Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
I re-read the entire Sherlock Holmes canon every few years. It’s my favorite mystery genre, and I never get tired of revisiting Baker Street — whether through the books or rewatching the Jeremy Brett / Granada Television adaptation.
The Sign of Four is one of only four Sherlock Holmes novels, and I’ve always found the novels interesting compared to the short stories. Holmes as a character just seems to fit the short story format naturally. But whenever the story expands into a novel, you get a lot more context and color from Holmes’s world.
In this case, you get the Baker Street Irregulars, Toby the dog, and other minor characters that might not appear in a typical short story. I appreciate that Doyle didn’t write a ton of novels, so each one feels special in its own way.
Unlike The Hound of the Baskervilles, where Watson plays a much bigger role for a larger portion of the novel, I like how Sherlock Holmes is the one driving the action in The Sign of Four.
It’s a great novel and worth reading. Plus, it’s available for free as an ebook on Standard Ebooks, which makes it even easier to revisit whenever the mood strikes.
- Holmes drives the action throughout, unlike other novels where Watson takes center stage
- Minor characters like the Baker Street Irregulars and Toby the dog add depth to Holmes's world
- Free and easily accessible on Standard Ebooks
- Holmes naturally fits short stories better than novel-length narratives
