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Undoubtedly the best-known detective in literature, Sherlock Holmes was the creation of British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), who endowed his super sleuth with an extraordinary facility for solving crimes. Drawing on his remarkable powers of observation and deduction, coupled with an encyclopedic knowledge of crimes and criminals, Holmes seeks out his prey in the London underworld, where no evildoer is safe from his keen wits and tenacious pursuit. Reprinted from a standard text, this inexpensive volume offers mystery lovers a choice selection of six of the finest Sherlock Holmes stories: "A Scandal in Bohemia," "The Red-headed League," "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb," "The Final Problem," and "The Adventure of the Empty House." In these richly atmospheric stories, Victorian London comes vividly to life as hansom cabs clatter over the cobblestoned streets, gas lamps flare in the thick fog, and an almost palpable sense of excitement seizes the reader as Holmes and Dr. Watson set off on another adventure.… (more)
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But people who read these six stories as their only exposure to Sherlock Holmes are missing out on Doyle's best.
Doyle does better when he has the free reign of an entire
The six stories in this collection are more straightforward, and in the case of "The Red-Headed League" a bit predictable, than Doyle's longer works.
That being said, these short stories are perfect for one-sitting reads. Each can be finished in little more than half an hour.
Read "The Red-Headed League" first, followed by "Engineer's Thumb," "Scandal in Bohemia," "Final Solution," "Empty House" and "Speckled Band" for the best effect.