Book Cover of The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles

by Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle thought he had finished forever with his immortal sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his chronicler, Dr Watson. Exhausted and bored with the Holmes saga, he wanted to turn to more serious writing. In the short story The Final Problem, published in 1893 as part of the collection The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, the author had sent Holmes plunging to his doom into the Reichenbach Falls. However, by 1901, Doyle found himself in severe financial difficulties. It was then that he resurrected his popular detective. The Hound of the Baskervilles is set in time before the Reichenbach and as the publishers had predicted, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once again struck gold! The Hound of the Baskervilles is thrilling, tightly-plotted and full of atmosphere. Set in the misty and sinister landscape of Dartmoor, it was inspired by the true story of a wicked 17th century Squire who lived in the West Country. Tales of the man's villainous ways were whispered about and when he finally died, his evil spirit continued to roam the moors, leading a pack of supernatural hounds who were often seen at his tomb! In the novel, Sir James Mortimer, a physician and friend of the Baskervilles, a noble country family consults Holmes in London and seeks his help. Sir Charles Baskerville, the owner of a mansion called Baskerville Hall has been found dead under mysterious circumstances, which lead Sir James to fear that he was the victim of a strange and fatal family curse. A remote ancestor, notorious for his debauched ways, had been violently killed by a hell-hound with supernatural powers. People in the neighboring village report having seen an enormous hound on the moors at night. Mortimer now fears that Sir Charles has been visited by this terrible creature whose mission is to destroy the Baskerville family. The heir to the estate, Sir Henry Baskerville, is on his way home from Canada to claim his inheritance. Mortimer is apprehensive that Sir Henry will be the next target of this terrible creature. Holmes and Watson set out for Baskerville Hall. As he remarks, “The game's afoot!” The Hound of the Baskervilles is a masterpiece of chilling detective fiction. It has been extensively adapted for radio, film and television all over the world. The story has lent its name to a psycho-medical condition called the Baskerville Effect – heart ailments caused by psychological stress! In all, a great read for that cold and rainy night!

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

English

Published In

1902

Author

Arthur Conan Doyle image

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...

More on Arthur Conan Doyle

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

The Magnificent Adventure Cover image

The Magnificent Adventure by Emerson Hough

"The Magnificent Adventure" in 1916 was set at the time of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. This fictional story is brimming...

The Big Bow Mystery Cover image

The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill

The Big Bow Mystery is an 1892 mystery novel by the British writer Israel Zangwill. It was originally serialised in The Star newspaper in 1891, before...

The Valley of Fear Cover image

The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Valley of Fear is the fourth and final Sherlock Holmes novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is loosely based on the Molly Maguires and Pinkerton ag...

Three Midnight Stories Cover image

Three Midnight Stories by Alexander Wilson Drake

Embark on a Journey of Mysterious Tales in "Three Midnight Stories" by Alexander W. Drake Are you ready to step into a world where darkness and enigma...

A House to Let  Cover image

A House to Let by Charles Dickens

The plot concerns an elderly woman, Sophonisba, who notices signs of life in a supposedly empty dilapidated house (the eponymous "House to Let") oppos...

The Duchess of Wrexe Cover image

The Duchess of Wrexe by Hugh Walpole

The book is a gripping tale of mystery and intrigue set in the Georgian era. First published in 1934, "The Duchess of Wrexe" is considered one of Hug...

The D'Arblay Mystery Cover image

The D'Arblay Mystery by R. Austin Freeman

In the dimly lit corridors of intrigue, where secrets lurk and enigmas beckon, "The D'Arblay Mystery" unfolds a web of perplexity and suspense. Within...

A Coffin for Jacob Cover image

A Coffin for Jacob by Edward W. Ludwig

It is a thrilling mystery that follows the story of a man named Jacob who is found dead under mysterious circumstances. Set in a small town in New En...

The Figure in the Carpet  Cover image

The Figure in the Carpet by Henry James

"The Figure in the Carpet" is a short story by American writer Henry James. It is told in the first person; the narrator, whose name is never revealed...

The Black Box Cover image

The Black Box by E. Phillips Oppenheim

Created a technological marvel—an impenetrable black box with the power to change the course of nations. Its contents are shrouded in mystery, its pur...

Reviews for The Hound of the Baskervilles

No reviews posted or approved, yet...