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Sherlock Holmes #7
The Valley of Fear (Annotated), A Sherlock Holmes Mystery
Sherlock Holmes decodes a cipher which turns out to be a warning from Moriarty’s organization for one Douglas in Birlstone, but there is only a corpse waiting for the warning. Holmes fixates quickly on some inconsistencies at the murder scene which leads to the Vermissa Valley inside coal country in the United States.
The mystery intertwines the Freemen of Chicago, the old west mountain coal mining areas, the take down of a corrupt group of murders who ran the Freeman Lodge and even a love story.
Will Holmes succeed or will Moriarty prove to be too much for our infamous detective?
The mystery intertwines the Freemen of Chicago, the old west mountain coal mining areas, the take down of a corrupt group of murders who ran the Freeman Lodge and even a love story.
Will Holmes succeed or will Moriarty prove to be too much for our infamous detective?
286 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1914
2362 people are currently reading
32796 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Conan Doyle
15.6k books24.1k followersSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle 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. 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 - 30 of 3,476 reviews
February 29, 2024
Moriarty-less.
Mr. Douglas of Birlstone Manor is found dead of a shotgun wound to the head, apparently the product of a long standing feud with the infamous Professor Moriarty. A devastated Mrs. Douglas and gentleman Cecil Barker meet detectives Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, in an investigation that will prove much more difficult than originally thought, with implications that may point to a secret society, and an old grievance carried from many decades ago.
Fourth and final novel in the Sherlock Holmes series, the rest being collections. A seemingly unconnected two-part story taking place at different times with different characters, until they converge at the end with the final resolution; very similar in style and format to A Study in Scarlet, although with a smoother transition between the two.
Another good yet not great addition to the series, with its pros and cons. Must say the first part is as good as any average short story found in the many SH collections, except longer and unnecessarily drawn out; the second part a lot more entertaining and engaging, with the introduction of new characters like John McMurdo, Ettie Shafter, Ted Baldwin, and Birdy Edwards. The final conclusion, decently satisfying.
However, I must point out it was EXTREMELY disappointing hearing about Professor Moriarty and thinking during the whole book this may be a prequel story, only to realize at the end that it is, but with near nonexistent participation of the great arch nemesis, with merely a mention of him at the beginning and end, and that being it. So, be warned. Personally I think it would have been better to just scratch out that whole mention of him in favor of saving time, and disappointment.
On the whole I enjoyed the two stories and its little twists enough, yet not nearly as much as to be Recommendable.
It’s public domain, you can find it HERE.
Still missing, the BBC series.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1915] [195p ] [Classics] [Not Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★☆ 1. A Study in Scarlet [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 2. The Sign of Four [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
★★★★☆ 4. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [3.5]
★★★★☆ 5. The Hound of the Baskervilles
★★★★☆ 6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes
★★★☆☆ 7. The Valley of Fear
★★★★☆ 8. His Last Bow [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 9. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 10. The Complete Sherlock Holmes
-----------------------------------------------
Sin Moriarty.
El Sr. Douglas de la Mansión Birlstone es hallado muerto de un escopetazo a la cabeza, aparentemente producto de un largo feudo con el infame Profesor Moriarty. Una devastada Sra. Douglas y el caballero Cecil Barker se encuentran con los detectives Sherlock Holmes y Dr. Watson, en una investigación que probará ser mucho más dificultosa de lo que originalmente se pensaba, con implicaciones que podrían apuntar a una sociedad secreta, y un antiguo rencor de muchas décadas atrás.
Cuarta y última novela en la serie de Sherlock Holmes, el resto siendo colecciones. Una aparentemente inconexa historia de dos partes que toma lugar en diferentes tiempos y con diferentes personajes, hasta que convergen en el desenlace con la resolución final; muy similar en estilo y formato a Un Estudio en Escarlata, aunque con una transición mucho más suave entre las dos.
Otra buena pero no genial adición a la serie, con sus pros y contras. Debo decir que la primera parte es tan buena como cualquier cuento corto promedio hallado en cualquiera de las muchas colecciones de SH, excepto que más larga e innecesariamente prolongada; la segunda parte mucho más entretenida y cautivante, con la introducción de nuevos personajes como John McMurdo, Ettie Shafter, Ted Baldwin, y Birdy Edwards. La conclusión final, decentemente satisfactoria.
Sin embargo, debo señalar que fue EXTREMADAMENTE decepcionante escuchar hablar del Profesor Moriarty y pensar durante todo el libro que esta podría ser una historia precuela, sólo para darte cuenta al final que lo es, pero con una casi inexistente participación del gran archienemigo, con apenas una mención de él al principio y al final, y siendo eso todo. Así que quedan advertidos. Personalmente creo que hubiera sido mejor haber eliminado toda mención de él en favor de salvar tiempo, y desilusión.
Dentro de todo disfruté de las dos historias y sus pequeños giros de trama lo suficiente, aunque ni de cerca tanto como para ser Recomendable.
Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.
Queda pendiente, la serie de BBC.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1915] [195p] [Clásicos] [No Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
Mr. Douglas of Birlstone Manor is found dead of a shotgun wound to the head, apparently the product of a long standing feud with the infamous Professor Moriarty. A devastated Mrs. Douglas and gentleman Cecil Barker meet detectives Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, in an investigation that will prove much more difficult than originally thought, with implications that may point to a secret society, and an old grievance carried from many decades ago.
Fourth and final novel in the Sherlock Holmes series, the rest being collections. A seemingly unconnected two-part story taking place at different times with different characters, until they converge at the end with the final resolution; very similar in style and format to A Study in Scarlet, although with a smoother transition between the two.
Another good yet not great addition to the series, with its pros and cons. Must say the first part is as good as any average short story found in the many SH collections, except longer and unnecessarily drawn out; the second part a lot more entertaining and engaging, with the introduction of new characters like John McMurdo, Ettie Shafter, Ted Baldwin, and Birdy Edwards. The final conclusion, decently satisfying.
However, I must point out it was EXTREMELY disappointing hearing about Professor Moriarty and thinking during the whole book this may be a prequel story, only to realize at the end that it is, but with near nonexistent participation of the great arch nemesis, with merely a mention of him at the beginning and end, and that being it. So, be warned. Personally I think it would have been better to just scratch out that whole mention of him in favor of saving time, and disappointment.
On the whole I enjoyed the two stories and its little twists enough, yet not nearly as much as to be Recommendable.
It’s public domain, you can find it HERE.
Still missing, the BBC series.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1915] [195p ] [Classics] [Not Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★☆ 1. A Study in Scarlet [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 2. The Sign of Four [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
★★★★☆ 4. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [3.5]
★★★★☆ 5. The Hound of the Baskervilles
★★★★☆ 6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes
★★★☆☆ 7. The Valley of Fear
★★★★☆ 8. His Last Bow [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 9. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 10. The Complete Sherlock Holmes
-----------------------------------------------
Sin Moriarty.
El Sr. Douglas de la Mansión Birlstone es hallado muerto de un escopetazo a la cabeza, aparentemente producto de un largo feudo con el infame Profesor Moriarty. Una devastada Sra. Douglas y el caballero Cecil Barker se encuentran con los detectives Sherlock Holmes y Dr. Watson, en una investigación que probará ser mucho más dificultosa de lo que originalmente se pensaba, con implicaciones que podrían apuntar a una sociedad secreta, y un antiguo rencor de muchas décadas atrás.
Cuarta y última novela en la serie de Sherlock Holmes, el resto siendo colecciones. Una aparentemente inconexa historia de dos partes que toma lugar en diferentes tiempos y con diferentes personajes, hasta que convergen en el desenlace con la resolución final; muy similar en estilo y formato a Un Estudio en Escarlata, aunque con una transición mucho más suave entre las dos.
Otra buena pero no genial adición a la serie, con sus pros y contras. Debo decir que la primera parte es tan buena como cualquier cuento corto promedio hallado en cualquiera de las muchas colecciones de SH, excepto que más larga e innecesariamente prolongada; la segunda parte mucho más entretenida y cautivante, con la introducción de nuevos personajes como John McMurdo, Ettie Shafter, Ted Baldwin, y Birdy Edwards. La conclusión final, decentemente satisfactoria.
