The Adventure of the Speckled Band

by Arthur Conan Doyle

Baring-Gould’s extensive notes on the stories in this collection deal both with Holmes, the character invented by Conan Doyle, and Holmes, the consulting detective whose cases are chronicled for us by his friend and biographer Dr. John Watson. An excellent introduction if (by some incomprehensible concatenation of events) you’ve never read a Holmes tale.

Contents: Introducing Mr. Sherlock Holmes / William S. Baring-Gould — The adventure of the speckled band — A scandal in Bohemia — The Red-headed League — The adventure of the blue carbuncle — The Musgrave ritual — The naval treaty — Silver Blaze — The final problem — The adventure of the empty house — The adventure of the Bruce-Partington plans — The adventure of the dancing men — The adventure of the six Napoleons — Notes / William S. Baring-Gould

Genres: Classics, Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, School

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1965

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

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

28 page story. It's always fun to read a Sherlock Holmes story. His brain is crazy smart and sees clues we couldn't comprehend. Enjoying these short stories!!

Here's a link if interested. http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-sto...

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Locked Room Mystery #7
Crime= 4 stars: A young lady maybe have been frightened to death. But of what? She is in a locked room with barred windows, in a decrepit country mansion in the middle of nowhere. Very creepy. Half the house is falling down, most of the rest is boarded up. A place you'd not enter. No way.
Solution=4 stars: Yes, anyone might be frightened to death in this scenario. But that's not the solution. Holmes solves this early on, or says so to Watson, but the reader isn't told the solution until the last few sentences. And the murderer? Oh, he gets his dues alright, and deservedly so: a truly demented, cruel murderer.
Summary: 4 stars. Extremely original and, like I said, very creepy. I think I'll avoid bedrooms with fake bell pulls at all costs.

[Cecilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

My entire life I've heard about Sherlock Holmes but I've never read any of the books or watched the shows and I did not understand why the entire world is obsessed with him, but now I do! This was fantastic! I'm taking a mystery and detective fiction course and we're dipping our feet in different mystery stories and I did not expect to love the Holmes stories as much as I have.
The Adventure of the Speckled Band was a very fast-paced story that's eerie, suspenseful, and kept me on the edge of my seat.

[Ramya Ramani · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Adventure of the Speckled Band is my recommendation to anyone new to Sherlock Holmes! It is a short read with a gothic, atmospheric quality and can acquaint the reader with the 'tell, don't show' way Doyle writes Sherlock's crime solving(which takes some getting used to for those of us that love solving murders as we are reading them).

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

From BBC Radio 4 Extra - Sherlock Holmes:
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery surrounding Helen Stoner, whose twin sister died in mysterious circumstances on the eve of her wedding. She goes to Holmes and Watson looking for answers.

Stars Cedric Hardwicke as Sherlock Holmes and Finlay Currie as Dr Watson.

[Rachel White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this previously for my English class at school and thought I'd pick it up again to reread! It was just as good as I remembered but I understood it so much more than I did before so I'm super happy about that! I now want to read every Sherlock Holmes story in a marathon!

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an eerie but extremely fun mystery as Holmes and Watson lock themselves in a mysterious room in order to discover how a client's twin sister died. This one will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

[Anu · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best Sherlock Holmes Story I have ever read. Had me on the edge throughout. An absolute entertainer.

[lu.books07 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Já mám s knihami ten problém, že při čtení nad příběhem moc přemýšlím a vymýšlím různé teorie o zakončení knihy. Většinou se stane, že konec uhádnu, a to pak ze čtení thrillerů a detektivek nemám nic. Jenže u příběhu A.C. Doyla se mi to skoro nikdy nestane. Každá zápletka je tak úžasně vymyšlená, že to prostě neodhadnu, a to na Sherlockových detektivkách fakt zbožňuju.

Tentokrát byly všechny tři povídky fakt super.❤
(lepší 3)

[Alqooti · Rating 4 out of 5]

من انواع الكتب التي اميل لقراءتها و الجميل فيها هو انك يمكنك التوقف متى ما اردت فهي مجموعة قصص في كتاب واحد و الاجمل انها لشارلوك هولمز 😉

[Amelie Curthoys · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.75

[Mark Rabideau · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining tale, read via LibreVox. A good, solid, albeit typical Holmes mystery.

[Thu Giang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uuuu this was a quick and fun read! I was excited to finish the story and to find out the resolution. Now I‘m intrigued to read more Sherlock Holmes stories!!

[megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

did not willingly read a single one of these and I never will

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A frightened young woman, a cruel stepfather, a mysterious death and a strange whistling noise move this short story to a surprise ending! Julia Stoner dies mysteriously and her sister Helen wants answers. So she turns to Sherlock Holmes and Watson!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes my beloved <3

[Maria Therese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the Adventure of the Speckled Band.

[emilieee · Rating 5 out of 5]

2. "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" is an exciting story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, featuring his famous detective book, Sherlock Holmes. This story starts when Watson were visited by a young woman named Helen Stoner, who fears for her life after the mysterious death of her sister and fears she may suffer the same fate. Her sister, Julia, died under strange circumstances shortly before her wedding, and Helen has been experiencing eerie occurrences in the old family estate. Holmes investigates and discovers a plot involving a deadly snake trained to kill by a villainous stepfather, Dr. Grimesby Roylott, who seeks to inherit the family fortune. With Holmes's intervention, Helen is saved from the same fate as her sister, and Roylott meets his demise by the very snake he intended to use as a weapon.

Doyle keeps readers hooked with suspense and curiosity from the start, painting a spooky picture of the Stoner family's creepy home, Stoke Moran. Holmes faces a tough challenge as he tries to solve the mystery, especially with the intimidating stepfather, Dr. Grimesby Roylott.
The story's strength lies in Doyle's clever writing, mixing a good plot, interesting characters, and a spooky atmosphere. As Holmes follows the clues, readers are kept guessing and eagerly waiting for the next surprise.
The friendship between Holmes and Watson adds an extra layer to the story, showing how they stick together even in dangerous situations. Watson's role as the narrator gives readers a close look at Holmes's smart mind and how he solves problems.
Overall, "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" is a great example of Doyle's talent. With its exciting plot and memorable characters, it keeps readers entertained and remains a classic detective story loved by many.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review is for "The Speckled Band"

One of the most famous Holmes/Watson stories, and justifiably so. It's loaded with atmosphere: a crumbling old mansion, weird noises in the night, a woman who inexplicably dies, and another who may follow. To top it off, we also have Gypsies--and a cheetah -- and a baboon.

Loaded with Freudian symbolism, intentional or not, this is a tale to haunt you forever.

This tale has been filmed many times:

1910 -- Doyle wrote a stage play of the story

1912 -- Eclair film series, unavailable, probably lost

1923 -- Stoll film series, not available

1931 -- film, with Raymond Massey and Athole Stewart --This is actually an adaptation of Doyle's play, rather than the print story. It's been modernized, with Holmes having a proper office with secretaries, typists . And a recording device. Very state-of-the-art for the early 30s.

1949 --From Your Show Time, an anthology series, with short dramas based on famous works of literature. Alan Napier/ Melville Cooper. Probably the earliest depiction of Holmes on TV.
Interesting version, although marred by interruptions by the narrator "the bookstore man", who constantly puffs away on Lucky Strikes cigarettes, the sponsor of the series.

1964 -- BBC--Douglas Wilmer/ Nigel Stock

1984--Granada -- Jeremy Brett/David Burke

1999(?) --Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century --retitled "The Scales of Justice" --contains a snake and a character named Grimesby-Roylott; otherwise, has little to do with the original.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We must fall back upon the old axiom that when all other contingencies fail, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

This wonderful edition contains the stories, The Final Problem, in which Holmes and Moriarty have their final showdown, as well as The Adventure of the Empty House, in which Holmes returns. Several excellent tales herein could be read as a group of short stories. It was absorbing; I couldn't put it down except to go to work. In most instances, as you already know, Holmes' hypotheses are correct; he rarely goes down an empty rabbit hole. He always gets his man. Many trifling puzzles turn out to be capers of international importance. Throughout these stories we get a greater insight into the friendship and the characters of Holmes and Watson.

I confess that I can't read these characters without thinking of Benedict Cumberbatch (Holmes), Martin Freeman, (Watson), and Andrew Scott (Moriarty).

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another story concerning a male relative doing what he can to abscond with the money of young women who have very few rights and no control over their own finances. This one involves two sisters and a step-father who studied medicine in India. He of course retains control over their money unless they marry.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is terrifying, even if you do overlook the fact that snakes don't drink milk. The villain created in this piece is one of the most terrible of Holmes' villains, mainly because of the months of training involved to commit premeditated murder.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun Holmes story with a distressed young woman whose sister met an unusual demise is now in fear for her own safety. Holmes and Watson follow her to the country even after being threatened by her overly aggressive stepfather. A very short story with an interesting mystery. Audio version.

[Soumyadip Mookherjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read the Adventure of the speckle band. It was a great read. The story is very gripping and it was hard to put down. I loved the how the murder was so complicated and the story was straight up haunting. This one keeps the reader at the very edge until the end .

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite Sherlock Holmes stories. Anyone who dismisses Holmes as an unfeeling calculator must remember that he is one of the few fictional men in Victorian times to take a frightened woman at her word. We love to see it.

[E · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star. Listened to this as an audiobook on Audible as narrated by Stephen Fry as part of the complete Holmes collection. One of Doyle’s best work?! What?! Goddamn… I don’t know why I find these stories so boring. I just cannot stay interested, even with my beloved Stephen Fry narrating.

[Ilyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only read the adventure of the speckled band. I thought I had solved the mystery, but I had only partially done so it was really fun. This is the one with the Stoner twins and Grimesby Roycroft. And all the animals.

[Jessica Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snake mistakes!

[Baraa Nadhum · Rating 4 out of 5]

ثلاثة قصص قصيرة
والتي هي ثلاثة الغاز محيرة يقوم التحري بفك خيوطها الواحد تلو الآخر ليحل التشابك ويمسك برأس الخيط , استغرقت في قرآءته ٥ أيام لأني قرأته باللغة الانكليزيه مما ضاعف استمتاعي به

[MEM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snakes don't have ear drums and they don't drink milk so idk wtf but it was still a good story.
I read a different version than this too