The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

Title: The Sign of Four

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

First Published: 1890

No. of Pages: 85

Synopsis (from B&N): "Who is sending the beautiful Miss Morstan a rare and priceless pearl each year? Holmes and Watson pursue Indian treasure and murders whose ominous trademark is "'he sign of four.'

When Sherlock Holmes is commissioned to investigate the meaning of this odd message, he and his trusted Watson have little idea of the scope of danger and intrigue they have been recruited to deal with."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: Once you've read a Sherlock Holmes story, there's not much new to say about subsequent ones. The main characters stay true but aren't fleshed-out in much more detail; but then the point of these stories isn't really character development. As a mystery, this one won't keep you up at night but will hold your interest (although if the London police were ever as inept as they're made out to be here, no crime would ever get solved). A quick and generally satisfying read.

Challenges: Baker Street; Guardian 1000 Novels ("Crime")