Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 3

Rate this book
Arthur Conan Doyle never wasted time in getting his stories moving. His plots are always direct and refreshingly lucid, and the narrative has a velocity that sweeps you along right to the end. This was no doubt a large part of his immense worldwide success. Not surprisingly, each time he tried to end the series, his fans would howl in protest. But, as he says in the preface to his last collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, all good things must come to an end. And so it is with this series, as we have now arrived at the end of the Sherlock Holmes tales, Conan Doyle's most magnificent creation.

This last volume contains one novel, The Valley of Fear, and two collections of short stories: His Last Bow and The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes.

Audiobook

First published January 1, 1989

11 people are currently reading
262 people want to read

About the author

Arthur Conan Doyle

15.9k books24.3k followers
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.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
135 (50%)
4 stars
104 (38%)
3 stars
25 (9%)
2 stars
6 (2%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
8 reviews
February 22, 2015
Read all of these as a young lad and now in my 50's, went back to an audiobook to listen to every single case on my long commute to work. Sir Arthur to this day is such a great writer and a genius in setting up and solving each crime, no wonder Mr. Holmes is still so relevant today. Special props to the narrator of these audiobooks, they were a true pleasure to listen to. Have a long commute? Then give Mr. Holmes a chance to met away the miles.
Profile Image for sophs! ♥︎.
15 reviews
December 26, 2025
O Vale do Medo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

esse aqui vou falar que estava com expectativas muito altas porque o título grita narrativa foda (do tipo coisas sobrenaturais pique "O Cão dos Baskerville" só que ainda bem melhor), não era o que eu imaginava e não deveria ter criado expectativas (apesar da nota), mas a história conseguiu crescer MUITO no seu desenvolvimento e estou até agora me questionando se prefiro esse ou o dos Baskerville. Então, no final das contas, conseguiu ser narrativa foda.

Uma coisinha que me incomoda sobre o Doyle é ele aplicar uma fórmula que funciona para todas as histórias, tornando muito maçante e parecendo que eu só tô lendo o mesmo contoKKKKKKK, porém lá pro meio da segunda parte da obra ele passou a narrar e envolver o leitor muito bem e ganhou pontos por AINDA ter conseguido me dar inspiração criativa. Gostei muito da reviravolta do final, NÃO ESPERAVA. Enfim, loucura como consegui me apegar ao personagem!!!!! Fiquei muito mal com o final af rip douglas (edwards) 💔
Profile Image for Matt.
2,608 reviews27 followers
June 3, 2020
I listened to the Audible audiobook recommended to me by Ben De Bono. This audiobook contains Volumes #1, #2, and #3 of "The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes," meaning that it includes every Sherlock Holmes story that Arthur Conan Doyle wrote, in chronological order.

DESCRIPTION:

Arthur Conan Doyle never wasted time in getting his stories moving. His plots are always direct and refreshingly lucid, and the narrative has a velocity that sweeps you along right to the end. This was no doubt a large part of his immense worldwide success. Not surprisingly, each time he tried to end the series, his fans would howl in protest. But, as he says in the preface to his last collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, all good things must come to an end. And so it is with this series, as we have now arrived at the end of the Sherlock Holmes tales, Conan Doyle's most magnificent creation.

This last volume contains one novel, "The Valley of Fear," and two collections of short stories: "His Last Bow" and "The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes."
Profile Image for Ekin Açıkgöz.
Author 6 books33 followers
January 21, 2019
Sherlock Holmes. Polisiye dünyasının bir numaralı ilham kaynağı. Daha ne denebilir ki?

Holmes hikayeleri devam ediyor.
Holmes karakterini öldüren Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, hayranlarının tepkisine ve ısrarına dayanamayarak Holmes'ü diriltiyor.
Fakat REM yayınevi, yayınladığı hikayelerde kronolojik yazım sırasına uyuyor mu, bu epey şüpheli.
REM yayınevi, Sherlock Holmes'ün toplam kaç hikayesini yayınlayacağı, bunları kaç ciltte toplayacağı, her ciltte hangi hikayeler bulunacağı, tüm hikayeleri kapsayıp kapsamayacağı hakkında okuyucuya en ufak bir bilgi sunmuyor.
8 reviews
January 31, 2021
I've watched multiple televised series on the BBC as well as movies Hollywood films directed by Guy Ritchie, all are engrossingly, captivating.
The thrill of the hunt.
Mind you these were from Audible. For the entire collection of 50+ hrs of stories, what a deal for 1 credit! Audible has this series broken up into 9 parts.
Profile Image for Katie Marshall.
Author 9 books29 followers
December 24, 2020
Some of that sparkle of Sherlock in Doyle's early work faded with these longer pieces.
Profile Image for Viviana.
18 reviews
May 8, 2021
I'm so sad I finished all of it 🥲🥲😬 thank you sir Arthur Conan Doyle!!
202 reviews9 followers
February 8, 2025
The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes
vol III of III

This volume begins with the 4th and final Holmes novel, "The Valley of Fear". And like in the first novel, "A Study in Scarlet", just as the crime is solved, the narrative shifts to a long backstory set in America. Though this time I'd say it had a better payoff and was a better story. In this tale Moriarty is not featured but is referenced -- a bit of a retcon for the Moriarty legend. In the previous volume his existence was first introduced to Watson just before Moriarty's demise. But this novel is set in an earlier time when Moriarty is still active, and this time around Watson and Holmes have been aware of him and discussing him for some time.

