A Study in Scarlet is a novel by Arthur Conan Doyle published in 1887 in Beeton's Christmas Annual. It introduces Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson, who meet and take rooms at 221B Baker Street. Their first case, a mysterious murder in an empty house in London, has its roots in a story of revenge in the American West.
The meeting
Dr Watson, back from the war in Afghanistan, is looking for lodgings in London. A friend introduces him to Holmes, a strange young man who needs someone to share rooms.
Watson is puzzled by Holmes's odd knowledge and ignorance, until he discovers his profession: consulting detective.
The case
A man is found dead in an empty house in Brixton, with the word Rache written in blood on the wall. Holmes solves the case by observation and deduction.
The second part of the novel moves to Utah, telling the long story that lies behind the crime.
The birth of a legend
The novel had modest success at first. It was the second Holmes novel, The Sign of the Four, and then the short stories in The Strand Magazine that made Holmes world-famous.
The title comes from Holmes's remark comparing the case to a scarlet thread of murder running through life.
Anecdotes
Twenty-five pounds
Conan Doyle sold the full rights to the novel for twenty-five pounds, and never received any royalties from it.
Dr Joseph Bell
Conan Doyle based Holmes's method on Joseph Bell, a surgeon he had studied under in Edinburgh, who amazed his students by deducing facts about patients at a glance.
Frequently asked questions
When was A Study in Scarlet published?
In 1887.
Where do Holmes and Watson live?
At 221B Baker Street, London.
Where had Watson served?
In the war in Afghanistan.