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Where to start reading Sherlock Holmes

Where to start reading Sherlock Holmes

by Matt Blake and Eppie Shepherd

min read

Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes in 1887, in the midst of his career as a doctor and botanist. He was 27 when he wrote A Study in Scarlet, the debut that introduced the world to literature’s most famous detective.

Between 1887 and 1927, Conan Doyle wrote four novels and 56 short stories featuring Holmes, matching the public’s appetite for the detective stories. But whilst Holmes brought him much fame and fortune, Conan Doyle wasn’t always so fond of his creation. He even wrote to his mother in 1891: "I think of slaying Holmes... and winding him up for good and all. He takes my mind from better things." Thankfully, he had second thoughts.

Conan Doyle’s detective mysteries weren’t published chronologically and, with many of the short story collections flitting between the years, it can be tricky to read them in a strict timeline. Many Holmes fans therefore agree the best reading order is by publication date, starting with Holmes and Watson’s first case together in A Study in Scarlet, and ending with His Last Bow. What better way to experience the characters’ evolution then as Doyle’s original audience did?

Here's our take on the best way to navigate the Sherlock Holmes books in order.

What was Sherlock Holmes’ first book?

A Study in Scarlet (1887)

A Study in Scarlet is Arthur Doyle’s first novel, written in just three weeks at the age of 27. It’s often regarded as the best Sherlock Holmes book to start with, first introducing the world to Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. It's also where we learn about Watson’s disastrous war record, how he was shot in battle and how he came to be in London in need of new digs.

From the moment Holmes and Watson meet, sparks fly and a bromance begins. From there, they take their first tug at “the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life.”

Recommended reading order for the rest of Sherlock Holmes’ books

The Sign of Four (1890)

Even geniuses have their vices (especially geniuses, perhaps), and Sherlock Holmes was no exception. The second novel, The Sign of Four, introduces us to the gentleman sleuth's dependence on cocaine.

Watson, of course, hauls him over the coals for a habit that may “risk the loss of those great powers”. But soon a job comes in and they're back on London's smog-fogged streets on another adventure involving a one-legged ruffian, hidden treasure, deadly poison darts and a thrilling race along the River Thames.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892)

Time to take a break from the novels and dive into Conan Doyle's first set of short stories for a deeper understanding of Holmes' complex personality, intriguing methodologies and his sideline as a master of disguise.

The most famous story is the first, “A Scandal in Bohemia”, because it concerns the infamous opera singer Irene Adler, the closest Holmes ever comes to a love interest and the first character in the canon with the brainpower to outwit Holmes himself.
“The Speckled Band” is wonderful (and the one Conan Doyle himself said was his favourite), “The Engineer's Thumb” is a rollicker and “The Copper Beaches” is mind-frayingly mysterious. But actually, there are no duds in this collection, through which Holmes never fails to deliver.

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894)

If you only read one story in this second collection, it has to be the last one, “The Final Problem”, because it introduces us to Professor Moriarty, Holmes' arch-nemesis. Or, as Holmes calls him, “the Napoleon of crime”.

Truth be told, by 1894, Conan Doyle had grown “weary” of his albatross sleuth, whom he once likened to “pate de foie gras”: “I once ate too much, so that the name of it gives me a sickly feeling to this day.”

So he concocted Moriarty as a simple device: to kill Holmes off. Cue a nefarious plot for world domination, a hot-tail through Europe culminating in a fatal tussle at the infamous Reichenbach Falls. It's also where – and this is important for Enola Holmes viewers – we first meet Holmes' cleverer brother Mycroft.

The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905)

Conan Doyle couldn't keep Holmes dead for long. There was an uproar from fans across Britain, so the author wearily reanimated his pipe-smoking cash cow. And here's where we learn about Holmes' dab hand at the Japanese martial art of baritsu, which is how he dispatched Moriarty to his watery doom.

By “The Norwood Builder” (the second story in the collection) Holmes and Watson are up to their old tricks again, cracking encoded messages, freeing kidnapped heirs, investigating harpooned sea captains and finding famous pearls inside Napoleonic statues.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1901-1902)

Many would argue The Hound of The Baskervilles is Conan Doyle’s best novel, and it’s certainly the most famous. Holmes and Watson are dispatched to investigate the sudden death of Sir Charles Baskerville on the estate of his ancestral pile on the mist-shrouded moorland of Dartmoor.

What begins as a mysterious case of supernatural murder turns into a race against time to save Sir Charles' heir from the same fate. As the story unfolds, they must solve the riddle of an ancient curse, hunt down a phantom hound, and stay vigilant against an escaped convict hiding out in the wilderness.

