
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. 04 January 1897 by Various
This volume of *The Black Cat* magazine features five short stories that explore themes of love, loss, adventure, and the unexpected. The stories rang...

Adventuress by Arthur B. Reeve
In "Adventuress," Arthur B. Reeve continues the thrilling adventures of Craig Kennedy, a brilliant scientist and detective, who uses his scientific pr...

Tales of Terror and Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle
Though Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is best known for his detective stories, he also wrote other short stories which are masterpieces of mystery and suspens...

Black Star's Campaign by Johnston McCulley
It is an exciting adventure novel that will captivate the imagination of young readers. This thrilling book takes readers on a journey filled with mys...

The Search by Grace Livingston Hill
A simple act of kindness sets in motion an extraordinary journey of love, faith, and redemption. Beneath the starlit sky, amidst the shadows of a forg...

Black Cat Vol. 03 No. 03 December 1897 by Various
The Black Cat, a monthly literary magazine published from 1895 to 1922, was known for its original short stories often exploring uncanny or fantastica...

Repairman by Harry Harrison
'Repairman' is a collection of three early short stories by Harry Harrison. The stories explore themes of bureaucracy, social commentary, and the futu...

Hollow Needle: Further Adventures of Arsène Lupin by Maurice Leblanc
Arsène Lupin returns in a wonderful story of disguises, love, and of course treasure. Once again, Lupin crosses paths with the famous Holmlock Shears....

Haunted Ship by Kate Marion Tucker
Haunted Ship is a young adult adventure novel that follows a group of friends on a summer vacation in Maine. The friends are excited to spend their ti...

Young Railroaders by Francis Lovell Coombs
In this thrilling series of tales set in the untamed West, three teenage telegraphers embark on a series of heart-pounding escapades. With their knowl...
Reviews for The Hound of the Baskervilles
No reviews posted or approved, yet...