Sin embargo, debo señalar que fue EXTREMADAMENTE decepcionante escuchar hablar del Profesor Moriarty y pensar durante todo el libro que esta podría ser una historia precuela, sólo para darte cuenta al final que lo es, pero con una casi inexistente participación del gran archienemigo, con apenas una mención de él al principio y al final, y siendo eso todo. Así que quedan advertidos. Personalmente creo que hubiera sido mejor haber eliminado toda mención de él en favor de salvar tiempo, y desilusión.
Dentro de todo disfruté de las dos historias y sus pequeños giros de trama lo suficiente, aunque ni de cerca tanto como para ser Recomendable.
Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.
Queda pendiente, la serie de BBC.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1915] [195p] [Clásicos] [No Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
October 8, 2021
(A-) 81% | Very Good
Notes: Typical vengeance flashback padding a Holmes mystery to novella length, but a decent one, and still a Holmes story.
Notes: Typical vengeance flashback padding a Holmes mystery to novella length, but a decent one, and still a Holmes story.
December 26, 2022
محظوظة انا بامتلاكي لنسخة نادرة من الكتاب الذي يحتوي على رواتين لهولمز؛ تعود نسختي لعام ١٩٣٦
اي ان عمرها يتجاوز خمسة و ثمانين عام و لا تتحمل لمستي لها حقا و هذا
نموذج لإعلانات طريفة تخللت روايتي :فاجعة بريستلون و وادي الاهوال
و هي من تعريب: الاستاذ محمود مسعود باسلوب فخم/انيق حقا
اي ان عمرها يتجاوز خمسة و ثمانين عام و لا تتحمل لمستي لها حقا و هذا
نموذج لإعلانات طريفة تخللت روايتي :فاجعة بريستلون و وادي الاهوال
و هي من تعريب: الاستاذ محمود مسعود باسلوب فخم/انيق حقا
June 8, 2024
Sherlock Holmes receives a message from the mysterious "Porlock" , a nom-de plume, as he tells the curious Dr.Watson, in their residence, at 221 B Baker Street, in London...coded, they will have to find a particular book to decipher it, but clues are given and though a second note promised, never arrives from the obviously very nervous man, soon they do succeed...Alec MacDonald of Scotland Yard enters the room unexpectedly, disclosing a murder has just occurred, a Mr. John Douglas was shot in his Manor House, in the small village of Birlstone Sussex, not a surprise to the two friends. Mr.MacDonald is flabbergasted, Mr.Holmes explains and shows him the name of Douglas in the decoded message, too late to help the poor victim. Asking for help from the famous private detective the young policeman is not ashamed, he needs assistance they all travel to the crime house but not before Holmes discloses his theory about Professor Moriarity, a seemingly brilliant scientist and law abiding citizen, who Sherlock says is the criminal chief of the underworld, MacDonald is skeptical... Something is not quite right as Holmes looks around, (the grateful provincial constables, watch ) feels uncomfortable, Mrs.Douglas and Cecil James Barker the husband's best friend are not acting properly and the local police theory how the killing happened, he doesn't believe. The manor is surrounded by a moat, the drawbridge raised at night how did a stranger get in, commit the murder and disappear unseen by the servants and why the murder, nothing was taken from the home....Later information discovered by the famous detective, states that when Mr. Douglas lived in America and where he made his fortune under a different name, he was involved with a secret society of miners the "Scowrers" ( patterned after the infamous Molly Maguires) in the grimy dangerous, coal fields of eastern Pennsylvania the Vermissa Valley, frequently snowbound nicknamed "The Valley of Fear, "Murder is common there and the authorities unable to stop the bloodletting, the population afraid and helpless to stop it, the Scowrers control vast areas in their endless fight with the mine owners and the mostly Irish coal minors continue , year after year... A Sherlock Holmes novel, only one of four written by the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, that is really two different narratives one set in England with Holmes and the other in America, with Mr." Douglas" both are interesting and highly exciting but some will be rather disappointed, in the lack of the main character in the latter...
December 19, 2011
Let’s face it, Sherlock Holmes is a prig. A vainglorious bombast whose every breath seems devoted, at least in part, to extolling his prodigious and ubiquitous knowledge and singular mastery over every form of argument, logical deduction or investigative strategy (he's a little like that last sentence). It’s amazing the man can dress himself given that one arm is forever employed in the constant motion of slapping palm to his own back in congratulations for his monumental genius.
Now when faced this over-the-top example of Holmes’s masturbatory love for his own brain, one can either cringe and slink away to cower in the corner with less abrasive (and more boring) personalities, or one can boldly embrace this personification of mental prowess, slip inside the conceit canoe and journey with this most compelling of personages.
I choose the latter and hereby declare myself a proud member of TEAM
Ripley’s believe it or not, this novel is my first concentrated exposure to Sir Arthur’s exploits of the World’s Greatest Detective (tied for #1 with Batman). I have owned the completed works of Sherlock Holmes for some time and had previously perused a few of the short stories, but never had read a story from cover to cover until now. This is an oversight I intend to correct over and over again during the next 12 months as this was a terrific experience.
PLOT SUMMARY:
The Valley of Fear is one of four Holmes novels to go along with 56 short stories written by Doyle. This story is also, I was flabbergasted to discover, one of only two stories to feature Professor Moriarty (the other being “The Final Problem”). That was a stunning revelation as Moriarty is THE villain associated with Holmes. However, after reading this story (and the Final Problem), I can now see why and I think it is a good thing that Moriarty’s actual appearances are so few.
The novel itself is broken up into two main segments with a third comprised of the introduction and epilogue that glue the narrative pieces together. Holmes and Watson decode a letter from an underling of Prof. Moriarty and learn that a certain John Douglas is going to get whacked. The whacking, in fact, occurs and the two head off to Sussex to investigate the murder in the hopes of of learning Moriarty’s involvement.
What ensues is a brilliantly executed mystery that is solved elegantly and with much self-congratulations by Holmes, much to the starry-eyed, “may I kiss you” amazement of Dr. Watson. Seriously, these two have the best bromance since “Shake and Bake” from Talladega Nights.
Part II of the story (“The Scowrers”) takes us back to learn the history of John Douglas’s time in America. Despite, neither Holmes nor Watson appearing in this segment, the story itself is wonderful and demonstrates Sir Arthur’s gift for compelling, plot-driven writing.
The climax of this segment answers several large questions left dangling out of Part I’s under garments and segues nicely into the epilogue where Holmes performs a final recitation of both threads as well as the tie in with Moriarty. It’s a well-written, superbly crafted novel that engages and entertains in equal measure.
THOUGHTS:
Holmes is a force of nature and I found him impossible to ignore when he was pontificating from the page. He emits a resonance that leapt off the parchment and put a stranglehold on my attention with the strength of his personality. He won me over big time.
I grant you that his immense ego and his chronic case of patronizingitis is such that I would not likely choose to hang out with him on the weekends and play scrabble, but as a main character he is simply superb. A truly unique voice in all of literature and I am very happy to have now officially made his acquaintance.
4.0 stars. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
P.S. I listened to the audio of this read by Simon Prebble (one of my favorites) and he did his usual exceptional job.
October 12, 2020
Fue bueno, pero no para tanto.
En realidad 2,8
No puedo negar que mi personaje favorito es Sherlock Holmes, quizás por ello, mi fanatismo causó que mi primera impresión en cada una de sus novelas fuera de adulación hacia sus historias. Sin embargo, soy consciente de que ese fanatismo puede enceguecerme e impedirme ser imparcial al momento de hacer una reseña, por lo que siempre preferí esperar unas semanas para calmar mis emociones y así ser lo más neutral posible. Luego de esperar ese tiempo, revisaba mis anotaciones, reflexionaba sobre el contenido y mi conclusión siempre fue la misma: Buen libro, pero no para tanto. Esto me sucedió en cada una de las novelas y El valle del terror no fue la excepción, pero con los relatos la historia ha sido muy diferente. En mi opinión, las novelas realmente son casos cortos pero extendidos de forma innecesaria; en cambio, en los relatos no tenemos que esperar tantas páginas para disfrutar de las deducciones de Sherlock. Esta particularidad me hace creer que Arthur Conan Doyle nunca planeó una novela de Sherlock, sino que simplemente algunos casos fueron más largos de lo esperado y por ello se vio forzado a transformarlas en novelas.