The Valley of Fear (1914-1915)

Conan Doyle’s seventh publication is probably the least well-known of all the Holmes books, but it's still a doozy that takes us back to a time before Moriarty's death plunge. When a corpse is found with its head blown to pieces, Holmes and Watson must piece together a strange set of clues, involving a weird note, a bloody footprint and a missing dumb-bell.

Of course, Holmes solves the case with nothing more than Watson's umbrella. But there's more: was his old foe involved? Suddenly they're back on a cat-and-mouse chase, hot on the tail of Moriarty and his goons.

His Last Bow (1917)

This is the last book in the chronology of Holmes and Watson (though The Casebook... was published later, it is set in the past). Holmes is getting a bit creaky in the old joints now (arthritis), but his mind is no less supple.

In “The Cardboard Box”, we finally learn about Holmes' passion for the violin (a theme amped up far higher in the movies), Paganini in particular, and how he bought his Stradivarius.

But it's not until the eponymous final tale that Conan Doyle takes us out of our comfort zones, away from Victorian London and into the murky world of British intelligence during the First World War. Befitting of Conan Doyle's taste for shock endings, Holmes' great (and actual) finale, becomes more a spy story than a detective one. And there ends the duo's epic friendship.

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1927)

By the time Conan Doyle got round to his final collection, he had clearly had it up to his moustache with Holmes. The last of his short stories are pretty straightforward riddle-solving capers, mostly set back in Victorian London, though not really fixed to any particular chronological moment.

But for anyone in a hurry, the most interesting of the 12 are “The Blanched Soldier” and “The Lion's Mane” because they are the first time Conan Doyle breaks protocol and allows Holmes himself to narrate proceedings.

“The Lion's Mane” is particularly worth a stab as it's set after Holmes' retirement, where we learn he has swapped his houndstooth cap for a beekeeper's bonnet, tending bees and flowers in a coastal Sussex cottage. Still, if we've learned anything from Conan Doyle, it is that mystery is a stubborn mistress, and wherever Holmes goes, she's never far behind.

Frequently asked questions

Is it important to read the Sherlock Holmes books in order?

It isn’t essential to follow chronological or publication order when reading Sherlock Holmes. Most of the stories stand alone in their greatness, and can be enjoyed in any sequence. However, some readers prefer to begin with the first two novels, A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four, to see how Holmes and Watson first met and how their friendship blossomed.

The only real exceptions, and the stories you should read in order, are “The Final Problem” and “The Adventure of the Empty House”, which directly connect our favourite detective’s mysterious disappearance and subsequent return.

But if you’re looking to dip your toes into the world of Holmes and Watson without committing to the full collection, we recommend starting with The Hound of Baskervilles, often voted the best Holmes story.

Are Arthur Conan Doyle’s short stories or novels better to begin with?

If you’re new to Sherlock Holmes, the short stories – especially those in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – are a great first step. They’re fast-paced, tightly plotted mysteries, often just 20 to 30 pages long, that throw you straight into Holmes’s world without the time commitment of a full-length novel.

Within a few cases, you’ll have met the full force of Holmes’ deductive flair, seen Watson’s loyal narration at work, and sampled a variety of mysteries that will inspire you to read on.

With that said, if you’re committed to discovering Conan Doyle’s best works, it’s most rewarding to begin with his first book, A Study in Scarlet, going between the novels and short stories in order of publication.

What is the best Sherlock Holmes book?

There's a pretty strong argument for The Hound of the Baskervilles as Holmes' finest novel, and it’s certainly the most famous story in the canon. The narration is fast-paced, focusing on the action as it flits between different narrators, and it’s the most atmospheric of Conan Doyle’s mysteries due to its Gothic tropes: a dreary Dartmoor backdrop, a curse and a seemingly supernatural hound.

Most importantly, however, the book has a big twist and an excellent pay-off as each of the seemingly impossible occurrences are explained with Holmes’ natural flair.

What age are Sherlock Holmes books suitable for?

The Sherlock Holmes novels are generally suitable for children aged 10 and over. The original, unabridged version may be best to save for slightly older reading levels, but for young readers who love a mystery, an adapted or illustrated version offers a fun introduction to the detective.

Where to start reading Sherlock Holmes

What was Sherlock Holmes’ first book?

Recommended reading order for the rest of Sherlock Holmes’ books

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Frequently asked questions

Is it important to read the Sherlock Holmes books in order?

Are Arthur Conan Doyle’s short stories or novels better to begin with?

What is the best Sherlock Holmes book?

What age are Sherlock Holmes books suitable for?

Where to start reading the Penguin Archive collection

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