I just finished teaching this book, and it gave me a new appreciation for the vocabulary and structure of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I was a little nervous about teaching this to 6th graders, as the vocabulary is difficult, and the story is intricately woven together, and can be confusing for younger readers. But as always the girls fell in love with Watson, and were amazed at Sherlock's ability to piece together this puzzle.

This story is set in London and the English countryside of Dartmoor in the late 1800s. This is the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes after Doyle decided to get rid of him by sending him off a cliff in a previous novel. The public was heartbroken and outraged to lose their hero (Holmes) and Doyle was forced to resurrect him. This story pre-dates other Holmes stories as Doyle did not want to bring him back from the dead.

The story centers around the legend of the hound of the Baskervilles, which is a hell-hound that is thought to be behind the latest murder of Sir Charles Baskerville. This story differs from other Holmes stories as Holmes is absent for a large part of this story and Watson tells us the story through his observations and letters from Dartmoor to Holmes in London. This narrative device sets up an interesting dynamic, as the reader is placed in the position of Holmes and must try to solve the crime.

The descriptions of the setting, especially the moor in Dartmoor are beautiful in its eeriness. If you are looking for a classic mystery, I encourage you to go for this.