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Sherlock Holmes

by Arthur Conan Doyle

4 books Started 1887 Latest 1915
Publication Reading Order

The Sherlock Holmes is a Crime Fiction series by Arthur Conan Doyle, made up of 4 books published between 1887 and 1915. It begins with A Study in Scarlet (1887), and is best read in publication order. The most recent entry is The Valley of Fear (1915), spanning 28 years of storytelling.

4books
28years active
3decades
~14yrs between books
1915latest release
# Title Year Buy
1880s
1 A Study in Scarlet 1887 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
2 The Sign of the Four Search on Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
1900s
3 The Hound of the Baskervilles 1901 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
1910s
4 The Valley of FearLatest 1915 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia

Sherlock Holmes series: frequently asked questions

What order should I read the Sherlock Holmes series?

Start with A Study in Scarlet (1887), the first book in the Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle. Follow the books in publication order for the best reading experience.

How many books are in the Sherlock Holmes series?

There are 4 books in the Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle, published between 1887 and 1915.

What is the first book in the Sherlock Holmes series?

The first book in the Sherlock Holmes series is A Study in Scarlet, published in 1887 by Arthur Conan Doyle.

What is the latest book in the Sherlock Holmes series?

The most recent book in the Sherlock Holmes series is The Valley of Fear (1915) by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was a Scottish physician and writer. He is best known for his creation of the detective Sherlock Holmes, who appeared in four novels and 56 short stories. Doyle's other notable works include The Lost World (1912) and The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902). Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. After graduating, he served as a ship's surgeon and later set up a medical practice in Southsea, England. In his spare time, he began writing fiction, and his first Sherlock Holmes story, "A Study in Scarlet," was published in 1887. Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories were an immediate success, and he soon became one of the most popular writers of the Victorian era. He received numerous awards and honors, including a knighthood in 1902. Doyle's work has been translated into more than 100 languages and continues to be enjoyed by readers worldwide.

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About the Sherlock Holmes series

Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes is the most famous detective in all of fiction and the template for nearly every sleuth who followed. From 221B Baker Street, the brilliant, eccentric Holmes applies his powers of observation and deduction to baffling mysteries, narrated by his loyal friend and chronicler, Dr John Watson.

The canon — four novels and fifty-six short stories — practically invented the detective genre's furniture: the genius investigator, the everyman sidekick, the forensic clue, the dramatic reveal. Holmes himself, with his violin, his cocaine, and his nemesis Professor Moriarty, remains endlessly adaptable and endlessly imitated.

The stories largely stand alone, so you can dip in anywhere; "A Study in Scarlet" introduces Holmes and Watson, while collections like "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" hold the most beloved short cases.