Book excerpt: A Study in Scarlet (1887) marks the debut of the very gifted and eccentric detective Sherlock Holmes, and his close friend and chronicler, Dr. Watson – two of the most well-known characters in crime fiction. It was the first of four novels featuring the duo and was followed by The Sign of the Four (1890) The book itself was amazing and the style of writing also commendable. The story itself sees an ‘unlucky’ Dr. John Watson trying to find a place for himself after returning to England following injury and sickness that has invalided him out of the army medical core. Finding accommodation in the capital to be a little more than he can afford he is introduced by a mutual friend to another in the same situation, the slightly unusual Sherlock Holmes. Although Watson recognizes there is a strangeness to Holmes he is attracted to the man’s observations and eccentricities and the two end up sharing rooms at 221B Baker Street. A STUDY IN SCARLET: Holmes, it would seem is a consulting detective, spending all his time learning bits and pieces from countless disciplines in order to make himself not just good, but one of the best in the field, something that combined with his mind make him excellent. He is aware of his genius but does not feel the need to boast about it, more than happy to let others take credit for his work. It would seem as long as a few people like Watson know and accept the truth then he is happy. Even so, it seems as though he is getting bored of what he is doing, very rarely seeing the need to leave the house to investigate, but when he is presented with a more than the interesting case and with a little cajoling from Watson he begins to investigate what becomes their first case together. The mystery is that of a dead body in an empty house, with no sign of violence, but a message written in blood on the wall in another room brings opens a mystery that seems almost impossible to solve… It goes without saying that Holmes manages to solve it and in an entertaining style. Conan-Doyle is a great storyteller, keeping the reader enthralled and bringing them back again and again so that the pages seem to fly by! The world of which he is writing is modern to him, so there are some lovely touches that help open the world to another time for us. A STUDY IN SCARLET