Sherlock Holmes Stories in Order
The five collections of Sherlock Holmes stories contain fifty-six short cases, from A Scandal in Bohemia and The Speckled Band to Holmes’s apparent death at the Reichenbach Falls and his return.
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Series facts
- Books
- 5
- Published
- 1892 to 1927
- First book
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
- Latest
- The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1927)
- Setting
- Set in London
The reading order
Every Sherlock Holmes stories book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
- 1The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes1892With Sherlock HolmesThe first collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, twelve cases including A Scandal in Bohemia, The Red-Headed League and The Speckled Band.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes1894With Sherlock HolmesThe second collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, including Silver Blaze and The Greek Interpreter, and ending with The Final Problem, Holmes’s struggle with Professor Moriarty.Buy on Amazon
- 3The Return of Sherlock Holmes1905With Sherlock HolmesThree years after his apparent death, Sherlock Holmes returns to London in The Empty House, and resumes his work in thirteen new cases.Buy on Amazon
- 4His Last Bow1917With Sherlock HolmesA collection of later Sherlock Holmes stories, ending with His Last Bow, set on the eve of the First World War, when Holmes comes out of retirement to catch a German spy.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes1927With Sherlock HolmesThe final collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, published in 1927, including The Illustrious Client and The Lion’s Mane.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read the collections in order: The Adventures, The Memoirs, The Return, His Last Bow and The Case-Book. The Memoirs ends with The Final Problem, and The Return begins with Holmes coming back.
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 | Mycroft Holmes | Tobias Gregson | Professor Moriarty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 2 The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 3 The Return of Sherlock Holmes | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 4 His Last Bow | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 5 The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Sherlock Holmes stories books
10 characters from Arthur Conan Doyle’s chart, with the number of Sherlock Holmes stories books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Sherlock HolmesConsulting detective | 5 | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1892 |
| Dr John WatsonArmy doctor, Holmes’s friend and chronicler | 5 | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1892 |
| Mrs HudsonLandlady at 221B Baker Street | 5 | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1892 |
| Inspector LestradeScotland Yard detective | 5 | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1892 |
| Mycroft HolmesSherlock’s older brother, who works for the government | 3 | The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes 1894 |
| Tobias GregsonScotland Yard detective | 2 | The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes 1894 |
| Professor MoriartyCriminal mastermind | 2 | The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes 1894 |
| Mary MorstanGoverness who becomes Watson’s wife | 1 | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1892 |
| Irene AdlerAmerican opera singer, always “the woman” to Holmes | 1 | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1892 |
| Sebastian MoranMoriarty’s chief of staff | 1 | The Return of Sherlock Holmes 1905 |
Crossovers with Arthur Conan Doyle’s other series
- Sherlock Holmes novels: Sherlock Holmes also appears in 4 of its books