Después de El Regreso de Sherlock Holmes el desprecio del autor por su personaje estrella se hace cada vez más notable, tanto así que en El valle del terror el protagonismo no lo tiene Sherlock sino el detective MacDonald y Jhon Douglas con su historia de vida, pero a pesar de esta particularidad no es una mala novela. Encontraremos, al igual que en Estudio en escarlata y El signo de los cuatro, un libro dividido en dos partes: En la primera conoceremos la resolución del caso y en la segunda la historia oculta del implicado. Sin ninguna duda lo más destacado es esa segunda parte, porque allí Arthur usando la historia de McMurdo nos hace una crítica espectacular sobre el peligro que puede traer la existencia de una logia. Una organización con tantos privilegios y poder puede crear mucha corrupción, asesinatos, amenazas, chantajes, control total, pero lo más grave un terror absoluto a los habitantes de cualquier lugar.
El problema, es que omitiendo esa crítica y la prosa que como siempre es muy buena, no hay otros aspectos importantes a destacar. La historia fue predecible, los interrogatorios fueron confusos porque no era fácil determinar quién era el que hacia las preguntas, Watson fue invisible y Sherlock resolvió todo muy sencillo. Sin embargo, lo que sí no me gustó fue el engaño que Arthur le hace al lector prometiendo un contenido que no aparece nunca. El nombre de “El valle del terror” nos hace pensar que será una historia oscura y misteriosa como El sabueso de los Baskerville, pero eso no es así. Ese nombre solo lo usó para llamar la atención. El otro engaño imperdonable fue la mención de Moriarty al inicio de la novela haciéndonos creer que este personaje aparecería más adelante, pero eso tampoco sucede y solo resultó ser publicidad engañosa para que siguiéramos leyendo: Eso no se hace. De no ser por la crítica sobre la logia mi calificación sería de una estrella sin dudarlo ni un segundo.
No obstante, a pesar de los disgustos con esta historia y de que el desprecio de Arthur hacia Sherlock es más notorio, continuaré leyendo los dos volúmenes restantes para disfrutar de la genialidad, personalidad y métodos usados por Sherlock con los que siempre me saca una sonrisa. Aun me quedan algunas sorpresas y horas de entretenimiento por lo que sin crear altas expectativas seguiré mi camino con el siguiente volumen: Su última reverencia.
En realidad 2,8
No puedo negar que mi personaje favorito es Sherlock Holmes, quizás por ello, mi fanatismo causó que mi primera impresión en cada una de sus novelas fuera de adulación hacia sus historias. Sin embargo, soy consciente de que ese fanatismo puede enceguecerme e impedirme ser imparcial al momento de hacer una reseña, por lo que siempre preferí esperar unas semanas para calmar mis emociones y así ser lo más neutral posible. Luego de esperar ese tiempo, revisaba mis anotaciones, reflexionaba sobre el contenido y mi conclusión siempre fue la misma: Buen libro, pero no para tanto. Esto me sucedió en cada una de las novelas y El valle del terror no fue la excepción, pero con los relatos la historia ha sido muy diferente. En mi opinión, las novelas realmente son casos cortos pero extendidos de forma innecesaria; en cambio, en los relatos no tenemos que esperar tantas páginas para disfrutar de las deducciones de Sherlock. Esta particularidad me hace creer que Arthur Conan Doyle nunca planeó una novela de Sherlock, sino que simplemente algunos casos fueron más largos de lo esperado y por ello se vio forzado a transformarlas en novelas.
Después de El Regreso de Sherlock Holmes el desprecio del autor por su personaje estrella se hace cada vez más notable, tanto así que en El valle del terror el protagonismo no lo tiene Sherlock sino el detective MacDonald y Jhon Douglas con su historia de vida, pero a pesar de esta particularidad no es una mala novela. Encontraremos, al igual que en Estudio en escarlata y El signo de los cuatro, un libro dividido en dos partes: En la primera conoceremos la resolución del caso y en la segunda la historia oculta del implicado. Sin ninguna duda lo más destacado es esa segunda parte, porque allí Arthur usando la historia de McMurdo nos hace una crítica espectacular sobre el peligro que puede traer la existencia de una logia. Una organización con tantos privilegios y poder puede crear mucha corrupción, asesinatos, amenazas, chantajes, control total, pero lo más grave un terror absoluto a los habitantes de cualquier lugar.
El problema, es que omitiendo esa crítica y la prosa que como siempre es muy buena, no hay otros aspectos importantes a destacar. La historia fue predecible, los interrogatorios fueron confusos porque no era fácil determinar quién era el que hacia las preguntas, Watson fue invisible y Sherlock resolvió todo muy sencillo. Sin embargo, lo que sí no me gustó fue el engaño que Arthur le hace al lector prometiendo un contenido que no aparece nunca. El nombre de “El valle del terror” nos hace pensar que será una historia oscura y misteriosa como El sabueso de los Baskerville, pero eso no es así. Ese nombre solo lo usó para llamar la atención. El otro engaño imperdonable fue la mención de Moriarty al inicio de la novela haciéndonos creer que este personaje aparecería más adelante, pero eso tampoco sucede y solo resultó ser publicidad engañosa para que siguiéramos leyendo: Eso no se hace. De no ser por la crítica sobre la logia mi calificación sería de una estrella sin dudarlo ni un segundo.
No obstante, a pesar de los disgustos con esta historia y de que el desprecio de Arthur hacia Sherlock es más notorio, continuaré leyendo los dos volúmenes restantes para disfrutar de la genialidad, personalidad y métodos usados por Sherlock con los que siempre me saca una sonrisa. Aun me quedan algunas sorpresas y horas de entretenimiento por lo que sin crear altas expectativas seguiré mi camino con el siguiente volumen: Su última reverencia.
November 14, 2015
I got tricked.
Except that's probably not what you call it when you commit the hubris of presuming to know what's going on in a Sherlock Holmes story. I didn't even assume, I thought I knew. I was so absolutely certain I knew where that last part of the story went, that I didn't even consider other options; but I was wrong. I unwittingly handed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the honor of throwing my ego around like a ragdoll. Well deserved, I say.
On the bright side, nothing keeps you hungry for a mystery like being so utterly surprised by it.
Excellent story. The first part is highly enjoyable and Sherlock Holmes has plenty of opportunity to shine his bright (much brighter than mine) ego and intellect on a quite puzzling case. The second part I dreaded reading, because I always find it boring, I'd rather have the first part be much longer. So I entered into it just wanting to get it over with. And where did that get me? Looking like an utter fool as the final reveal was in place.
I can only recommend it.
Except that's probably not what you call it when you commit the hubris of presuming to know what's going on in a Sherlock Holmes story. I didn't even assume, I thought I knew. I was so absolutely certain I knew where that last part of the story went, that I didn't even consider other options; but I was wrong. I unwittingly handed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the honor of throwing my ego around like a ragdoll. Well deserved, I say.
On the bright side, nothing keeps you hungry for a mystery like being so utterly surprised by it.
Excellent story. The first part is highly enjoyable and Sherlock Holmes has plenty of opportunity to shine his bright (much brighter than mine) ego and intellect on a quite puzzling case. The second part I dreaded reading, because I always find it boring, I'd rather have the first part be much longer. So I entered into it just wanting to get it over with. And where did that get me? Looking like an utter fool as the final reveal was in place.
I can only recommend it.
December 6, 2024
This fourth novel by Conan Doyle is a real gem of English literature from the beginning of the last century. We follow with wonder the intellectual progress of the main protagonists and feast on intrigue. In addition, within this story, we again meet Holmes' rival, Professor Moriarty.
March 2, 2024
Charles van Buren
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the more exciting Sherlock Holmes tales
Format: Kindle Edition
This review is of the free Kindle edition:
A Public Domain Book
Publication date: May 12, 2012
Language: English
ASIN: B0082RVDYUBook
THE VALLEY OF FEAR, the fourth and final Sherlock Holmes novel (but not the final story), is similar to the first Holmes story, A STUDY IN SCARLET, in that it is divided into two distinct parts with the second part occurring in America. In this novel, Doyle simply made up American locales and organizations. Though there are some similarities to the Molly Maguires and the real troubles in the Pennsylvania mining country.
Reading this novel without giving it any forethought was an experience much like the one I had watching FRANKENSTEIN starring Boris Karloff for the first time. Oh, so many cliches I thought until finally it seeped through my thick head that these were not cliches at all, these were the originals. I do not know that Doyle invented many of the now old hat plot devices which he used in this novel but he wrote early enough that they were certainly not cliches at the time. If imitation is really the sincerest form of flattery, then Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has been much flattered over the years.
