The Sign of the Four

About the book

Mary Morstan asks Sherlock Holmes to explain a sequence of anonymous pearls and a message connected with her father's disappearance. Holmes and Watson follow the invitation into a case involving a contested fortune, old obligations, and the unexpected persistence of events far from London. The investigation moves between enclosed rooms and the crowded life of the river, combining close examination with pursuit. Watson's growing personal interest in their visitor also gives the narrative a warmth distinct from Holmes's more detached concentration. Doyle lets questions about possession and deserved reward complicate the apparent simplicity of a treasure mystery. The adventure is driven by secrets crossing distances, and by the difficulty of separating the history of an object from the claims made upon it.

• Treasure and possession
• Loyalty
• The colonial past

Why read it

For a fast-moving Holmes adventure that gives Watson a personal stake in the investigation.

English text