Book Review: The Sign of Four

The Sign of Four, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of the more than 50 short stories Doyle wrote about his famous detective Sherlock Holmes. A lovely young woman, Miss Morstan, shows up at 221B Baker Street to enlist the help of Holmes. Her father, a British officer in India, has been missing for 10 years, disappearing upon his return to England. Four years after he vanished, she begins to receive in a package once a year, a large pearl. She has no clue where the pearls come from and has no way to find out. Finally after six years, she receives a message asking her to come to a meeting and she is given permission to bring two friends along. Holmes and his friend Watson are the two she decides on, and they agree to accompany her. 


Upon their arrival at the designated meeting place, they are introduced to the son of a British officer, Major Sholto, who had served with the young lady's father in India. As the story unfolds, Miss Morstan learns that her father and Major Sholto had been in league with four convicts who possessed a great treasure. Thaddeus Sholto and his twin brother Bartholomew had spent four years looking for this treasure after their father died before revealing its location to them. They finally located it six years before Miss Morstan received the summons to the meeting, the same time she began receiving the pearls. The two brothers had been in disagreement over sharing the treasure with the daughter of their father's friend. So Thaddeus had taken it upon himself to send the pearls. 


Thaddeus had summoned Miss Morstan to the meeting and explained the situation to her. His plan was for them to proceed to his brother's home and settle the matter once and for all. Upon their arrival at Bartholomew's home, however, they find that he has been murdered and the treasure stolen.


The unraveling of the deepening mystery taxes even Holmes' formidable mental powers. They must piece together a puzzle involving poison darts, a tiny man, an Indian fort, an escaped convict, a missing steam ship and more murders. 


It is amazing to watch as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle develops each layer of this impressive mystery. In the end, the treasure is lost forever and Dr. Watson falls in love. The beginning and the end of the story are marred by Holmes' use of cocaine. But other than that, it is a fascinating read. #12 in my quest for 52 books in 52 weeks. And I stuck this one in next even though I had planned to have The Knowledge of the Holy next. It is taking me longer to finish than I thought. So it will be coming later.