The Hound of the Baskervilles

Story

Perhaps one of the most famous detective stories, this tale investigates the mysterious connection between a death and the howls of a hound on the moors. Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. Watson try to solve the case and discover appearances are not all they seem.

Why we chose it

A classic story featuring a master detective. Sherlock Holmes is one of the most famous detectives in literature and The Hound of the Baskervilles has everything that makes him great – an atmospheric setting, a mysterious and terrifying death, and a seemingly insoluble mystery.

Where it came from

A man of many talents, doctor, author, and journalist, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 – 1930), wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles, following a trip to Devon. Whilst there, Doyle visited Dartmoor and heard about local legends. Doyle was particularly interested in one involving a hound, which lay the ground work for this story. Conan Doyle had seemingly killed off Sherlock Holmes in his previous story. The Hound of the Baskervilles marked his return, much to the public’s delight, with the magazine’s circulation increasing so much so that seven printings were needed.

Where it went next

The Sherlock Holmes stories have been adapted and reworked many times over the years for film, television and radio from the classic Basil Rathbone films from the 1940s to the most recent television series Sherlock written by Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss which starred Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman and brought the master detective into the 21^st century.

Associated stories

The character of Sherlock Holmes appears in many more stories penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle collected into five volumes, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow and The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes.