The Sign of Four

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Sherlock Holmes #2 - Rated
The 2nd Sherlock Holmes novel follows in much the same vein as the first, with another mystery of revenge and murder for Holmes to unravel, though unlike in 'A Study in Scarlet' Doyle manages to keep his main character centre-stage for the most part this time. The expansion of Holmes includes the introduction of his drug use and flair for disguise, while Dr Watson gains a (slightly melodramatically concluded) love affair.

An engrossing plot and some fine writing makes this another winner.

The best of the lot. - Rated
The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in my opinion is the best of the Sherlock Holmes longer stories. It is both imaginative and interesting with the easy style which characterises Doyle's work. The story is complex with interesting and well rounded characters and this makes it a joy to read. As for it being the best of the Sherlock Holmes novels I believe that it is because in my opinion The Valley of Fear and A Study in Scarlet suffer from structual problems and The Hound of the Baskervilles while excellent is just pipped at the post by The Sign of Four.

Absolutely gripping! - Rated
In this, the second Sherlock Holmes story written by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes is called upon by a young lady who needs the great detective's help with a mystery. However, when this mystery leads to murder, Holmes must seek to uncover secrets that have lain hidden for many years, and have their roots in treacheries upon treacheries in far-off India. There's a one-legged man who is at the center of this mystery, and he has a murderous friend who may just be the end of Sherlock Holmes!

As I said, this is the second ever Sherlock Holmes story, written in 1890. As with the very best of the Holmes story, this one is absolutely gripping, carrying a fascinating story with mysteries wrapped up in mysteries that only Mr. Holmes can possibly conquer. As an added bonus, in this story, we get to learn about Dr. Watson's meeting of his true love, and his eventual marriage - which should end some rumors that people spread.

Yep, this is a great story, one that is sure to please any fan of mysteries, and is certain to delight any Sherlock Holmes fan!

Another Intriguing Mystery - Rated
"The Sign of Four" is the second of Conan Doyle's four longer Sherlock Holmes stories - I wouldn't call it a novel, because it's shorter even than the other three.

The level of detection and the intrigue surrounding the mystery is as clever as ever, and possibly more complex than in its predecessor, "A Study in Scarlet". The structure of the book could be seen as a little clumsy, with the story of Small tacked onto the end as an extra thirty pages - but using the first-person viewpoint like he does, there was no other way for Conan Doyle to integrate it into the story.

This story is also worth reading for its long-term developments in the Holmes stories. We learn of Holmes' cocaine addiction and his reasoning behind it. This is also where Watson meets his wife, which - along with the treasure seeking - makes it the more romantic of the longer stories. The relationship is hardly developed realistically, but Conan Doyle always seems to sacrifice character development in favour of brilliant plots.

If you simply enjoy the mystery and try not to think about such things, the book is very good indeed. It's a very easy read; Conan Doyle's style flowing brilliantly and so offering a perfect form of escapism.

Merrison and Williams breathe new life into "The Sign" - Rated
This was the second dramatisation to feature Clive Merrison and Michael Williams as Conan Doyle's immortal duo. They succeed brilliantly, abetted by a fine script from Bert Coules. Merrison portrays Holmes in all his moods on this dramatisation, from the depressed drug addict of the opening scene to the bloodhound detective when he has a case which interests. There is a fine supporting cast and excellent sound effects. Highly recommended.