Reading order · 4 books · 1887 to 1915 · Set in London
Sherlock Holmes Novels in Order
The four Sherlock Holmes novels are the longer cases of the consulting detective of 221B Baker Street, told by his friend Dr Watson, from their first meeting in A Study in Scarlet to the hound on Dartmoor.
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Series facts
- Books
- 4
- Published
- 1887 to 1915
- First book
- A Study in Scarlet
- Latest
- The Valley of Fear (1915)
- Setting
- Set in London
The reading order
Every Sherlock Holmes novels book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
4 books · Set in London
- 1A Study in Scarlet1887With Sherlock HolmesDr John Watson, invalided home from Afghanistan, shares rooms in Baker Street with Sherlock Holmes, a strange young man who calls himself a consulting detective.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Sign of the Four1890With Sherlock HolmesMary Morstan, a young governess, asks Sherlock Holmes for help: for six years she has received a pearl every year from an unknown sender, and now she has been invited to a meeting.Buy on Amazon
- 3The Hound of the Baskervilles1902With Sherlock HolmesSir Charles Baskerville is found dead on Dartmoor, and the footprints of a gigantic hound are found nearby.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Valley of Fear1915With Sherlock HolmesA coded message warns Holmes that a man is in danger, and the man is soon found shot at his country house.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
The novels can be read in any order, but A Study in Scarlet shows how Holmes and Watson meet, and The Sign of the Four introduces Mary Morstan.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Sherlock Holmes | Dr John Watson | Mrs Hudson | Inspector Lestrade | The Baker Street Irregulars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 A Study in Scarlet | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 2 The Sign of the Four | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 3 The Hound of the Baskervilles | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | |
| 4 The Valley of Fear | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Sherlock Holmes novels books
8 characters from Arthur Conan Doyle’s chart, with the number of Sherlock Holmes novels books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Sherlock HolmesConsulting detective | 4 | A Study in Scarlet 1887 |
| Dr John WatsonArmy doctor, Holmes’s friend and chronicler | 4 | A Study in Scarlet 1887 |
| Mrs HudsonLandlady at 221B Baker Street | 4 | A Study in Scarlet 1887 |
| Inspector LestradeScotland Yard detective | 2 | A Study in Scarlet 1887 |
| The Baker Street IrregularsStreet children who help Holmes | 2 | A Study in Scarlet 1887 |
| Tobias GregsonScotland Yard detective | 1 | A Study in Scarlet 1887 |
| Mary MorstanGoverness who becomes Watson’s wife | 1 | The Sign of the Four 1890 |
| Professor MoriartyCriminal mastermind | 1 | The Valley of Fear 1915 |
Crossovers with Arthur Conan Doyle’s other series
- Sherlock Holmes stories: Sherlock Holmes also appears in 5 of its books