Review – A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes, Book 1) by Arthur Conan Doyle (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Mystery/Classic
Length: 108 pages
Publisher: Independently published
Release Date: May 29, 2020
ASIN : B089CWQVW7
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Sherlock Holmes series
Source: Bought for Kindle
Rating: 5/5 stars
“A Study in Scarlet is a detective mystery novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, introducing his new characters, “consulting detective” Sherlock Holmes and his friend and chronicler, Dr. John Watson, who later became two of the most famous characters in literature. Conan Doyle wrote the story in 1886, and it was published the following year. The book’s title derives from a speech given by Holmes to Doctor Watson on the nature of his work, in which he describes the story’s murder investigation as his “study in scarlet”: “There’s the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it.”
Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Sherlock Holmes series. I bought a copy of this for my Kindle.
Story (5/5): I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The story is clever and ironic. I loved all the twists and turns and how Sherlock is kind of competing with some other investigators. I also love how we got to break away from the main story into a side story set in America that showed how everything happened. It was all very clever and fun and really withstood the test of time.
Characters (5/5): The characters are quirky and crazy and definitely a bit part of what makes this book so enjoyable. Sherlock is just such a unique character and I found him incredibly amusing. Watson is just as intriguing, with his more steady support.
Setting (5/5): The book alternates between a historical London setting (1880’s) and frontier life America. They were both well done; well described and very entertaining to read about.
Writing Style (5/5): I was amazed by how well this book stands the test of time. This never seemed dated to me and I didn’t struggle through any of the language. I read it thinking how funny, witty, and ironic the whole thing was. I loved the characters and the mystery and the unveiling. It was just thoroughly enjoyable and I can’t wait to read more!
My Summary (5/5): Overall I enjoyed this way more than I thought I was going to. I have been wanting to read all the Sherlock Holmes stories forever and am so glad I finally started. This was so entertaining and so much fun, highly recommended. I have always loved how Sherlock is portrayed in other media and was pleased to love the original source material so much!
