
The Hound of the Baskervilles
'The Hound of the Baskervilles' Summary
Dr James Mortimer calls on Sherlock Holmes in London for advice after his friend Sir Charles Baskerville was found dead in the yew alley of his manor on Dartmoor in Devon. The death was attributed to a heart attack, but according to Mortimer, Sir Charles's face retained an expression of horror, and not far from the corpse the footprints of a gigantic hound were clearly visible. According to an old legend, a curse runs in the Baskerville family since the time of the English Civil War, when a Hugo Baskerville abducted and caused the death of a maiden on the moor, only to be killed in turn by a huge demonic hound. Allegedly the same creature has been haunting the manor ever since, causing the premature death of many Baskerville heirs. Sir Charles believed in the plague of the hound and so does Mortimer, who now fears for the next in line, Sir Henry Baskerville.
Even though he dismisses the curse story as nonsense, Holmes agrees to meet Sir Henry in London as soon as Sir Henry arrives from Canada, where he has been living. He is a young and jovial good-looking fellow, sceptical toward the grim legend and eager to take possession of Baskerville Hall, even though he has just found an anonymous note in the mail warning him to stay away from the moor. When someone shadows Sir Henry while he is walking down a street, however, Holmes asks Watson to go with the young man and Mortimer to Dartmoor, in order to protect Sir Henry and search for any clues about who is menacing his life.
The trio arrives at Baskerville Hall, an old and imposing manor in the middle of a vast park, managed by a butler and his wife the housekeeper. The estate is surrounded by the moor and borders the Grimpen Mire, where animals and humans can sink to death in quicksand. The news that a convict named Selden, a murderer, has escaped from the nearby Dartmoor Prison and is hiding in the nearby hills adds to the barren landscape and the gloomy atmosphere.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1902Authors

Arthur Conan Doyle
United Kingdom
Arthur Conan Doyle was a British author and physician, born on May 22, 1859, in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. He is widely known for his fictional detective stories featuring the iconic character of Sher...
Books by Arthur Conan DoyleDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
Related books

Black Cat Vol. 02 No. 11 August 1897 by Various
The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine published from 1895-1922 that featured original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics...

Nothing More Than Murder by Jim Thompson
In the murky depths of desire and desperation, "Nothing More Than Murder" by Jim Thompson delves into a world where the lines between love, crime, and...

That Affair at Portstead Manor by Gladys Edson Locke
Set in a picturesque English country manor during a lively house party, "That Affair at Portstead Manor" plunges readers into a captivating web of mys...

Eleanor's Victory by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Eleanor's Victory is a Victorian novel that follows the story of Eleanor Vane, a young woman thrust into a world of social inequality after the sudden...

Prisoner of the Mill by Harry Hazelton
In the shadowy depths of an abandoned steel mill, secrets lie buried beneath layers of rust and decay. In "Prisoner of the Mill" by Harry Hazelton, a...

The Clue of the New Pin by Edgar Wallace
In the heart of this riveting mystery, a wealthy man lies dead, his demise shrouded in enigma. "The Clue of the New Pin" by Edgar Wallace unveils a pe...

Seen and the Unseen by Richard Marsh
The Seen and the Unseen is a collection of twelve short stories exploring the supernatural and the uncanny. The stories range from tales of haunted ho...

Fabrique de crimes by Paul Féval, fils
Welcome to a world where crime reigns supreme, where blood flows freely, and where the boundaries of morality are blurred. Prepare to be shocked and e...

Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit
This is the story of the Bastable children and their attempts to help the family finances by searching for treasure. (Summary by Karen Savage)

The Goddess: A Demon by Richard Marsh
The Goddess: A Demon is a novel by Richard Marsh. It was originally serialized in Manchester Weekly Times and Salford Weekly News in twelve installmen...
Reviews for The Hound of the Baskervilles
No reviews posted or approved, yet...