Adventures of Sherlock Holmes [Adventures of Sherlock Holmes / Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (12 stories) / Sign of Four / Study in Scarlet)]

by Arthur Conan Doyle

In this first collection of Holmes's stories, the beloved detective uses his uncanny skills to rescue a king from blackmail, to capture an ingenious bank robber, and to save an innocent son accused of patricide.

Genres: Classics, Mystery

464 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1995

About the author

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a Scottish writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.

Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.

Reviews

[Maureads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining short stories, ideal for unwinding after a long day at work.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, while I enjoyed the dynamic between Sherlock and Watson I can't say I was a massive fan of this.

The cases are interesting but most of them are so short that the reader has no chance to form their own theories (which in my opinion is part of the fun when reading mysteries). Sherlock seems to reach a conclusion out of nowhere, with the suspect ending up being someone completely random.

While I understand that this is somewhat the point of the Sherlock stories - that he reaches a conclusion from small pieces of evidence that no one else could have put together - it detracts from the stories. When compared to the multitude of adaptions I feel as if they do a better job of balancing Sherlock's talents while still keeping the reader in the loop.

[Jeremiah Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the insights Holmes has when his clients first arrive are quite remarkable. However, the fact that the police can't figure out the cases proves that they are complete ignoramuses as they really aren't all that complex. An enjoyable read, even if it can get a bit redundant and predictable.

[B. Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes IS the man! Doyle's writing is extremely entertaining. Somehow Holmes is always four steps ahead of everyone else, and still manages those crazy cocaine benders in-between.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic detective novel. Loved it, all over again

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. I read most of these many, many years ago. Still enjoyable.