The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The story

Twelve cases narrated by Dr. Watson, the loyal friend of the world's most famous consulting detective. A king is blackmailed by the one woman who ever outwitted Holmes; a red-headed man is paid to copy an encyclopedia; a speckled band appears in the night.

Each story starts with a strange problem in the rooms at 221B Baker Street and ends with Holmes explaining the clues that everyone else missed.

Themes: logic and observation, friendship, Victorian London, justice.

Why it's a good book for language learners

Short stories of about 8,000 words each are a perfect size for learners: long enough to be satisfying, short enough to finish in one or two sessions. Holmes's explanations use the language of deduction — must have been, can't have been — which is one of the trickiest parts of English grammar.

What you'll practise

• Modal verbs of deduction: must have, might have, can't have
• Describing people's appearance and clues
• Victorian British English
• Question-and-answer interviews

Did you know?

The stories first appeared in The Strand Magazine between 1891 and 1892, and made both Holmes and the magazine famous.

The PageWalker adventure

In the adventure you work the cases at Holmes's side — miss a clue and the culprit escapes. The first page is free to play in your browser, and the adventure is available in 13 languages with click-to-translate.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in other languages

• EnglishThe Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
• العربيةمغامرات شيرلوك هولمز
• DeutschDie Abenteuer des Sherlock Holmes
• EspañolLas Aventuras de Sherlock Holmes
• FrançaisLes Aventures de Sherlock Holmes
• हिन्दीशेरलॉक होम्स के कारनामे
• ItalianoLe avventure di Sherlock Holmes
• 日本語シャーロック・ホームズの冒険
• 한국어셜록 홈즈의 모험
• PortuguêsAs Aventuras de Sherlock Holmes
• РусскийПриключения Шерлока Холмса
• TürkçeSherlock Holmes'un Maceraları
• 简体中文福尔摩斯探案集