This novel is both mystery and suspense written by a master. SPOILER: if you are looking for a happy ending, be aware that the forces of evil eventually prevail in this particular encounter between Holmes and Moriarty. But of course this is not the final chapter in that conflict between titans.
Ignore the Quality Control Issues blurb at the Amazon listing for this FREE edition. Either there were issues in the past, now corrected, or some hpercritical, OCD people have been at play here.
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the more exciting Sherlock Holmes tales
Format: Kindle Edition
This review is of the free Kindle edition:
A Public Domain Book
Publication date: May 12, 2012
Language: English
ASIN: B0082RVDYUBook
THE VALLEY OF FEAR, the fourth and final Sherlock Holmes novel (but not the final story), is similar to the first Holmes story, A STUDY IN SCARLET, in that it is divided into two distinct parts with the second part occurring in America. In this novel, Doyle simply made up American locales and organizations. Though there are some similarities to the Molly Maguires and the real troubles in the Pennsylvania mining country.
Reading this novel without giving it any forethought was an experience much like the one I had watching FRANKENSTEIN starring Boris Karloff for the first time. Oh, so many cliches I thought until finally it seeped through my thick head that these were not cliches at all, these were the originals. I do not know that Doyle invented many of the now old hat plot devices which he used in this novel but he wrote early enough that they were certainly not cliches at the time. If imitation is really the sincerest form of flattery, then Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has been much flattered over the years.
This novel is both mystery and suspense written by a master. SPOILER: if you are looking for a happy ending, be aware that the forces of evil eventually prevail in this particular encounter between Holmes and Moriarty. But of course this is not the final chapter in that conflict between titans.
Ignore the Quality Control Issues blurb at the Amazon listing for this FREE edition. Either there were issues in the past, now corrected, or some hpercritical, OCD people have been at play here.
November 29, 2019
4,5 stars. This book is divided into two parts. The end of the first part brings the solution to the mystery by Sherlock Holmes. The second part is a flashback that tells the background of the crime. At the beginning of the second part, I got bored and felt like giving up. But as the narrative progressed, I became more and more interested ... And I found the last pages very exciting and electrifying!
The blurb: "Look down the valley! See the cloud of a hundred chimneys that overshadows it! I tell you that the cloud of murder hangs thicker and lower than that over the heads of the people. It is the Valley of Fear, the Valley of Death. The terror is in the hearts of the people from the dusk to the dawn." So declares a resident of a mining town, where a sinister secret society maintains its stranglehold on the community with a series of violent crimes.
The Valley of Fear, the last of the four Sherlock Holmes novels, ranks among Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's best work. The mystery begins with a coded warning of imminent danger, drawing the illustrious Sherlock Holmes and the faithful Dr. Watson to a secluded English country home. A trail of bewildering clues - raincoats, dumbbells, a missing wedding ring - leads to sleuthing in the finest Holmesian tradition and the gripping backstory of a cult that terrorized a valley in an American eastern state.
The blurb: "Look down the valley! See the cloud of a hundred chimneys that overshadows it! I tell you that the cloud of murder hangs thicker and lower than that over the heads of the people. It is the Valley of Fear, the Valley of Death. The terror is in the hearts of the people from the dusk to the dawn." So declares a resident of a mining town, where a sinister secret society maintains its stranglehold on the community with a series of violent crimes.
The Valley of Fear, the last of the four Sherlock Holmes novels, ranks among Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's best work. The mystery begins with a coded warning of imminent danger, drawing the illustrious Sherlock Holmes and the faithful Dr. Watson to a secluded English country home. A trail of bewildering clues - raincoats, dumbbells, a missing wedding ring - leads to sleuthing in the finest Holmesian tradition and the gripping backstory of a cult that terrorized a valley in an American eastern state.
May 31, 2017
I am so done. Doyle is cancelled. I was initially very excited to dive into the Sherlock canon, because I've enjoyed both the TV series and the movie adaptations. Sherlock Holmes seemed to be a unique character, with funny, but loveable quirks, and so I knew that I had to get into the source material as well. Boy, I wish I never did.
So far, I've read the complete novels, and 8 short stories (from His Last Bow) and, except for The Hound of the Baskervilles, none were enjoyable. Not even in the slightest. Doyle's novels are one of the most boring, structurally awkward and somewhat offensive (I'm looking at you, The Sign of Four) pieces of literature I have ever read. In the BBC series, Sherlock is a sociopath, he makes a lot of questionable choices, but underneath the surface you can see how much he cares for John. Their relationship is heart-warming and real. By comparison, in the books these two characters are empty. I felt nothing for them. There was no chemistry at all, and I couldn't even sense a lick of affection between them. Moreover, in the source material Sherlock feels like a mere side character, and not like a protagonist at all... He rarely appears in any of the cases, and he just does nothing. Or the things he does are fucking boring. The deductions aren't clever at all, and the murders are soooo dull and tedious.
I just hate how Doyle structured his major cases. All, except for The Hound of the Baskervilles (which is probably why I enjoyed it somewhat more), are split into two parts. The first being set in the present time, where Sherlock and John are confronted with the murder, and the second being set in the past, recounting the back story of the murderer and the events that led up to the crime. The latter is always soooo boring and useless. Sherlock and John don't show up in it at all, and I, as a reader, just didn't care about the murderer and his victim, because they were never fleshed out characters, and so I was infuriated that I had to read 100+ of their back story.
I was actually really looking forward to reading The Valley of Fear because it is one of the two stories in which Moriarty shows up, but it left me so disappointed. Moriarty is merely mentioned in this, nothing more. Sherlock talks about him maybe twice... I mean c'mon, that's it? That's the big introduction of the greatest villain in the Sherlock verse? You got to be kidding me.
In the introduction of my bind-up edition of the four Sherlock novels, it states that Doyle's second story wasn't a success (what a surprise), and that he then actually wanted to ditch the Sherlock stories altogether to work on more "serious" books. Well, if a writer isn't happy with his work, how can readers be... But since Doyle, who was working as a doctor as well, had only a few patients in London and needed money, in 1891, he decided to keep going and submitted more short stories to The Strand. In the following months these would make him famous and Sherlock immortal.
But fairly soon Doyle began to tire of these trivial entertainments; they kept him from "better things". Oh wow, he sure does love being a writer. Did you know that he never worked over his drafts? He just vomited these stories out, and then handed them in. Wow. I'm so impressed [insert sarcasm here]. In my opinion, that lack of revision really does show, because his stories feel extremely clumsy, disjointed and overall elicit no feeling of excitement. They have little to no quotable moments, and overall they just really piss me off.
Do I need to read another story in which violence and corruption always happens outside of England's green and peaceful land, because Englishmen are known for their goodness and high moral (*coughs* colonialism is a thing), and only foreigners are criminals? No. In the source material, Holmes functiones as a white knight, persevering the civilized values of the British Empire (*coughs* don't forget the slave trade, ya'll) against barbarity and disorder. And ain't nobody got time for that. The game is so not afoot. ;)
However, I will read The Final Problem and The Adventure of the Empty House (which showcase the death of Sherlock and Moriarty, and then the explanation of how they survived), A Scandal in Bohemia (the introduction to Irene Adler) and The Greek Interpreter (the introduction to Mycroft Holmes), because I am a weak bitch, and like to be "well read". Whatever the fuck that means.
So far, I've read the complete novels, and 8 short stories (from His Last Bow) and, except for The Hound of the Baskervilles, none were enjoyable. Not even in the slightest. Doyle's novels are one of the most boring, structurally awkward and somewhat offensive (I'm looking at you, The Sign of Four) pieces of literature I have ever read. In the BBC series, Sherlock is a sociopath, he makes a lot of questionable choices, but underneath the surface you can see how much he cares for John. Their relationship is heart-warming and real. By comparison, in the books these two characters are empty. I felt nothing for them. There was no chemistry at all, and I couldn't even sense a lick of affection between them. Moreover, in the source material Sherlock feels like a mere side character, and not like a protagonist at all... He rarely appears in any of the cases, and he just does nothing. Or the things he does are fucking boring. The deductions aren't clever at all, and the murders are soooo dull and tedious.
