Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories, Volume I

by Arthur Conan Doyle

ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME • Sherlock The Complete Novels and Stories contains, in two volumes, all fifty-six short stories and four novels featuring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s world-famous detective. Volume I includes the novels and stories that introduced the brilliant and unflappable Sherlock Holmes and his partner, Dr. Watson, to the world. A Study in Scarlet is a drama of long-simmering revenge that ranges from the fog-bound streets of London to the pioneer settlements of Utah. The Sign of Four weaves together a stolen treasure from India, poison darts, and double-crossing thieves, while The Hound of the Baskervilles sets the legend of a diabolical hellhound and an old family curse against the backdrop of a moonlit moor. The short stories in this volume include such favorites as “A Scandal in Bohemia,” “The Red-Headed League,” “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” and “The Final Problem,” tales that have thrilled generations of readers with Holmes’s astounding powers of deduction.

Genres: Classics, Mystery, Fiction

925 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 14, 2020

About the author

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

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

Reviews

[Jim Teggelaar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I certainly have nothing new to say about Conan Doyle, Holmes and Watson. Hard to criticize one of the most famous creations in all literature. This is volume one of Vintage Classics brand new 2-volume set. I had to have them even though I have had many copies of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Four short novels and 56 short stories in the set. Of the novels, Hound of the Baskervilles is the masterpiece. The other three, although good, tend to be a little slow, and if there is a fault, it is that Holmes is missing from the action for far too long, leaving great holes in otherwise terrific stories. When Sherlock Holmes is one of your characters, keep him on stage! The short stories are where Conan Doyle really shines, and this new set deserves a reading, regardless of how familiar you are with the World's Greatest Detective. Thanks K.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Curious enough to keep me interested. But I wouldn’t have picked it if it weren’t for book club.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Love me some Sherlock.

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection like this is hard to review considering how large it is, as well as the mix of novels and short stories. Going into this, I was worried I wouldn't like this much as much as I've enjoyed the Sherlock adaptations and pastiches I've read already. But this was so awesome! It still holds up today, and really set the standard for what detective fiction could be: interesting characters, an intriguing mystery with unexpected resolutions. The second set of short stories were amazing, and I think better than the first set. This makes some sense since they came out later where Doyle had more experience. The novels were classic, and the Hound of the Baskervilles told it's story in an unexpected way which was really interesting. Highly recommend for any fellow Sherlockian or someone looking to try classic detective fiction.

Quick hits:
+ Sherlock and Watson at their best. Watson is such a great side character who although is meant to be the reader's gateway, stands on his own (see Hound of the Baskervilles). He's a much better side character than Hastings from Poirot.
+ The stories are varied and explore many different themes.
+ The mysteries were complex and didn't always go the expected way.
+ The volume was structured well by breaking up the novels with short stories.

I highly recommend this. I'm glad it wasn't a let down, and I've already started volume 2 with more stories I've never experienced before. I'm really looking forward to the experience!

[J O · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful book. So many different stories in one volume. It is really enjoyable to see how Dr Watson became a good detective and overcame the most dangerous and exciting adventures with his partner Sherlock Holmes.
Due to the old language it was sometimes difficult to understand the whole story and the fact that this book has more than 900 pages, it sometimes felt like reading and seeing no progress.
However, this was a good book and I look forward to reading the second volume.