Books by Arthur Conan Doyle

This is my favorite among the four Sherlock Holmes full-length novels. It follows the structure of "A Study in Scarlet" where, aside from the investigation of a crime in the present, there is a lengthy flashback providing greater insight into the reasons behind the mystery. The story within the story is set in coal mines in Pennsylvania and is a thriller with a twist at the end. There are some inconsistencies in the story, particularly with regard to Professor Moriarty, but overall I would rate it excellent.

Tags: mystery thriller

This is the first Sherlock Holmes novel with the story structure of an investigation in the present time and an older moving story that explains the current mystery. The latter is set inside the Mormon community in the United States. Overall, a good start to the Holmes series.

Tags: mystery

Yes, I know this is supposed to be the best and most popular of the Sherlock Holmes novels, but for some reason, the investigation, the discoveries and final outcome have never been satisfactory for me. Unlike the other novels, there is also no long flashback. And since this is a detective novel, not one on ghosts or spirits, the final revelation of the real nature behind the hound was always going to be disappointing.

Tags: mystery thriller

I felt that this was the weakest of the Sherlock Holmes novels because of the poor flashback story set in the Andamans (India) and the uninteresting Holmes investigation. Read it only if you want to complete the Sherlock Holmes series.

Tags: mystery