Introduction:
When it comes to discussing Sherlock Holmes, I don't think we can capture his brilliant and extraordinary skill in a few words. His way of deduction makes him unique, unpredictable, and awesome. "The Complete Novels of Sherlock Holmes" contains all the four novels of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle which are, 'A Study in Scarlet', 'The Sign of Four', 'The Hound of Baskervilles' and 'The Valley of Fear'. Let me tell you, these all are written brilliantly. The strategy of Sherlock Holmes, by which he solves the crimes and catches the culprits, just amazes the readers.
Summary of the Book:
The financial crisis has made consulting detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who has a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of London, share a room at No. 221B, Baker Street, London. They both team up to solve the mysteries of murders. The way Sherlock Holmes thinks, the way he observes every little detail regarding the crime fascinates Dr. Watson. He had never met such a brilliant man in his entire life. The tiny details which could have been missed by us would never be missed by our brilliant Sherlock Holmes. He is great at playing the violin. His immense knowledge in his field makes him one of the best detectives. He can differentiate between the ashes of various tobaccos and he uses drugs such as cocaine and morphine in the absence of challenging cases.
All the stories are explained from Dr. Watson’s point of view. In the first part of 'A Study in Scarlet', we get to know about the murder and the clues from which Sherlock Holmes captures the antagonist through his deduction skills, and in the second part, a flashback is given about the life of the antagonist.
In 'The Sign of Four', we are introduced to Mary Morstan, whose father disappeared ten years ago. But after four years of his father’s disappearance, she has been receiving a very large and lustrous pearl every year in a box that doesn’t contain any information about the sender; and recently she has received a fascinating invitation to see her anonymous donor, and she invites Holmes and Watson to join her. If you are interested to know more about that mysterious and helpful sender, you need to read the book.
In 'The Hound of Baskervilles', the plot revolves around a claimed curse on the Baskerville family, which is related to a hound, and the mysterious deaths that take place in Devonshire. Now, Dr. James Mortimer has requested the help of Sherlock Holmes to solve the mystery behind the recent deaths.
‘The Valley of Fear’ tells us the story of a strange murder in Birlstone, which is a beautiful countryside in England. The mysterious death of John Douglas of Birlstone Manor House has raised numerous questions and this story is far more dramatic than any of the previous Sherlock Holmes stories. I was blown away by the story's two tipping points, which are almost like two unique climaxes. The first is when the charismatic detective solves the mystery, and the second is when the flashback story comes into the picture.
Conclusion:
All four stories are thrilling, mind-blowing, and need your attention towards every tiny detail given by the writer. Among all the four stories, I loved ‘The Valley of Fear’ from the core of my heart. I was just speechless after finishing that particular story. The tone of the book is very formal and the book contains vocabulary which is a little bit difficult to understand. I would like to rate this book 9 out of 10. If you are a crime thriller lover, this book is worthy of your time. Its intriguing story line and Sherlock Holmes won't let you leave before finishing the book.
Happy Reading!!