I just hate how Doyle structured his major cases. All, except for The Hound of the Baskervilles (which is probably why I enjoyed it somewhat more), are split into two parts. The first being set in the present time, where Sherlock and John are confronted with the murder, and the second being set in the past, recounting the back story of the murderer and the events that led up to the crime. The latter is always soooo boring and useless. Sherlock and John don't show up in it at all, and I, as a reader, just didn't care about the murderer and his victim, because they were never fleshed out characters, and so I was infuriated that I had to read 100+ of their back story.
I was actually really looking forward to reading The Valley of Fear because it is one of the two stories in which Moriarty shows up, but it left me so disappointed. Moriarty is merely mentioned in this, nothing more. Sherlock talks about him maybe twice... I mean c'mon, that's it? That's the big introduction of the greatest villain in the Sherlock verse? You got to be kidding me.
In the introduction of my bind-up edition of the four Sherlock novels, it states that Doyle's second story wasn't a success (what a surprise), and that he then actually wanted to ditch the Sherlock stories altogether to work on more "serious" books. Well, if a writer isn't happy with his work, how can readers be... But since Doyle, who was working as a doctor as well, had only a few patients in London and needed money, in 1891, he decided to keep going and submitted more short stories to The Strand. In the following months these would make him famous and Sherlock immortal.
But fairly soon Doyle began to tire of these trivial entertainments; they kept him from "better things". Oh wow, he sure does love being a writer. Did you know that he never worked over his drafts? He just vomited these stories out, and then handed them in. Wow. I'm so impressed [insert sarcasm here]. In my opinion, that lack of revision really does show, because his stories feel extremely clumsy, disjointed and overall elicit no feeling of excitement. They have little to no quotable moments, and overall they just really piss me off.
Do I need to read another story in which violence and corruption always happens outside of England's green and peaceful land, because Englishmen are known for their goodness and high moral (*coughs* colonialism is a thing), and only foreigners are criminals? No. In the source material, Holmes functiones as a white knight, persevering the civilized values of the British Empire (*coughs* don't forget the slave trade, ya'll) against barbarity and disorder. And ain't nobody got time for that. The game is so not afoot. ;)
However, I will read The Final Problem and The Adventure of the Empty House (which showcase the death of Sherlock and Moriarty, and then the explanation of how they survived), A Scandal in Bohemia (the introduction to Irene Adler) and The Greek Interpreter (the introduction to Mycroft Holmes), because I am a weak bitch, and like to be "well read". Whatever the fuck that means.
October 8, 2017
“I am inclined to think—” said I.
“I should do so,” Sherlock Holmes remarked impatiently.
I believe that I am one of the most long-suffering of mortals; but I’ll admit that I was annoyed at the sardonic interruption. “Really, Holmes,” said I severely, “you are a little trying at times.”
An auspicious start to The Valley of Fear where Holmes is trolling Watson, by this point in their timeline they are already like an old married couple. Looking at Goodreads’ ranking (by the number of ratings) of Conan Doyle’s books, including the sans-Holmes Jurassic Park prototype The Lost World (Professor Challenger, #1), The Valley of Fear does not make the top ten. Does this mean it is a bad Sherlock Holmes book? Perish the thought! There is no such thing. However, of the four Holmes full-length novels*, this is the least of them. Still, if you are a Sherlock Holmes fan (as opposed to just a fan of Benedict Crummylunch) there is no excuse to skip this one.
The Valley of Fear hits the ground running with Holmes receiving a cipher message which he solves while mocking Watson.
“You are developing a certain unexpected vein of pawky humour, Watson, against which I must learn to guard myself.” LOL!
I love his process of decoding the encrypted message, always the most fun part of any Holmes story. The note warns of a man being in imminent danger of pushing up the daisies. The game is, therefore, afoot, and soon Holmes, Watson, and a police inspector are racing off to the countryside to investigate the murder of Mr. John Douglas, whose face has apparently been shot to pieces. A card marked “V.V. 341” is left beside the body.
What soon transpire is a massive spoiler so I won’t go into that, suffice it to say that Holmes solves the mystery before the book is even half over. At that point, I wondered what are we left with then, for the rest of the book? What follows for most of the second half of the book is a story set in the Vermissa Valley, the titular “Valley of Fear”, in the US, featuring an evil freemason lodge.
In most Holmes novels Conan Doyle structured the books with a beginning involving Holmes and Watson investigating a murder, then the narrative switches to a novella-length flashback section where our two heroes are entirely absent from the narrative, after that ends we are back with Holmes and a denouement or a coda. This is the case here and The Valley of Fear is structurally identical to A Study in Scarlet, there is also another similarity, that book features a community of evil Mormons, this one features an evil freemason lodge. If he had gone on to write a fifth Holmes novel it probably would have featured an evil community of cross-dressing lumberjacks.
I cannot help but think that Conan Doyle may have run out of original plot ideas by this point in his career. Certainly every time Doyle pulls this stunt the absence of Holmes and Watson is keenly felt. However, Doyle gets away with it because he was such a gifted storyteller and the Holmes-free narrative section is always somewhat entertaining. Having said that, to me, this narrative structure often leaves me with something like a sandwich with excellent bread but a “meh” filling. Imagine a James Bond movie with Bond shaken but not stirring for half the movie, that is not going to go down very well.
In conclusion, if you like Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories you should not miss The Valley of Fear because there are only a limited number of them and there are enough Holmes & Watson shenanigans to make most fans reasonably happy. If you have never read a full-length Holmes novel, start with The Hound of the Baskervilles, it is the best one and even a little spooky!
Notes:
* I reviewed all the other three Holmes novels, I hope these reviews will be of some interest to you:
• A Study in Scarlet
• The Hound of the Baskervilles
• The Sign of Four
• I bought this Kindle edition off Amazon for $0.99, thinking it would have some nice illustrations I could put in this review. Hilariously the pictures inside have nothing to do with the novel or Holmes! If you want a free e-book edition go for the Project Gutenberg one.
• I listened to the Librivox audiobook version, brilliantly read (as always) by David Clarke. Thank you!
Quotes:
“Your thoughts move a bit too quick for me, Mr. Holmes. You leave out a link or two, and I can’t get over the gap.”
Said PC Plod.
“Dozens of exiguous threads which lead vaguely up towards the centre of the web where the poisonous, motionless creature is lurking.”
Lots of shoutouts to Moriarty but the great Mo never shows up!
“He brightened and rubbed his thin hands together as he listened to the meagre but remarkable details. A long series of sterile weeks lay behind us, and here at last there was a fitting object for those remarkable powers which, like all special gifts, become irksome to their owner when they are not in use. That razor brain blunted and rusted with inaction.”
“I should do so,” Sherlock Holmes remarked impatiently.
I believe that I am one of the most long-suffering of mortals; but I’ll admit that I was annoyed at the sardonic interruption. “Really, Holmes,” said I severely, “you are a little trying at times.”
An auspicious start to The Valley of Fear where Holmes is trolling Watson, by this point in their timeline they are already like an old married couple. Looking at Goodreads’ ranking (by the number of ratings) of Conan Doyle’s books, including the sans-Holmes Jurassic Park prototype The Lost World (Professor Challenger, #1), The Valley of Fear does not make the top ten. Does this mean it is a bad Sherlock Holmes book? Perish the thought! There is no such thing. However, of the four Holmes full-length novels*, this is the least of them. Still, if you are a Sherlock Holmes fan (as opposed to just a fan of Benedict Crummylunch) there is no excuse to skip this one.
The Valley of Fear hits the ground running with Holmes receiving a cipher message which he solves while mocking Watson.
“You are developing a certain unexpected vein of pawky humour, Watson, against which I must learn to guard myself.” LOL!
I love his process of decoding the encrypted message, always the most fun part of any Holmes story. The note warns of a man being in imminent danger of pushing up the daisies. The game is, therefore, afoot, and soon Holmes, Watson, and a police inspector are racing off to the countryside to investigate the murder of Mr. John Douglas, whose face has apparently been shot to pieces. A card marked “V.V. 341” is left beside the body.
What soon transpire is a massive spoiler so I won’t go into that, suffice it to say that Holmes solves the mystery before the book is even half over. At that point, I wondered what are we left with then, for the rest of the book? What follows for most of the second half of the book is a story set in the Vermissa Valley, the titular “Valley of Fear”, in the US, featuring an evil freemason lodge.
