Sherlock Holmes (9)

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever

remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

The following books will introduce you to Sherlock Holmes, who said these words in Conan Doyle's The Sign of Four.

To order a book, or for more information, follow the book title links under each category to Amazon.com, then return home to browse other characters.

A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four. Berkeley Books, 1994.
- Originally published in 1887, A Study in Scarlet introduced Holmes to the world, and Holmes and Watson to each other. The Sign of Four was one of the cases that showed Holmes's deductive powers to their best advantage.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Berkeley Books, 1994.
- The first, and perhaps best, of the Holmes story collections. Includes "A Scandal in Bohemia," "The Red-Headed League," "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," and others.
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Oxford, 1994.
- Includes "The Resident Patient," "The Greek Interpreter," and two cases from his youth, "The 'Gloria Scott'" and "The Musgrave Ritual." This volume concludes spectacularly with Holmes seemingly fatal confrontation with Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls.
The Hound of the Baskervilles. Berkeley Books, 1993.
- The master detective's most famous case, chasing down the "Hound of Hell" on the moors.
The Return of Sherlock Holmes. Oxford, 1994.
- Holmes reappears and Watson faints in "The Adventure of the Empty House." Also wonderful are "The Adventure of the Dancing Men" and "The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist."
The Valley of Fear. Oxford, 1994.
- The fourth of the Holmes novels, set in an eerie Sussex manor house.
His Last Bow. Oxford, 1994.
- In his last case, Holmes turns from detective to spy on the eve of World War I. This book also includes "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" and others.

The Annotated Sherlock Holmes (William S. Baring-Gould, Ed.). Clarkson & Potter, 1967.
- This hefty volume is out of print, but still the best single source for Holmes fans. Beautifully designed, its comprehensive articles, notes, illustrations, film photos, maps, and bibliography enhance the Sherlockian experience each time one dips into its treasures. A 1992 reprint edition is also out of print, but remainders are still available. The original slipcased edition is worth searching for.
Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories (Vol. 1). Bantam Classic, 1986.
Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories (Vol. 2). Bantam Classic, 1986.
- The complete Holmes is portable in this 2-vol. paperback set.

Bunson, Matthew E. Encyclopedia Sherlockiana: The Complete A-to-Z Guide to the World of the Great Detective. Macmillan, 1994.
Park, Orlando. The Sherlock Holmes Encyclopedia. Citadel Press, 1990.
- A handy paperback reference, smaller than Bunson's, but full of arcane facts about the cases, characters, and clues.
Starrett, Vincent. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. Haskell House, 1970.
- Reprint of Starrett's 1933 gem, the most renowned of the Holmes "biographies." (An inexpensive paperback reprint published by Otto Penzler, 1993, is no longer available, unfortunately.)