Sherlock Holmes Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide

Few fictional characters have become as recognizable as Sherlock Holmes.

The deerstalker hat, curved pipe, Baker Street address, Dr. Watson, the brilliant deductions, and the famous phrase “Elementary, my dear Watson” have become part of popular culture. But if you’re discovering the original books, there is one surprisingly confusing question:

What is the correct order to read the Sherlock Holmes books?

The answer isn’t quite as simple as putting a list of titles in chronological order.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original Sherlock Holmes canon consists of 4 novels and 56 short stories, published between 1887 and 1927. The stories were later gathered into five major collections: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow, and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.

There is also an important wrinkle: the order in which Conan Doyle published the stories isn’t always the same as the chronological order of Holmes’s cases.

For most readers, however, the best way to experience Sherlock Holmes is publication order. That’s the order this guide follows.

It lets you watch Holmes and Watson’s relationship develop naturally, experience the famous Moriarty storyline at the right point, and see how Conan Doyle’s writing and his approach to Holmes changed over four decades.

Sherlock Holmes Books in Order at a Glance

If you just want the answer, here is the recommended publication order for the complete Sherlock Holmes canon:

1. A Study in Scarlet (1887)
2. The Sign of Four (1890)
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892)
4. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894)
5. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902)
6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905)
7. The Valley of Fear (1915)
8. His Last Bow (1917)
9. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1927)

That’s the simplest reading order if you’re buying the books as individual volumes.

But there is much more to it.

The four novels are:

• A Study in Scarlet
• The Sign of Four
• The Hound of the Baskervilles
• The Valley of Fear

The 56 short stories are distributed among the five collections.

How Many Sherlock Holmes Books Are There?

This is one of the most common questions, because different websites and publishers sometimes count them differently.

The traditional Sherlock Holmes canon contains 60 works:

• 4 novels
• 56 short stories

Together, they were written by Arthur Conan Doyle between 1887 and 1927.

The five major short-story collections are:

1. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
2. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
3. The Return of Sherlock Holmes
4. His Last Bow
5. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes

Some scholars also discuss two additional Holmes-related short works, “The Field Bazaar” and “How Watson Learned the Trick,” which can bring the total to 58 short works rather than the traditional 56. They were not included in the original five canonical story collections, which is why most complete-canon lists still use the 56-story figure.

So when you see “60 Sherlock Holmes stories and books”, “4 novels and 56 stories,” or occasionally “58 stories,” the difference usually comes from how those two additional pieces are counted.

For this guide, we’re using the traditional 4 novels + 56 short stories canon.

1. A Study in Scarlet (1887)

First Sherlock Holmes book

If you want to start Sherlock Holmes from the very beginning, this is the book to read.

A Study in Scarlet introduces Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson for the first time.

Watson has returned to London after serving as an army doctor in Afghanistan and is looking for somewhere to live. Through an acquaintance, he meets the eccentric Holmes, who is looking for a roommate at 221B Baker Street.

The two men quickly discover that their new living arrangement is about to become much more interesting than either expected.

A mysterious murder brings Holmes his first major case.

The victim is found dead with no obvious explanation, and the word “RACHE” is written in blood at the crime scene.

Holmes begins examining evidence in his unusual way, relying on observation, deduction, scientific knowledge, and an almost unnerving ability to notice details other people overlook.

This is where readers first see the Holmes-Watson partnership that would become one of the most famous relationships in detective fiction.

The novel was published in 1887 and is widely recognized as Holmes’s first appearance. Penguin also recommends it as the natural starting point because it introduces both Holmes and Watson and establishes their relationship.

Why read it first?

Because this is where everything begins.

You meet:

• Sherlock Holmes
• Dr. John Watson
• 221B Baker Street
• Holmes’s deductive method
• Watson as narrator
• the basic Holmes-Watson friendship

One warning for modern readers: the second half of the novel moves away from London into a lengthy historical backstory. If you’re expecting a nonstop Holmes investigation, that shift can feel surprising.

Still, if you’re reading the canon in order, don’t skip it.

2. The Sign of Four (1890)

The second Sherlock Holmes novel is The Sign of Four, sometimes printed as The Sign of the Four.

This case introduces readers to a different side of Holmes and Watson.

