Holmes and Watson will face off against other powered individuals as they try to get to the bottom of the strange killings.

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Klaver’s previous entry in this series did a lot of world building, and spent a good portion of the first part of the book introducing the supernatural and fantastical elements and making them work with a grounded character like Holmes. And whilst all of that was wonderful to read, it’s stuff that you don’t really need in a second volume, and as such, S herlock Holmes and Mr Hyde feels a lot quicker paced, and more filled with action. Part of this is because yes, there is more action to it, and the mystery elements take something of a back seat as the characters deal with the hunt for the Ripper. They’re not really examining crime scenes in great detail, nor are they solving puzzles. Instead, Holmes gets what he needs from them, and then sets out to catch the killer in the city with the help of his allies. It feels like a more decisive and driven Holmes than some versions, but it’s still unmistakably Holmes.

Klaver manages to bring several well known characters together in a new and interesting way, and makes a shared supernatural universe that Holmes not only works well in, but one that I want to read more of. The two volumes we have for this series have already managed to pack a lot into them, but it also feels like there’s the potential for so much more. If you’re a fan of Victorian era horror fiction, and love Sherlock Holmes, this title is going to be a must read for you.

The Classified Dossier: Sherlock Holmes and Mr Hyde is out now from Titan Books.

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SHERLOCK HOLMES Shadows of the East End, Book One: Blessington Street (The Watson Chronicles)

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SHERLOCK HOLMES Shadows of the East End, Book One: Blessington Street (The Watson Chronicles) Hardcover – March 28, 2024

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Part of series The Watson Chronicles
Print length 163 pages
Language English
Publication date March 28, 2024
Dimensions 5.5 x 0.56 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-13 979-8320789606
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ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CZ9KVHLF
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (March 28, 2024)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 163 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8320789606
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.56 x 8.5 inches
#244 in Victorian Literary Criticism (Books)
#3,203 in Crime Action & Adventure
#10,807 in Mystery Action & Adventure

About the author

Christopher d abbott.

Christopher D. Abbott is a Reader's Favorite award-winning author of crime, fantasy, science-fiction, and horror. He is also an Amazon Bestseller for his Sherlock Holmes The Watson Chronicles series.

Described by New York Times Bestseller Michael Jan Friedman as "an up-and-coming fantasy voice", and compared to Roger Zelazny's best work, Abbott's Songs of the Osirian series of works brings a bold re-telling of Ancient Egyptian mythology. Abbott presents a fresh view of deities we know, such as Horus, Osiris, and Anubis. He weaves the godlike magic through musical poetry, giving these wonderfully tragic and deeply flawed "gods" different perspective, all the while increasing their mysteriousness.

His Sherlock Holmes novellas, published under the Watson Chronicles, have been recognised by readers and peers alike as faithfully authentic to the original Conan Doyle. In 2022, after publishing nine individual Watson Chronicle stories, Abbott teamed up with prolific authors Michael Jan Friedman and Aaron Rosenberg to add a collection of Holmes short stories to the series under the banner Cases by Candlelight, and later Keith R.A. DeCandido joined the writing team, adding stories to a second, and soon to be third, volume, coming 2024. In addition to this, Abbott has scheduled to publish four brand new Sherlock Holmes novellas in 2024.

Abbott has published with Crazy8Press and written for major media outlets, including ScreenRant.

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Box Office: Vampire Thriller ‘Abigail’ Tries to Take a Bite Out of ‘Civil War’ With $12 Million Debut

By Rebecca Rubin

Rebecca Rubin

Senior Film and Media Reporter

Box Office: Vampire Thriller ‘Abigail’ Tries to Take a Bite Out of ‘Civil War’ With $12 Million Debut 23 hours ago
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Talk about nepo babies. “ Abigail ,” a blood-sucking thriller about the daughter of Dracula, arguably the most famous vampire in history, is poised to lead at the domestic box office.

The R-rated movie, from Universal Pictures, is aiming for $12 million to $15 million from 3,300 North American theaters in its first weekend of release. But the gory “Abigail” first has to fend off last weekend’s champion, A24’s “ Civil War ,” before taking the box office crown. The provocative thriller debuted last weekend with $25.8 million and looks to bring in $10 million to $12 million in its sophomore outing.

Popular on Variety

“Abigail” is based on Universal’s classic 1936 monster film “Dracula’s Daughter” and centers on kidnappers who capture a 12-year-old ballerina. They demand a $50 million ransom from her father, a powerful figure from the underworld. However, the would-be criminals soon realize they’ve taken hostage not an ordinary girl, but a vampire child who plans to hunt them down one by one. Critics seem to dig the movie, which holds a 82% on Rotten Tomatoes — basically a rave for horror. The film, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (who call themselves Radio Silence and also directed “Ready or Not” and “Scream VI”), cost $28 million. So as long as inaugural revenues land on the higher end of estimates, “Abigail” shouldn’t struggle to turn a profit in its theatrical run.

