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The Valley of Fear and His Last Bow
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle KStJ DL was a British 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; other than 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 Mary Celeste.
Doyle is often referred to as "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" or "Conan Doyle", implying that "Conan" is part of a compound surname rather than a middle name. His baptism entry in the register of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, gives "Arthur Ignatius Conan" as his given names and "Doyle" as his surname. It also names Michael Conan as his godfather.
The Valley of Fear
From the annals of Dr Watson comes this dark tale of Sherlock Holmes’ early encounter with Professor Moriarty. When Holmes and Watson receive a cipher from one of Moriarty’s henchmen warning of dark doings at a manor house, they find themselves on the trail of a murderer. Almost immediately, they are on their way to Sussex where they discover a corpse with its head blown to pieces. But all is not as it seems. For the origins of this case lie in America, and involve a Pinkerton’s man and the doings of a terrible and secretive lodge. Holmes must battle his greatest – and most lethal – enemy.
His Last Bow
His Last Bow is a collection of seven Sherlock Holmes stories (eight in American editions) by Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as the title of one of the stories in that collection. Originally published in 1917, it contains the various Holmes stories published between 1908 and 1913, as well as the one-off title story from 1917. The collection was originally called Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes and did not contain the actual story His Last Bow, which appeared later, after the full-length The Valley of Fear was published.
Doyle was a prolific writer; other than 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 Mary Celeste.
Doyle is often referred to as "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" or "Conan Doyle", implying that "Conan" is part of a compound surname rather than a middle name. His baptism entry in the register of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, gives "Arthur Ignatius Conan" as his given names and "Doyle" as his surname. It also names Michael Conan as his godfather.
The Valley of Fear
From the annals of Dr Watson comes this dark tale of Sherlock Holmes’ early encounter with Professor Moriarty. When Holmes and Watson receive a cipher from one of Moriarty’s henchmen warning of dark doings at a manor house, they find themselves on the trail of a murderer. Almost immediately, they are on their way to Sussex where they discover a corpse with its head blown to pieces. But all is not as it seems. For the origins of this case lie in America, and involve a Pinkerton’s man and the doings of a terrible and secretive lodge. Holmes must battle his greatest – and most lethal – enemy.
His Last Bow
His Last Bow is a collection of seven Sherlock Holmes stories (eight in American editions) by Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as the title of one of the stories in that collection. Originally published in 1917, it contains the various Holmes stories published between 1908 and 1913, as well as the one-off title story from 1917. The collection was originally called Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes and did not contain the actual story His Last Bow, which appeared later, after the full-length The Valley of Fear was published.
- GenresClassics
198 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2011
13 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Conan Doyle
15.8k books24.4k followersSir 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 10 reviews
August 26, 2016
Lo que mas me gusta de estos libros, es la amistad que hay entre Sherlock y Watson, me parece tan real. Él final de este libro, solo hizo que le cogiera mas cariño a esta amistad, y sintiera un poco de nostalgia. Necesito conseguir los otros libros, y leerlos en orden
January 8, 2026
Despite there being a further instalment to the Sherlock Holmes series, 'His Last Bow' truly feels as if its the finale to Holmes's adventures:
'There's an east wind coming, Watson.'
'I think not, Holmes. It is very warm.'
'Good old Watson! You are the one fixed point in a changing age. There's an east wind coming all the same, such a wind as never blew on England yet. It will be cold and bitter, Watson, and a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it's God's own wind nonetheless, and a cleaner, better, stronger land will lie in when the storm has cleared.'
This was written and published in 1917, so the events of The Great War were still ongoing, thus influencing this short story.
Other than that, 'The Valley of Fear' was really gripping, despite half of it being a flashback on the other side of the planet, similar to 'A Study in Scarlet'. Moreover, 'His Last Bow' has various short stories that were memorable, and good too!
Really had fun reading these, though the last short story, the one based in The Great War, did feel rather depressing.
'There's an east wind coming, Watson.'
'I think not, Holmes. It is very warm.'
'Good old Watson! You are the one fixed point in a changing age. There's an east wind coming all the same, such a wind as never blew on England yet. It will be cold and bitter, Watson, and a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it's God's own wind nonetheless, and a cleaner, better, stronger land will lie in when the storm has cleared.'
This was written and published in 1917, so the events of The Great War were still ongoing, thus influencing this short story.
Other than that, 'The Valley of Fear' was really gripping, despite half of it being a flashback on the other side of the planet, similar to 'A Study in Scarlet'. Moreover, 'His Last Bow' has various short stories that were memorable, and good too!
Really had fun reading these, though the last short story, the one based in The Great War, did feel rather depressing.
January 1, 2024
Started reading it 6 months back only to not move past 50 pages (short form content consumption took over). However, restarted it in December and found it interesting and completed it. I personally found the writing difficult at places and needed more context to understand a few parts. It was good to getting back to mystery fiction reading after 15-20 years. Hoping it's a restart to my reading journey.
May 15, 2019
Como siempre, sorprendente y para nada descepcionante; Sherlock Holmes.
August 14, 2021
Leí el vendedor de cadáveres de Conan Doyle
April 9, 2022
que puedo decir, me encanta Sherlock !!!! y estos compilados de varias historias me parecen lo máximo, además de que en este podemos leer la ultima aventura de él y Watson. Super bueno el libro.
May 31, 2025
I loved this book and found it very enjoyable for anywhere. I comfortabley read this in the airport,on the plane and on holiday, I never felt bored reading it .I cant wait to read the final book!
September 14, 2025
lo de siempre. la primera parte entretenida, la segunda se me hace aburrida aunque tiene el propósito de explicar la primera.
October 27, 2025
The best of Doyle's material I have read up to this point.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 10 reviews