A young woman named Mary Morstan comes to Baker Street with a strange mystery involving her missing father, an annual package of pearls, and an unexplained message.

Holmes and Watson investigate a case involving:

• hidden treasure
• murder
• a mysterious pact
• a dangerous criminal
• London waterways
• and a thrilling chase along the Thames

It also gives Watson a more personal storyline.

The novel is important because it develops the Holmes-Watson relationship beyond simply being detective and narrator. Watson’s interest in Mary Morstan also introduces romance into his life.

Penguin notes that The Sign of Four is the second Holmes novel and highlights its treasure mystery, murder investigation, and pursuit along the River Thames.

Why it matters

If A Study in Scarlet introduces Holmes and Watson, The Sign of Four begins showing what their partnership can really become.

3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892)

Now we get to what many readers consider the classic Sherlock Holmes experience.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes contains 12 short stories, originally published in The Strand Magazine between 1891 and 1892.

The stories are:

1. A Scandal in Bohemia
2. The Red-Headed League
3. A Case of Identity
4. The Boscombe Valley Mystery
5. The Five Orange Pips
6. The Man with the Twisted Lip
7. The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
8. The Adventure of the Speckled Band
9. The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb
10. The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
11. The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
12. The Adventure of the Copper Beeches

This collection is arguably the best introduction to the basic Sherlock Holmes formula.

Instead of one long mystery, you get twelve different cases.

Some involve murder.

Some involve theft.

Some involve blackmail.

Some involve missing people.

And some are simply strange.

A Scandal in Bohemia

The opening story introduces Irene Adler, one of the most famous women in the Holmes canon.

She is particularly memorable because Holmes does not simply overpower her intellectually. She manages to stay one step ahead of him.

This is also the story that gave readers one of the most enduring impressions of Irene Adler as “the woman.”

The Red-Headed League

A bizarre organization offers a red-haired Londoner an unusually easy job with excellent pay.

Then, without warning, the organization disappears.

Holmes quickly realizes that something much larger is happening.

The Speckled Band

A young woman comes to Holmes after a frightening event involving her sister’s death.

This is one of the most famous Holmes mysteries, and Conan Doyle himself considered it one of his best. Penguin notes that it was also the author’s favorite among the Holmes stories.

Why this collection matters

If someone asks:

“What does a classic Sherlock Holmes mystery actually feel like?”

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is probably the best answer.

4. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894)

The second major short-story collection is The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.

It contains 11 stories.

The stories are:

1. The Adventure of Silver Blaze
2. The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
3. The Adventure of the Yellow Face
4. The Adventure of the Stock-Broker’s Clerk
5. The Adventure of the Gloria Scott
6. The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual
7. The Adventure of the Reigate Squire
8. The Adventure of the Crooked Man
9. The Adventure of the Resident Patient
10. The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter
11. The Adventure of the Naval Treaty
12. The Adventure of the Final Problem

You may notice something strange here: some modern lists count 12 titles in the collection, while the traditional 56-story calculation gives The Memoirs 11 stories because “The Adventure of the Cardboard Box” has a complicated publication/collection history and was omitted from some original editions.

This is one reason Holmes bibliographies can be confusing.

For the individual stories, the Conan Doyle Collection lists the sequence including “The Cardboard Box,” while modern canonical references may differ in how it is categorized.

The Final Problem

The final story is the important one.

“The Adventure of the Final Problem” introduces Professor James Moriarty, Holmes’s most famous intellectual enemy.

Moriarty is described as a criminal mastermind capable of operating behind an enormous network of crime.

Holmes finally meets an opponent who can genuinely match him.

The story ends at Reichenbach Falls.

And, for the first time, readers are led to believe that Sherlock Holmes is dead.

This becomes one of the most important turning points in the entire canon.

Penguin identifies “The Final Problem” as the story that introduces Moriarty and explains how Doyle used the character to bring Holmes’s apparent story to an end.

5. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902)

Now comes the most famous Sherlock Holmes novel.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a Gothic mystery set largely on the atmospheric Dartmoor landscape.

A mysterious legend surrounds the Baskerville family.

According to the story, a gigantic supernatural hound has haunted the family for generations.

When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead, apparently under mysterious circumstances, suspicion turns toward the ancient curse.

Holmes and Watson must determine whether the supernatural explanation is real—or whether a human being is using the legend to conceal a much more ordinary crime.

The novel contains:

• an isolated estate
• a family curse
• a mysterious death
• a strange hound
• Dartmoor
• an escaped convict
• secret identities
• scientific investigation
• and one of Holmes’s most memorable cases

It was serialized in 1901–1902.

Is The Hound of the Baskervilles the best Sherlock Holmes book?

For many readers, yes.

Penguin calls it arguably Conan Doyle’s best and most famous Holmes novel, particularly praising its atmosphere, Gothic elements, mystery, and payoff.

An important reading-order detail

Although it was published after The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, the events of The Hound of the Baskervilles are generally placed before Holmes’s apparent death at Reichenbach Falls.

That’s why publication order and story chronology are not identical.

6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905)

Holmes is back.

And this is one of the most satisfying moments in the entire series.

The Return of Sherlock Holmes contains 13 stories and begins with:

The Adventure of the Empty House

Watson believes Holmes is dead.

Then something extraordinary happens.

Holmes returns.

The story explains how he survived the confrontation with Moriarty and what he did during his absence.

This is also where readers encounter Holmes’s famous use of baritsu, the martial art he says helped him survive his confrontation with Moriarty.

The collection continues with:

1. The Adventure of the Empty House
2. The Adventure of the Norwood Builder
3. The Adventure of the Dancing Men
4. The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist
5. The Adventure of the Priory School
6. The Adventure of Black Peter
7. The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton
8. The Adventure of the Six Napoleons
9. The Adventure of the Three Students
10. The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez
11. The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter
12. The Adventure of the Abbey Grange
13. The Adventure of the Second Stain

These stories were published in The Strand Magazine between 1903 and 1905.

Why this collection is important

Holmes is no longer simply the young, eccentric consulting detective introduced in the early stories.

He has become a legend.

And now readers get to see what happens when that legend returns.

7. The Valley of Fear (1915)

The fourth and final Sherlock Holmes novel is The Valley of Fear.

It was published in 1914–1915.

The story begins with a mysterious message and a gruesome murder.

Holmes must decipher the clues surrounding the death and determine what connection the crime has to Professor Moriarty.

Like A Study in Scarlet, the novel eventually moves away from the immediate Holmes investigation and gives readers an extended story explaining the background behind the crime.

This structure makes The Valley of Fear somewhat unusual compared with the shorter Holmes mysteries.

The Conan Doyle Collection dates the novel to 1914–1915.

Should you read it before or after The Return of Sherlock Holmes?

For publication order, read it after The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

For internal chronology, the situation is more complicated because the case takes place before Holmes’s confrontation with Moriarty.

That’s exactly why a strict chronological reading of the canon can become confusing.

8. His Last Bow (1917)

His Last Bow is the fourth major collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories.

It contains 8 stories.

They are:

1. The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge
2. The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
3. The Adventure of the Red Circle
4. The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans
5. The Adventure of the Dying Detective
6. The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax
7. The Adventure of the Devil’s Foot
8. His Last Bow

The stories were published at different times, from 1908 through 1917.

The title story is particularly interesting because it moves Holmes away from his usual London detective work.

The First World War has begun, and Holmes is involved in British intelligence.

It feels less like a traditional murder mystery and more like an espionage story.

Penguin describes His Last Bow as the last book in the chronology of Holmes and Watson, while noting that The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes was published later but contains stories set at earlier points in Holmes’s life.

That distinction is extremely useful when deciding how to read the canon.

9. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1927)

This is the final Sherlock Holmes collection published by Arthur Conan Doyle.

It contains the final group of Holmes stories and was published in 1927.

The 12 stories are:

1. The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone
2. The Problem of Thor Bridge
3. The Adventure of the Creeping Man
4. The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire
5. The Adventure of the Three Garridebs
6. The Adventure of the Illustrious Client
7. The Adventure of the Three Gables
8. The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier
9. The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane
10. The Adventure of the Retired Colourman
11. The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger
12. The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place

The Conan Doyle Collection lists these as the stories that became The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.

Two stories are particularly unusual.

The Blanched Soldier

Holmes himself narrates the case.

That is a major departure from the traditional format because Watson normally tells the Holmes stories.

The Lion’s Mane

Holmes also narrates this story himself.

It takes place after his retirement, when he is living in Sussex and keeping bees.

So while The Case-Book was published last, its stories don’t necessarily represent Holmes’s final chronological cases.

The Complete Sherlock Holmes Reading Order

For readers who want the simplest possible answer, follow this order:

The Novels and Collections

1. A Study in Scarlet (1887)
The first meeting between Holmes and Watson.

2. The Sign of Four (1890)
A mystery involving Mary Morstan, treasure, murder, and the Thames.

3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892)
12 classic short mysteries, including Irene Adler and “The Speckled Band.”

4. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894)
Includes “The Final Problem” and the first appearance of Moriarty.

5. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902)
The famous Dartmoor mystery involving the supernatural hound.

6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905)
Holmes returns after his apparent death.

7. The Valley of Fear (1915)
The final Holmes novel.

8. His Last Bow (1917)
Eight later Holmes adventures, including the wartime title story.

9. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1927)
The final collection of Conan Doyle’s Holmes stories.

This publication-order sequence is also the approach recommended by Penguin for readers who want to experience the development of Holmes and Watson as Conan Doyle’s original readers did.

Should You Read Sherlock Holmes in Publication Order or Chronological Order?

This is where many Sherlock Holmes reading guides become confusing.

There are actually two reasonable approaches.

Publication order

This means reading the books in the order Conan Doyle published them:

A Study in Scarlet → The Sign of Four → The Adventures → The Memoirs → The Hound of the Baskervilles → The Return → The Valley of Fear → His Last Bow → The Case-Book

This is the order I recommend.

Why?

Because this is how the character developed for real-world readers.

You experience:

• Holmes and Watson meeting
• their friendship developing
• Holmes becoming famous
• Moriarty appearing
• Holmes apparently dying
• Holmes returning
• the later cases
• Holmes’s retirement

It also prevents you from having to constantly jump between books because a particular story is technically set earlier.

What About Chronological Order?

A chronological reading order tries to arrange the cases according to when they happened in Holmes’s fictional life, rather than when Conan Doyle published them.

The problem is that the chronology is not perfectly straightforward.

Some stories are explicitly presented as old cases from Holmes’s past.

Others were published much later but are set before events that readers already know.

The Valley of Fear, for example, was published in 1915 but takes place before Holmes’s confrontation with Moriarty.

The Hound of the Baskervilles was published after The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, yet its events are generally placed before the Reichenbach incident.

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes was published in 1927, but many of its cases are not Holmes’s final chronological adventures.

So if you’re reading Sherlock Holmes for the first time, publication order is much less confusing.

What Is the Best Sherlock Holmes Book to Start With?

It depends on what you want.

Best starting point for beginners: A Study in Scarlet

If you want to understand where everything began, start here.

You’ll meet Holmes and Watson for the first time and see the foundations of their relationship.

Best short-story collection: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

If you want the classic Holmes experience without committing to a novel, start here.

It contains 12 relatively short mysteries and introduces many of the characteristics that made Holmes famous.

Best single Sherlock Holmes novel: The Hound of the Baskervilles

If someone tells you to read just one Sherlock Holmes book, this is probably the safest recommendation.

It combines detective fiction with Gothic atmosphere, suspense, an isolated setting, a mysterious family history, and one of Holmes’s most memorable investigations.

Penguin similarly highlights it as arguably Conan Doyle’s finest and most famous Holmes novel.

Best Moriarty story: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

Read this collection for “The Final Problem.”

It introduces Moriarty and creates one of the most famous moments in detective fiction.

Best Holmes comeback: The Return of Sherlock Holmes

Read this if you want to experience the extraordinary moment when Holmes returns after his apparent death.

What Is the First Sherlock Holmes Story?

Technically, the first Sherlock Holmes work is A Study in Scarlet, published in 1887.

It first appeared in Beeton’s Christmas Annual and introduced both Holmes and Watson.

So if someone asks:

“Where should I start reading Sherlock Holmes?”

The simplest answer is:

Start with A Study in Scarlet.

What Is the Last Sherlock Holmes Book?

The last major Sherlock Holmes collection published by Conan Doyle was:

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1927).

However, that doesn’t mean every story in it takes place at the very end of Holmes’s fictional career.

That’s an important distinction.

Last published collection: The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes

Last chronological collection: not quite the same thing.

His Last Bow is often treated as the final chronological stage of the Holmes-Watson partnership, while The Case-Book contains cases that can occur earlier in Holmes’s career.

Sherlock Holmes Books vs. Sherlock Holmes Stories

Another reason people get confused is that not every Sherlock Holmes “book” is a novel.

Only four are full-length novels:

1. A Study in Scarlet
2. The Sign of Four
3. The Hound of the Baskervilles
4. The Valley of Fear

The remaining 56 canonical works are short stories.

Those stories were later grouped into collections.

So when someone says “the Sherlock Holmes books,” they may mean either:

• the four novels, or
• the complete canon of four novels and 56 short stories.

For a complete reading experience, you want all of them.

The Five Sherlock Holmes Short-Story Collections

Here’s the short version:

The exact counting of individual stories can vary because of publication and collection history, particularly around “The Adventure of the Cardboard Box.” The traditional canon is still 56 short stories.

The Most Important Sherlock Holmes Stories to Know

You don’t necessarily have to read all 56 stories immediately to understand why Sherlock Holmes became such an important literary character.

If you’re short on time, these are some of the stories worth prioritizing:

“A Scandal in Bohemia”

For Irene Adler and one of Holmes’s most famous encounters.

“The Red-Headed League”

For a wonderfully strange mystery and classic Holmes deduction.

“The Five Orange Pips”

For a darker case involving a mysterious warning.

“The Speckled Band”

For one of the most famous Holmes mysteries.

“The Musgrave Ritual”

For an early Holmes case and an unusual historical puzzle.

“The Greek Interpreter”

For the introduction of Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s older brother.

“The Final Problem”

For Professor Moriarty and the Reichenbach Falls.

“The Empty House”

For Holmes’s return.

“The Dancing Men”

For one of Holmes’s famous code-breaking cases.

“Charles Augustus Milverton”

For one of the more morally complicated Holmes stories.

“The Bruce-Partington Plans”

For Holmes operating in a national-security setting.

“His Last Bow”

For Holmes’s wartime intelligence mission.

“The Blanched Soldier”

For Holmes narrating his own case.

“The Lion’s Mane”

For retired Holmes investigating a mystery in Sussex.

Who Is Sherlock Holmes?

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional consulting detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Unlike an ordinary police detective, Holmes is called upon when a case seems particularly difficult.

His method is based heavily on:

• observation
• deduction
• forensic reasoning
• scientific knowledge
• examination of physical evidence
• knowledge of human behavior
• disguise
• logical inference

Dr. John Watson acts as Holmes’s friend, companion, medical expert, and narrator for most of the stories.

Watson’s role is particularly important because readers generally experience Holmes’s brilliance through Watson’s eyes.

Watson doesn’t always understand how Holmes reaches a conclusion.

Neither does the reader.

Then Holmes explains the reasoning.

That structure became one of the defining features of the detective genre.

Why Are Sherlock Holmes Books Still So Popular?

More than a century after Conan Doyle’s first Holmes story appeared, readers are still searching for Sherlock Holmes books, adaptations, reading orders, and explanations of the canon.

Why?

Because the basic appeal hasn’t really disappeared.

Holmes is intelligent without being perfect.

Watson is loyal without being merely a sidekick.

The mysteries are complicated without requiring readers to understand advanced science.

And the stories are short enough that you can read one case in a single sitting.

But there’s something else.

Holmes doesn’t simply solve crimes.

He teaches readers how to look at things differently.

A footprint, a cigarette ash, a muddy boot, a particular kind of handwriting, a missing object, or a seemingly insignificant detail can completely change the meaning of a case.

That’s the central pleasure of Sherlock Holmes.

The answer was often sitting in front of everyone.

Holmes was simply the person who knew how to see it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sherlock Holmes Books

How many Sherlock Holmes books did Arthur Conan Doyle write?

The traditional Sherlock Holmes canon consists of four novels and 56 short stories, for a total of 60 canonical works.

