A Study in Scarlet

Mehr zum Buch

A Study in Scarlet is an 1887 detective novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, marking the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, two of literature's most iconic characters. The title refers to Holmes's description of a murder investigation as a "study in scarlet," where he explains that the "scarlet thread of murder" runs through the "colourless skein of life," emphasizing the detective's duty to unravel and expose the truth. Initially, the story garnered little public interest, and only a few complete copies of its first publication are known to exist today. While Conan Doyle authored 56 short stories featuring Holmes, A Study in Scarlet stands out as one of only four full-length novels in the original canon. This novel was followed by The Sign of the Four in 1890 and is notable for being the first detective fiction to utilize the magnifying glass as an investigative tool.