In most Holmes novels Conan Doyle structured the books with a beginning involving Holmes and Watson investigating a murder, then the narrative switches to a novella-length flashback section where our two heroes are entirely absent from the narrative, after that ends we are back with Holmes and a denouement or a coda. This is the case here and The Valley of Fear is structurally identical to A Study in Scarlet, there is also another similarity, that book features a community of evil Mormons, this one features an evil freemason lodge. If he had gone on to write a fifth Holmes novel it probably would have featured an evil community of cross-dressing lumberjacks.
I cannot help but think that Conan Doyle may have run out of original plot ideas by this point in his career. Certainly every time Doyle pulls this stunt the absence of Holmes and Watson is keenly felt. However, Doyle gets away with it because he was such a gifted storyteller and the Holmes-free narrative section is always somewhat entertaining. Having said that, to me, this narrative structure often leaves me with something like a sandwich with excellent bread but a “meh” filling. Imagine a James Bond movie with Bond shaken but not stirring for half the movie, that is not going to go down very well.
In conclusion, if you like Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories you should not miss The Valley of Fear because there are only a limited number of them and there are enough Holmes & Watson shenanigans to make most fans reasonably happy. If you have never read a full-length Holmes novel, start with The Hound of the Baskervilles, it is the best one and even a little spooky!
Notes:
* I reviewed all the other three Holmes novels, I hope these reviews will be of some interest to you:
• A Study in Scarlet
• The Hound of the Baskervilles
• The Sign of Four
• I bought this Kindle edition off Amazon for $0.99, thinking it would have some nice illustrations I could put in this review. Hilariously the pictures inside have nothing to do with the novel or Holmes! If you want a free e-book edition go for the Project Gutenberg one.
• I listened to the Librivox audiobook version, brilliantly read (as always) by David Clarke. Thank you!
Quotes:
“Your thoughts move a bit too quick for me, Mr. Holmes. You leave out a link or two, and I can’t get over the gap.”
Said PC Plod.
“Dozens of exiguous threads which lead vaguely up towards the centre of the web where the poisonous, motionless creature is lurking.”
Lots of shoutouts to Moriarty but the great Mo never shows up!
“He brightened and rubbed his thin hands together as he listened to the meagre but remarkable details. A long series of sterile weeks lay behind us, and here at last there was a fitting object for those remarkable powers which, like all special gifts, become irksome to their owner when they are not in use. That razor brain blunted and rusted with inaction.”
October 22, 2023
Con esta novela corta me pasó lo mismo que con las dos primeras de Sherlock Holmes: cuando todo el caso se está desarrollando en Inglaterra, cuando empiezan a investigarlo, a seguir pistas y a entrevistar a testigos, todo es genial... Pero luego llega la segunda parte, que es cuando se devuelven muchísimos años en el tiempo y se van a Estados Unidos, a unos lugares llenos de minas de carbón, con pandillas y sociedades secretas que pretenden ser masones... Y yo detesto esas partes, de verdad. Son soporíferas.
A pesar de que la revelación final de esa segunda parte es interesante, para mí no valió la pena y lo único que me pareció rescatable es cuando vuelven al presente y revelan que Moriarty tuvo algo que ver con esto.
A pesar de que la revelación final de esa segunda parte es interesante, para mí no valió la pena y lo único que me pareció rescatable es cuando vuelven al presente y revelan que Moriarty tuvo algo que ver con esto.
March 12, 2024
Valley of Fear is the seventh book by Arthur Conan Doyle about Sherlock Holmes. This book, beautifully written, consists of two parts and a coda. The novel opens with Sherlock Holmes receiving a ciphered message from an agent of Moriarty. He and Watson decipher the message to read as a warning of a nefarious plot against Douglas, a country gentleman residing at Birlstone House. Birlstone House has a history of its own, including a moat surrounding the manor that is drawn up at night. However, in the next few minutes Inspector MacDonald arrives at Baker Street advising Holmes that Douglas was murdered the night before and enlists his assistance as well as local detective White Mason. Throughout the remainder of this part of the book, we see the machinations and deductive reasoning utilized by Sherlock Holmes to add to the mystery as well as many references to the Valley of Fear. Part Two takes place in America in the late 1800s in the Vermissa Valley and the coal mines with the corruption and gang activity that has infiltrated the valley, hence the Valley of Fear. And subsequently in the Coda, all the disparate threads are brought together by Sherlock Holmes. This novel has a number of major themes concerning morality and ethical ambiguity. It delves into the struggles of American unions and terrorist activity prevalent in the nineteenth century. I have decided to finish the series written by Arthur Conan Doyle.
December 28, 2021
Another review to write, agh !
Group Read August 2021
So here I am now in very late December thinking it is about time that I wrote this review. I read this as part of a group read of all the Sherlock Holmes short stories and novels in the Group English Mysteries Club.
This novel, like nearly all of Conan Doyle's Holmes novels has a back story that is intrinsic to Holmes' investigation. The apparent murder of a country gentleman named Douglas comes to Holmes' attention after a tip off from one of Moriarty's henchman. Holmes still cannot convince the police that Moriarty is involved in any criminal activities.
Holmes eventually discovers that things aren't quite what they seem, and eventually discovers the back story that allows him to throw light on this mystery and to solve the crime. Unfortunately there is yet more to come.
An enjoyable novel but I have to say that with the exception of The Hound of the Baskervilles Holmes' short stories are better than his novels.
Group Read August 2021
So here I am now in very late December thinking it is about time that I wrote this review. I read this as part of a group read of all the Sherlock Holmes short stories and novels in the Group English Mysteries Club.
This novel, like nearly all of Conan Doyle's Holmes novels has a back story that is intrinsic to Holmes' investigation. The apparent murder of a country gentleman named Douglas comes to Holmes' attention after a tip off from one of Moriarty's henchman. Holmes still cannot convince the police that Moriarty is involved in any criminal activities.
Holmes eventually discovers that things aren't quite what they seem, and eventually discovers the back story that allows him to throw light on this mystery and to solve the crime. Unfortunately there is yet more to come.
An enjoyable novel but I have to say that with the exception of The Hound of the Baskervilles Holmes' short stories are better than his novels.
December 19, 2024
Me ha encantado este relato. Y la sensación de haber leído tanto a Doyle que acabas razonando como Sherlock es maravillosa!!
January 7, 2011
Holmes and Watson investigate a murder in a country mansion, a man shot in the face with a sawn off shotgun. Things quickly prove not to be as they seem. But what does the murder have to do with the Valley of Fear...
First off, I'm not the biggest Sherlock Holmes fan and was at a loss when Valley of Fear was announced as a book in the Hard Case line. While I respect Arthur Conan Doyle as one of the pioneers of detective fiction, I was never really interested in him or Holmes. In my quest to read all of the Hard Case Crime books, I finally had to bite the bullet and give Valley of Death a try. I wasn't disappointed.
The initial mystery was well done, though I tipped to what actually happened fairly early on, probably because I'd seen the same scenario before, most recently in an episode of the X-Files. The flashback provided most of the action of the story but was also the part I had a problem with. Did half of the story have to be a flashback?
Valley of Fear was a good read and I'm glad I read it. I'll probably read more A.C. Doyle in the future but hopefully not as part of the Hard Case library.
First off, I'm not the biggest Sherlock Holmes fan and was at a loss when Valley of Fear was announced as a book in the Hard Case line. While I respect Arthur Conan Doyle as one of the pioneers of detective fiction, I was never really interested in him or Holmes. In my quest to read all of the Hard Case Crime books, I finally had to bite the bullet and give Valley of Death a try. I wasn't disappointed.
The initial mystery was well done, though I tipped to what actually happened fairly early on, probably because I'd seen the same scenario before, most recently in an episode of the X-Files. The flashback provided most of the action of the story but was also the part I had a problem with. Did half of the story have to be a flashback?
Valley of Fear was a good read and I'm glad I read it. I'll probably read more A.C. Doyle in the future but hopefully not as part of the Hard Case library.
December 14, 2022
Arthur Conan Doyle's final full length Sherlock Holmes novel starts off brilliantly. Holmes & Watson receive a mysterous coded message warning of danger, and are soon called to an ancient moated manor house where there has been a brutal murder. There is talk of a secret society & the involvement of the deadly Professor Moriarty.
The second half of the novel is told in flashback & although there's a nice twist in this American set story it becomes dull & long winded. This could have been is a very good short story, but Conan Doyle stretched it out into a weak novel.
However, in March I will be going to see the stage version of The Valley of Fear performed by Blackeyed Theatre Company. It's adapted by Nick Lane who did a superb adaptation of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde which I saw last year, so I have high hopes for this one.