What is the correct order to read Sherlock Holmes?

For most readers, the best order is publication order:

1. A Study in Scarlet
2. The Sign of Four
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
4. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
5. The Hound of the Baskervilles
6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes
7. The Valley of Fear
8. His Last Bow
9. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes

Penguin also recommends publication order for readers who want to experience Holmes as Conan Doyle’s original audience did.

What was the first Sherlock Holmes book?

A Study in Scarlet, published in 1887, was the first Sherlock Holmes novel and the first appearance of Holmes and Dr. Watson.

What is the second Sherlock Holmes book?

The Sign of Four, published in 1890.

Is The Hound of the Baskervilles the first Sherlock Holmes book?

No.

It is the third Sherlock Holmes novel, but it was published after the first two novels and the first two short-story collections.

What is the most famous Sherlock Holmes book?

The Hound of the Baskervilles is arguably the most famous Holmes novel and is frequently recommended as the best standalone introduction to the character.

Is Moriarty in The Hound of the Baskervilles?

No. Moriarty’s major appearance is in “The Final Problem,” which appears in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.

Which Sherlock Holmes book introduces Moriarty?

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, specifically the story “The Final Problem.”

Which Sherlock Holmes book brings Holmes back after his death?

The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

The opening story, “The Adventure of the Empty House,” explains Holmes’s return after the Reichenbach Falls incident.

Should I read the Sherlock Holmes books in chronological order?

You can, but publication order is generally easier and is the order recommended for first-time readers.

Many stories contain references to earlier events, and some cases were written later but take place earlier in Holmes’s fictional life.

Are all Sherlock Holmes books novels?

No.

Only four are novels.

Most of the canon consists of short stories.

Can I read the Sherlock Holmes short stories separately?

Yes.

Most individual Holmes stories work as standalone mysteries.

However, some stories have direct connections, particularly “The Final Problem” and “The Adventure of the Empty House.” Penguin specifically notes that these two should be read in sequence because they deal directly with Holmes’s disappearance and return.

Should I read A Study in Scarlet before The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes?

If you’re reading the complete canon, yes.

A Study in Scarlet introduces Holmes and Watson.

Then The Sign of Four develops their partnership.

After that, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes gives you the classic short-story format.

What is the final Sherlock Holmes book?

The final published collection is The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, published in 1927.

It contains the final group of 12 stories in the traditional canon.

Final Thoughts: The Best Way to Read Sherlock Holmes

There is a reason Sherlock Holmes remains one of the most recognizable fictional detectives in history.

The character has been adapted countless times, but the original stories still have a special quality.

They are clever without being inaccessible, atmospheric without becoming too slow, and often surprisingly funny.

More importantly, the relationship between Holmes and Watson gives the mysteries a human center.

If you’re reading the books for the first time, don’t overcomplicate the order.

Start with:

A Study in Scarlet

Then read:

The Sign of Four

Move into:

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Then:

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

After that, continue with:

The Hound of the Baskervilles → The Return of Sherlock Holmes → The Valley of Fear → His Last Bow → The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes

That gives you the complete traditional Sherlock Holmes canon in publication order.

And if you’re wondering whether reading all of them is worth it, the answer is absolutely yes.

You get to watch Holmes evolve from an eccentric young consulting detective into an almost legendary figure. You see Watson become one of literature’s most recognizable narrators, Moriarty emerge as Holmes’s great intellectual adversary, Holmes disappear, return, investigate international threats, and eventually retire to a quieter life in Sussex.

Most importantly, you get to experience the original stories that created the template for so much of modern detective fiction.

So light the lamp, settle into 221B Baker Street, and let Watson tell you the story.

The game is afoot.

Written by

Emon Anam

Hi, I’m Emon. I’m the voice and heart behind Whimsy Read. After nine years in the world of banking, I followed my passion for storytelling into the world of SEO and content strategy. Now, I blend that analytical eye with a deep love for literature to bring you book reviews that are thoughtful, honest, and always focused on the stories that stay with you. When I’m not reading or writing, you’ll find me enjoying joyful chaos with my wife and three kids, getting lost in a new series, or revisiting my old loves: theater, music, and gaming. At the end of the day, I believe great books are meant to be shared, and I’m so glad you’re here to share them with me.