A Study in Scarlet

by Arthur Conan Doyle

123 pages

English language

Published Nov. 21, 2005

ISBN:: 978-1-4209-2553-1

(167 reviews)

A Study in Scarlet is an 1887 detective novel by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would become the most famous detective duo in literature. The book's title derives from a speech given by Holmes, a consulting detective, to his friend and chronicler Watson on the nature of his work, in which he describes the story's murder investigation as his "study in scarlet": "There's the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it." The story, and its main characters, attracted little public interest when it first appeared. Only 11 complete copies of the magazine in which the story first appeared, Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887, are known to exist now and they have considerable value. Although Conan Doyle wrote …

8 editions

Julia_98@bookwyrm.world reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

The First Clue: My Rediscovery of Sherlock Holmes in A Study in Scarlet

5 stars

Reading A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle felt like stepping back to the very origin of one of literature’s most iconic partnerships. Published in 1887, this novel introduces both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, setting the tone for all their future adventures with a mix of sharp observation, intellectual flair, and Victorian eccentricity.

The novel is structured in two distinct parts. The first follows Dr. Watson as he meets Holmes and becomes entangled in a bizarre murder case involving a corpse found in an abandoned house with the word Rache (“revenge” in German) scrawled in blood on the wall. Holmes’ method — rational, meticulous, and dazzlingly fast — immediately sets him apart, and Watson, like the reader, watches with a mix of awe and confusion.

What surprised me on rereading was the second part: a lengthy flashback set in the American West, explaining the motivations behind the …

What surprised me on rereading was the second part: a lengthy flashback set in the American West, explaining the motivations behind the crime through a tale of love, loss, and revenge within a Mormon community. This narrative shift feels bold, almost experimental, compared to later, tighter Holmes stories.

At its heart, A Study in Scarlet is about observation — of people, of motives, of connections hidden beneath the obvious. It establishes Holmes as a detective of reason in a world clouded by passions.

For me, this first case remains charmingly uneven but full of the seeds that would make Sherlock Holmes unforgettable: precision, arrogance, and an uncanny gift for making sense of chaos.

georgewhatup reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

Review of 'A Study in Scarlet' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Yes you could read this like someone who doesn't like context, in which case it's fine but clearly not the strongest detective story going around, Holmes and Watson and their relationship aren't fully formed, and the salacious shift to the foothills of Utah feels a little disjointed.

Or you can read this as the invention of entire genre, like Dracula. It's hard to pick between Sherlock Holmes and Dracula for who is more culturally significant. What's bigger, detectives or vampires? Impossible to answer. But the point is that is where this book sits in the history of culture.

It's definitely not as good as Dracula but, lets face it, few things can be. It's still fun, and if you read it as someone experiencing the concept of a detective for the first time it's even better. All the elements of all detective stories are there, the experienced but cynical genius, …

ManyRoads reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

Review of 'A Study in Scarlet' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

An old friend revisited. Standard eBooks has created an excellent version of this first Sherlock Holmes text. A worthy 'adversary' and read.

& reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

Review of 'A Study in Scarlet' on 'Goodreads'

No rating

back on my bs

anka.trini reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

Review of 'A Study in Scarlet' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

War cool, endlich mal die Vorlage zu BBC Sherlock zu lesen. Es ist interssant, was die Macher der Serie alles übernommen und was sie geändert haben.

Lustig fand ich, dass (ich glaube es ist) Lestrade im Buch sagt, dass die Schrift an der Wand auf den Frauennamen Rachel hindeutet, Holmes aber sagt, dass es einfach das deutsche Wort Rache heißen soll. In der Serie ist es genau andersrum. Da denken die Polizisten es soll auf das deutsche Wort hindeuten, aber Sherlock sagt, dass das Opfer einfach nicht geschafft hat, Rachel auszuschreiben.

Ich freue mich schon auf die nächsten Teile!

Laura Lemay reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

Review of 'A Study in Scarlet' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Well no wonder the Sherlock Holmes canon is so popular; this was a super fun read. There is an abrupt turn in the middle where it turns into a completely different book (a western! With mormons!), which is not that bad a story and eventually makes sense as backstory for the mystery, but the unexplained shift is deeply puzzling. None the less: fun!

protomattr reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

Review of 'A Study in Scarlet' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Sherlock Holmes' classic debut, showcasing his well-known talents and eccentricities, his budding friendship with Dr Watson, his contempt for Scotland Yard detectives, and Mormon villains!

vin_aigre reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

None

5 stars

This is just bloody brilliant. I mean, forget the fact this was the birthplace of Sherlock freaking Holmes. The narrative in part two of the book is brain-candy. The setting, the way the story builds up; Arthur Conan Doyle recounts a tale within a tale. He forges this swift back-story of the murder Holmes and Watson successfully unravel in part one, the retelling of which proved, to me, to be as equally, if not more, mystifying that the original murder.

Jamie reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

Review of 'A Study in Scarlet' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

A Study in Scarlet is the introduction to Holmes and Watson. Their first mystery is a good one, as far as the means of the crime and detection, but Conan Doyle's first narrative is muddled by the Morman back story. As it's been a good 15-20 years since I've read these, I think I'll plow through some of the short stories to see if I like them better.

Balise reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

Review of 'A Study in Scarlet' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

First Sherlock Holmes adventure. I recently got my hands on all Sherlock Holmes, so I'm catching up on my lack of Sherlock culture (I did like the movies with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, and I'm a huge fan of the BBC series with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman). We get introduced to Holmes and Watson, there's a murder (obviously), a big flashback full of Mormons (or of a certain image of Mormons) and generally speaking a nice story (even if the end reveal is a bit "wait wat? where does this guy come from?").

kholerik reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

None

4 stars

Sherlock Holmes, Mormons, murder. Great read!

state_electrician reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

Review of 'A Study in Scarlet' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Sherlock Holmes, Mormons, murder. Great read!

franksbooks reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

Review of 'A Study in Scarlet' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

More words have been written about this short novel than it contains in the decades since its first publication, so I suspect anything I can write here will already have been written a dozen times a least.

It's enough to say you should read it, study it but most of all enjoy it. Many many times.

Bryan Fordham reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

Review of 'A Study in Scarlet' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

First Sherlock Holmes story. Great fun, though a bit long on the exposition at the end. Still worth the time if you enjoy Sherlock.

Chris Aldrich reviewed A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet, #1)

Review of 'A Study in Scarlet' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

A great beginning but it wandered a bit thereafter. Upon encountering the "Mormon sojourn" I actually stopped to check to make sure the book wasn't somehow a misprint given the completely non-linear turn in the story. Certainly not as good as later works of Conan Doyle, but shows his early style well.