The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes

What It's About

This is the fourth and final collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories, gathering twelve tales originally published in The Strand Magazine between 1921 and 1927. Most are narrated by Dr. Watson in the familiar style, though a couple are told directly by Holmes himself. The cases range from blackmail and burglary to more unusual puzzles, closing out the Holmes canon that began nearly forty years earlier with A Study in Scarlet.

Key Concepts

Written late in Doyle's career, these stories show a shift in tone from the earlier collections: darker, more experimental, and occasionally touching on ideas closer to horror or early science fiction, as in "The Adventure of the Creeping Man." Critics have generally judged the collection uneven compared to Doyle's earlier Holmes work, and one story in particular, "The Adventure of the Three Gables," has drawn criticism for its racist depiction of a Black character, a point worth being aware of going in.

About the Author

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was a British writer and physician, born in Edinburgh and trained in medicine at the University of Edinburgh. He worked as a doctor before turning to writing full-time, and was knighted in 1902.