A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes has become the best-known detective of all time. His cases have been converted into film and television dramas. He has popularised the early detective fiction by Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens, and has inspired writers such as Anthony Horowitz.

A Study in Scarlet is the first Sherlock Holmes story, and introduces us to our story-teller, Doctor Watson. It explains how he first meets Holmes and becomes involved in the detective's first official case.

The two men, both professionals and bachelors, become good friends. They take part in many more crime investigations, in both novel and short-story form.

A Study in Scarlet is actually two stories linked together by a series of crimes. Some took place many years before, and one final murder ties all the different characters and events together. The reader must look for all the clues which are scattered throughout the story. Most of them pass by Doctor Watson unnoticed, which allows him to ask Holmes for an explanation, in turn helping the reader along.

Review by The BoB Committee