The most famous of fictional detectives, Sherlock Holmes
first appeared in print in 1887, in stories written by the Scottish author
and physician, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes is famous for his use
of deductive reasoning to solve difficult and complex cases. Almost
all Holmes stories are told in the first-person narration of
Dr. John Watson, Holmes' closest friend and confidant.
Doyle wrote four novels and 56 short stories in the Sherlock Holmes
canon. The first Holmes tale was the novel, A Study in Scarlet,
which chronicled the meeting of Holmes and Watson and covered their
first case together. As Doyle wrote additional tales, the Sherlock Holmes
stories grew in popularity, becoming a regular feature of The
Strand Magazine. Desiring to explore other literary pursuits, Doyle
grew tired of the detective and killed off Holmes in the short story
The Final Problem. However, public acclaim and a desire for more
Holmes stories eventually persuaded Doyle to resurrect the popular
detective, bringing him back in The Adventure of the Empty House.
Doyle's final Holmes story, His Last Bow, appeared in 1914, but
that did not end the public's fascination with Holmes and Watson. Basil
Rathbone brought the character to the silver screen in 14 movies
loosely based on Doyle's original stories. In more recent years,
Jeremy Brett played Holmes to great critical acclaim over four seasons of
the BBC series, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. In all, Holmes
has been played by over 70 actors appearing in over 200 films.
To enjoy online versions of the Sherlock Holmes short stories and novels,
select entries from the menu at the top of this page.