If you want to check out the UK tour dates go to www.blackeyedtheatre.co.uk.
The second half of the novel is told in flashback & although there's a nice twist in this American set story it becomes dull & long winded. This could have been is a very good short story, but Conan Doyle stretched it out into a weak novel.
However, in March I will be going to see the stage version of The Valley of Fear performed by Blackeyed Theatre Company. It's adapted by Nick Lane who did a superb adaptation of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde which I saw last year, so I have high hopes for this one.
If you want to check out the UK tour dates go to www.blackeyedtheatre.co.uk.
September 5, 2019
The Valley of Fear takes the two part structure of his first novel, A Study in Scarlet; first part deals with the untangling of the crime mystery and the second part provides the background that leads to the crime mystery. The first part was quite interesting and intriguing but the second part was a little slow and it took a little effort on my part to hold my attention. But on to half of the second part, story became more engaging and the reading was interesting once more. However, there was a little vagueness at the end of the story which suggest the beginning of another mystery. I was thinking to myself whether Conan Doyle had some plan in mind to write another novel from he where he stopped or was it how he wanted to end his last novel - with an element of ambiguity.
Overall it was a quite interesting read. With this, I have read all Sherlock Holmes novels, and I can honestly say that The Hound of the Baskerville is the best. This is closely followed by A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four . And The Valley of Fear with its three stars closes up the rear.
Overall it was a quite interesting read. With this, I have read all Sherlock Holmes novels, and I can honestly say that The Hound of the Baskerville is the best. This is closely followed by A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four . And The Valley of Fear with its three stars closes up the rear.
July 30, 2013
This was my least favorite of all the Sherlock Holmes books I've read so far. The novel was published in 1915 and features two parts: The first half involves the murder of a man named John Douglas at his manor house. Sherlock is called in to help solve the mystery of how the murderer got away because the house was surrounded by a moat. Dr. Watson comes along to help out, but the solution of the case is disappointing and Sherlock wasn't given much to do.
The second part is an extended flashback at an American mining region called Vermissa Valley. The plot is reportedly based on a real incident of a Pinkerton agent who infiltrated the Molly Maguires, which was a secret society of miners. This narrative format is similar to Sherlock's first novel, A Study in Scarlet, in which there was an lengthy flashback involving Mormons in Utah.
Because Sherlock was absent for half the novel and given little to do in the other half, this book felt like a TV show in which the lead character is written out of the episode because they're hosting Saturday Night Live. It seemed like Doyle decided to give Sherlock the week off.
If you want to read just one Sherlock novel, I would suggest The Hound of the Baskervilles. I think The Valley of Fear could be skipped by all but the most dedicated of Sherlock fans.
The second part is an extended flashback at an American mining region called Vermissa Valley. The plot is reportedly based on a real incident of a Pinkerton agent who infiltrated the Molly Maguires, which was a secret society of miners. This narrative format is similar to Sherlock's first novel, A Study in Scarlet, in which there was an lengthy flashback involving Mormons in Utah.
Because Sherlock was absent for half the novel and given little to do in the other half, this book felt like a TV show in which the lead character is written out of the episode because they're hosting Saturday Night Live. It seemed like Doyle decided to give Sherlock the week off.
If you want to read just one Sherlock novel, I would suggest The Hound of the Baskervilles. I think The Valley of Fear could be skipped by all but the most dedicated of Sherlock fans.
August 14, 2022
The Valley Of Fear has a promising beginning. Holmes and Watson once again tackle a murder mystery which baffles both the local constabulary and the London detective called in to help. The mystery itself isn’t that difficult, and you will likely guess it before Holmes does, yet the interplay Of Holmes and Watson is just what Sherlock fans have come to expect.
The problem is the book’s second half. Like A Study In Scarlet, The Valley Of Fear devotes half of its pages to backstory with nary a sign of our heroes Holmes and Watson. I didn’t like the diversion away from Holmes in A Study In Scarlet, and it doesn’t work any better here. Even worse, Sir Arthur decided to use a twist on the story of the Molly Maguires. He painted the mine owners as victims, their brutish hired muscle as virtuous upholders of law, while portraying the unions as evil and those who fought back against the rapacious capitalist as one dimensional monsters. I understand he was playing to the audience of his time, but as a union organizer with a good knowledge of labor history, I can’t forgive such a slanted (not to mention floridly melodramatic) misrepresentation. Only the fine first half of the novel saved it from getting a one star rating.
The problem is the book’s second half. Like A Study In Scarlet, The Valley Of Fear devotes half of its pages to backstory with nary a sign of our heroes Holmes and Watson. I didn’t like the diversion away from Holmes in A Study In Scarlet, and it doesn’t work any better here. Even worse, Sir Arthur decided to use a twist on the story of the Molly Maguires. He painted the mine owners as victims, their brutish hired muscle as virtuous upholders of law, while portraying the unions as evil and those who fought back against the rapacious capitalist as one dimensional monsters. I understand he was playing to the audience of his time, but as a union organizer with a good knowledge of labor history, I can’t forgive such a slanted (not to mention floridly melodramatic) misrepresentation. Only the fine first half of the novel saved it from getting a one star rating.
May 27, 2018
Written 25 years after my favourite Holmes story, The Sign of the Four. I don‘t think I ever read this!
25 years later! Excuse me while I wander off to read about Doyle‘s life again.
„..the long, low Jacobean house of dingy, liver-coloured brick lay before us, with an old-fashioned garden of cut yews on each side of it.“
...and about English architecture in the 17th century... and yews.... what a cool tree!
Ok, where was I...I liked the main story a lot, it was very entertaining. Holmes was Holmes—"Really, Holmes," said I severely, "you are a little trying at times"—, the various police detectives were very likeable and not as stupid as we have come to believe. Perhaps some of the characters were a bit one-dimensional.
The back-story did not keep me interested enough, but had a nice twist.
Maybe not the best Holmes story, but solid.
25 years later! Excuse me while I wander off to read about Doyle‘s life again.
„..the long, low Jacobean house of dingy, liver-coloured brick lay before us, with an old-fashioned garden of cut yews on each side of it.“
...and about English architecture in the 17th century... and yews.... what a cool tree!
Ok, where was I...I liked the main story a lot, it was very entertaining. Holmes was Holmes—"Really, Holmes," said I severely, "you are a little trying at times"—, the various police detectives were very likeable and not as stupid as we have come to believe. Perhaps some of the characters were a bit one-dimensional.
The back-story did not keep me interested enough, but had a nice twist.
Maybe not the best Holmes story, but solid.
October 24, 2020
A Sherlock Holmes of a different type; much more the side story than the part in which Sherlock Holmes participates. And, it is the side story that makes this a worthwhile read. The mystery of the murdered man is fairly predictable, I thought, and there is so little of Sherlock himself that he seems almost unimportant. The two stories (the one with Sherlock and the backstory without) seem almost disconnected.
This is Doyle’s last Sherlock Holmes and I dare say he was tired of his own invention, a thought that can be easily supported by the fact that he had already attempted to kill him off in an earlier book. I think the disinterest he was feeling shows in the part of this story that includes his famous character. Or, perhaps, it is I who am tired of Holmes. Perhaps the thrill that he used to give me as a young reader makes something important seem to be missing now.
In any event, this was Doyle’s last Holmes, and perhaps mine as well. On to other pastures, that are looking greener right now.
This is Doyle’s last Sherlock Holmes and I dare say he was tired of his own invention, a thought that can be easily supported by the fact that he had already attempted to kill him off in an earlier book. I think the disinterest he was feeling shows in the part of this story that includes his famous character. Or, perhaps, it is I who am tired of Holmes. Perhaps the thrill that he used to give me as a young reader makes something important seem to be missing now.
In any event, this was Doyle’s last Holmes, and perhaps mine as well. On to other pastures, that are looking greener right now.
July 16, 2012
This is the least enjoyable compared to his earlier 3 novels. The reason is that the plot is a lot thinner and there is almost nothing that Holmes and Watson do except the display their usual power of deduction. Together with the two detectives, the duo go to the scene of the crime and do their usual investigation and after a day or two, are able to solve the crime. The revelation in the end felt so simple and did it not really surprise me at all. I also suspect that I may have been feeding my brain with too much Sherlock Holmes stories that when John Douglas came out, my heart did not skip a beat or two unlike while reading some of his short stories or even recently with his most popular novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles.