Elsewhere, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” and “Spy x Family Code: White” will compete with holdover tentpole “Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire” on box office charts. “Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire” — which has now grossed $438 million globally — collected $15 million last weekend and could add $6 million to $8 million in its fourth frame.

Henry Cavill, Henry Golding and Eiza González star in “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” which puts a fictionalized spin on the real covert British military group that recruited a small group of skilled soldiers to strike against Nazis. Lionsgate is releasing the film, which reportedly cost around $60 million.

“Spy × Family Code: White” is the latest feature from Sony’s Crunchyroll, which specializes in anime movies and TV shows. The animated action-comedy is the first film based on the popular manga TV series “Spy x Family” by Tatsuya Endo. “Spy × Family Code: White” has already opened at the international box office, where it’s earned $45.8 million to date.

VIP+ Analysis: Can ‘Abigail’ Up Scary Films’ Theatrical Strength?

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COMMENTS

The Sherlock Holmes Series by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Sherlock Holmes Series by Arthur Conan Doyle - review. 'Every story of both Holmes' triumphs and failures was highly entertaining'. bibliophile1. Tue 9 Jun 2015 04.00 EDT. Arthur Conan Doyle ...
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 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
11.8k books22.5k 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 ...
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 ...
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. ... 3.99 · 155 Ratings · 8 Reviews · published 1983 · 4 ...
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.
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 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.
Book Review
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.
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.
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: 'The Murder of Mr. Ma' a clever homage to Sherlock Holmes
'The Murder of Mr. Ma' by S.J. Rozan and John Shen Yen Nee. Soho Crime, 213 pages, $25.95 Sherlock Holmes' skills have provided the foundation of many mystery novels, films and TV series ...
The Worlds of Sherlock Holmes: The Inspiration Behind the World's
This is a comprehensive review of the life and times of Sherlock Holmes and the man who invented him. Read more. Helpful. Report. AtoZ. 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book for any Sherlock Fan! ... This book about Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is more than a decorative coffee table book. It offers an insider's look into the world ...
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!
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: Sherlock Holmes
The Villain is The Best Part. While the Sherlock and his friends are all interesting in their own right, there is something narratively limiting about the archetypal detective, assistant, and victim. The detective must be primarily good (or, at least, interested in good outcomes for their own ends) and ask lots of questions.
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.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories has reached thirty-nine volumes and just keeps breaking records - the most new stories (over 800), the most participating authors (over 200), etc - but its the quality of the reviews that is the most rewarding. There are a staggering 23 positive reviews from Publishers Weekly - a record - here are links to them all (nineteen are starred reviews). We ...
Book Review: The Return of Sherlock Holmes
This book by Arthur Conan Doyle is titled The Return of Sherlock Holmes because Holmes was thought to have died at the end of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.Doyle had wanted to end the Holmes series to concentrate on historical novels, but he published The Hound of the Baskervilles (set before Holmes' supposed death though published after) a few years later, and it was such a success that he ...
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 ...
New Sherlock Holmes releases
The result is a book that feels a little frantic at times, that jumps from plot to plot as Holmes obsesses about the challenge Adler has left him. Despite this, it's an enjoyable story that puts an interesting spin on how the character approaches a mystery. Sherlock Holmes & The Twelve Thefts of Christmas is out now from Titan Books.
MX Publishing on LinkedIn: Did you know hundreds of Sherlock Holmes
Did you know hundreds of Sherlock Holmes books are available from The Strand Magazine? https://lnkd.in/eFwJCzS
Amazon.com: SHERLOCK HOLMES Shadows of the East End, Book One
Following on from Sherlock Holmes Four Calling Birds, comes a three story arc entitled Sherlock Holmes Shadows of the East End Book One, Blessington Street: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are joined by Sergeant Peter Evans as they hunt a brutal killer. The case runs deep into the heart of London's East End, where dangers lurk in every shadow, and nothing is quite what it seems.
Box Office: 'Abigail' to Take on 'Civil War' With $12 Million Debut
Unless "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" beats expectations, the action-comedy is shaping up to be the latest big-screen misfire for Ritchie, the filmmaker of "Sherlock Holmes ...
Madelon's review of The Affair of the Coronation Ball
5/5: The original tales of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle, have created a cottage industry for mystery writers to pen their own adventures of Holmes and Watson adding new characters and diverse situations. The team of Anna Elliott and Charles Veley have expanded the Holmes universe to include a daughter, Lucy James, who rivals her famous father's notable abilities of observation and ...

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

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.

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes: 11 Stories

“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.”

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.

If you need help and would like a program that’s already set-up to help you read more books, Join MoreReads: Blueprint to Change the World, click the link to buy .

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

About The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle:

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

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

“The Red-Headed League” by Arthur Conan Doyle

“A Case of Identity” by Arthur Conan Doyle

“The Boscombe Valley Mystery” by Arthur Conan Doyle

“The Five Orange Pips” by Arthur Conan Doyle

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

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

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

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

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