Next in this volume is the short story collection "His Last Bow: Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes", which was published in 1917. Notable entries:

-- "The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans" brings back brother Mycroft for another appearance in the canon. Holmes reveals to Watson that Mycroft is much more important than suggested in the first story he was in. Now, rather than being some minor government auditor, turns out his prodigious intelligence and knowledge have made him the most indispensible man in the British government -- the go-to man for any government official to consult with about practically anything. A one-man Deep State. And here he brings in Holmes to investigate the theft of secret submarine documents.

-- "The Adventure of the Dying Detective". This story reveals that Watson has remarried, with a mention that the story's events occur during the second year of Watson's marriage -- and the context seems to make clear this is not a recollection from the early years and his marriage to first wife Mary, who simply disappeared from the canon without explanation.

-- "His Last Bow". By now Holmes is 60 and retired to beekeeping in a rural village. But he's brought out of retirement to run a counter-intelligence operation in August 1914, just as WWI is about to break out. As far as I can recall, this is the only Holmes story to mention Holmes and Watson driving an automobile -- a small Ford.

Then we have the final published collection of short stories, "The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes". Worth mentioning:

-- "The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier". Conan Doyle at this stage seems to have been wanting to shake up the old formula of narrator Watson point of view. This is the first Holmes story told with Holmes himself as narrator. We learn more of Watson's second marriage, Holmes mentioning that Watson had married before these events of January 1903, and that getting married was the only selfish thing he'd recalled Watson doing.

-- "The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone" is another shift in p.o.v. -- this is the only Holmes story told strictly in third person point of view, with the first line beginning "It was pleasant to Dr. Watson..." Not much difference, really.

--"The Adventure of the Creeping Man". Here we start feeling we're nearing the end. Watson mentions that this, set in 1903, is one of Sherlock's last cases before retirement.

-- "The Adventure of the Lion's Mane". Here the retirement theme continues. This is the 2nd and last Holmes-narrated story, and he does so because, in 1907, he's well into retirement on the South coast in Sussex and seldom sees Watson anymore.

-- "The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place". This supports an earlier suggestion that Watson has a spending problem. Earlier in the canon we hear that, when they were roommates, Holmes kept custody of Watson's checkbook. This story involves a racehorse owner, and when asked if he knows much about racing, Watson admits it consumes half his regular pension. So, it seems, Watson has a gambling problem!
Profile Image for Sora.
675 reviews3 followers
September 19, 2015
This book was pretty good! My only regret is that I read the series out of order (3rd book first). While the stories are written in such a way that you can pick up and end where ever, because they are a collection of short stories, the end of the book is definitively a wind down of Watson and Holmes which is sad. They are still great minds and mysteries behind their solving. But, I wanted to keep reading more of their tales.
Profile Image for Hilarie.
536 reviews4 followers
February 5, 2014
I have finished the complete Sherlock Holmes cannon. I enjoyed the stories a great deal. I also noticed that the character of Sherlock Holmes has come to be known primarily as an infallible, almost super human individual. This isn't really how I felt he was written by Doyle. Interesting to contrast the real Sherlock Holmes with the many portrayals of him in so many media formats.
Profile Image for William Tracy.
Author 36 books107 followers
August 29, 2016
Finally finished all the Sherlock Holmes stories! The Valley of Fear (the first novella) leaves something to be desired, but all the other stories are very enjoyable. Nice to see some stories with an older Holmes and Watson as well.
Profile Image for Heather.
449 reviews7 followers
September 12, 2011
This is the end of the SH stories, I'll miss Holmes & Watson very much! Can see where so many threads of modern detective stories cone back to these original tales.
Profile Image for Jim.
104 reviews
May 19, 2012
Finished the Complete Works in the beginning of 2012 with the conclusion of Part III. I'm sad I ran out of Holmes.
Profile Image for Amanda.
364 reviews11 followers
December 9, 2014
Excellent narration and wonderful, timeless mysteries!
Profile Image for Judson Kane.
4 reviews1 follower
September 27, 2014
These were perfect audio books. So happy I finally got around to reading these stories!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.