However, even if this book is not a par with the other three, this is still a good book. The saving grace is that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made use, as a backdrop, the 19th allegedly criminal Irish-American mining group called Molly Maguires including the fictional appearance of a real-life agent called James McParland who tips off the death of the rich businessman, John Douglas to Holmes and Watson. The tie up was barely established, however, and I found that Sir Doyle could have elaborated further towards the end to make the plot more interesting. I am not sure if this true-to-life link will still be used in some of his succeeding short stories because, towards the end of the book, Holmes hinted on the connection between his archenemy, Professor Mortiary and the Pirkenton agency as the ones controlling the criminal underworld. I hope he would, since this is quite interesting.
Other than this tie up with some history, there is nothing else worth mentioning, as far as I am concerned, regarding this book. I have seen everything else in his 3 earlier novels and around 30 short stories. I also missed the way he used human emotion in some of his short stories, the use of elaborate flashback in his first novel, A Study in Scarlet and the fast-paced action in the one prior to this - The Hound of Baskervilles.
I'm on to the last two collections of short stories. I am now nearing the end of my quest to read the whole Sherlock Holmes canon. I am not sure whether I will be happy because I will surely miss Holmes and Watson.
However, even if this book is not a par with the other three, this is still a good book. The saving grace is that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made use, as a backdrop, the 19th allegedly criminal Irish-American mining group called Molly Maguires including the fictional appearance of a real-life agent called James McParland who tips off the death of the rich businessman, John Douglas to Holmes and Watson. The tie up was barely established, however, and I found that Sir Doyle could have elaborated further towards the end to make the plot more interesting. I am not sure if this true-to-life link will still be used in some of his succeeding short stories because, towards the end of the book, Holmes hinted on the connection between his archenemy, Professor Mortiary and the Pirkenton agency as the ones controlling the criminal underworld. I hope he would, since this is quite interesting.
Other than this tie up with some history, there is nothing else worth mentioning, as far as I am concerned, regarding this book. I have seen everything else in his 3 earlier novels and around 30 short stories. I also missed the way he used human emotion in some of his short stories, the use of elaborate flashback in his first novel, A Study in Scarlet and the fast-paced action in the one prior to this - The Hound of Baskervilles.
I'm on to the last two collections of short stories. I am now nearing the end of my quest to read the whole Sherlock Holmes canon. I am not sure whether I will be happy because I will surely miss Holmes and Watson.
August 31, 2019
***2019 The Summer of Sherlock***
And so ends my Summer of Sherlock. While reading a biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, I realized that I had missed this installment of Holmes and set about correcting that deficit. It reminded me a lot of A Study in Scarlet--with the action originating in North America, leading to a puzzling ending in England.
ACD is wordsmithing at his best in this tale. Holmes receives a cipher, but not the key. Does this dissuade our sleuth? Of course not.
Within minutes he has produced the correct volume and he & Watson have translated the string of numbers into a message. No need to parse the agony columns in the newspapers this time!
Plus, Holmes shows his usual understanding of the human psyche when the murder victim’s wife and friend do not respond appropriately:
The authors of this time period had the most amazing vocabularies and weren’t afraid to use them!
Now, I bid Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson a dieu for a while. I will no doubt see you both at some point in the future.
And so ends my Summer of Sherlock. While reading a biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, I realized that I had missed this installment of Holmes and set about correcting that deficit. It reminded me a lot of A Study in Scarlet--with the action originating in North America, leading to a puzzling ending in England.
ACD is wordsmithing at his best in this tale. Holmes receives a cipher, but not the key. Does this dissuade our sleuth? Of course not.
”There are many ciphers which I would read as easily as I do the apocrypha of the agony column.”
Within minutes he has produced the correct volume and he & Watson have translated the string of numbers into a message. No need to parse the agony columns in the newspapers this time!
Plus, Holmes shows his usual understanding of the human psyche when the murder victim’s wife and friend do not respond appropriately:
”It was badly stage-managed for even the rawest of investigations must be struck by the absence of the usual feminine ululation.”
The authors of this time period had the most amazing vocabularies and weren’t afraid to use them!
Now, I bid Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson a dieu for a while. I will no doubt see you both at some point in the future.
January 21, 2020
“Look down the valley! See the cloud of a hundred chimneys that overshadows it! I tell you that the cloud of murder hangs thicker and lower than that over the heads of people. It’s the Valley of Fear – the Valley of Death. The terror is in the hearts of the people from dusk to dawn.”
A formulaic murder mystery which can be easily seen as a trailblazer-like story for the pulp era whodunits common in dime and drug stores during the golden era of the genre. THE VALLEY OF FEAR is perfectly placed among the Hard Case Crime novels it so shares the commodity with – one of the many where the artwork adds to the story.
Cosmetics aside, the story sets out as a straight forward murder mystery true to the Sherlock Holmes formula. Called in to assist the police in what seems a straight forward suicide, Holmes' investigation quickly becomes a case of murder; the origins of which spanning back many years prior. Enter the Freemasons, violent gangs, a community in fear, and a few twists to keep the reader on their toes.
The Valley of Fear is a tale of two novellas; the first, a pulp mystery, the second a cult of fear where control of a small community is attained by-over-the-top violence. A.C. Doyle does a great job at rounding out the plot and linking the two stories perfectly while added some really nice twists.
I found myself enjoying the book moreso the second time round (having read it some 6 years earlier).
A formulaic murder mystery which can be easily seen as a trailblazer-like story for the pulp era whodunits common in dime and drug stores during the golden era of the genre. THE VALLEY OF FEAR is perfectly placed among the Hard Case Crime novels it so shares the commodity with – one of the many where the artwork adds to the story.
Cosmetics aside, the story sets out as a straight forward murder mystery true to the Sherlock Holmes formula. Called in to assist the police in what seems a straight forward suicide, Holmes' investigation quickly becomes a case of murder; the origins of which spanning back many years prior. Enter the Freemasons, violent gangs, a community in fear, and a few twists to keep the reader on their toes.
The Valley of Fear is a tale of two novellas; the first, a pulp mystery, the second a cult of fear where control of a small community is attained by-over-the-top violence. A.C. Doyle does a great job at rounding out the plot and linking the two stories perfectly while added some really nice twists.
I found myself enjoying the book moreso the second time round (having read it some 6 years earlier).
November 20, 2017
Enjoyable, but not my favourite Sherlock Holmes. It didn't hang together quite as well as the rest.
August 25, 2025
TOP MEJORES PLOT TWIST DE TODOS LOS LIBROS DEL DETECTIVE !!!!1
March 21, 2017
I was already annoyed near the start of this, because Watson (and others) knowing of Moriarty contradicts the earlier (though it’s set later) story that Moriarty appears in, in which Watson (and others) know nothing of him. (I’ve heard there are other continuity errors in the Sherlock stories, but those must’ve escaped me.)
The first part of this novella could exist on its own as a typical Sherlock short. The surprise is a good one: the reader (i.e. me) rushes through the clue just as Sherlock’s compatriots do. The second section is a tedious violent, back story a la A Study in Scarlet. If I hadn’t decided to read all the Sherlock stories, I would’ve quit at this point. Good thing I didn’t. The twist was a shocker (the less you know of the historical basis, the better; and I knew nothing) that had me paging back through all the prior table-setting tedium. Well played, Sir Arthur.
The first part of this novella could exist on its own as a typical Sherlock short. The surprise is a good one: the reader (i.e. me) rushes through the clue just as Sherlock’s compatriots do. The second section is a tedious violent, back story a la A Study in Scarlet. If I hadn’t decided to read all the Sherlock stories, I would’ve quit at this point. Good thing I didn’t. The twist was a shocker (the less you know of the historical basis, the better; and I knew nothing) that had me paging back through all the prior table-setting tedium. Well played, Sir Arthur.
November 23, 2017
Classic Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle at his finest.
If you've read and enjoyed any books in the Sherlock Holmes series - then read them all, they are all consistently great. Sherlock Holmes must be one of the greatest literary characters ever created and the stories are so very well written.
Intriguing, compelling, intelligent, exciting, page-turning fun of the highest order.
If you've read and enjoyed any books in the Sherlock Holmes series - then read them all, they are all consistently great. Sherlock Holmes must be one of the greatest literary characters ever created and the stories are so very well written.
Intriguing, compelling, intelligent, exciting, page-turning fun of the highest order.
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