The Hound of the Baskervilles

Written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and unarguably the most recognised and loved of all the Sherlock Holmes adventures, The Hound of the Baskervilles is an exciting and chilling blend of supernatural mystery and science, which shows the famous detective at his very best. Filled with superstition, murder, the occult, deception, and eerie coincidences, it’s a great book that engages the reader right from the start and leaves them wanting more when the last page is finished. 

With the sudden death of Sir Charles Baskerville, the next heir to the Baskerville estate is Sir Henry Baskerville, who comes from Canada to London to take up residence in the house of his ancestors. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are approached to engage in accompanying Sir Henry to his new home as, upon his arrival in London, he is sent a mysterious letter urging him to not go to Baskerville Hall. The nature of Sir Charles’ death is thrown into new light by the forewarning letter and the superstitious story of a spectral hellhound that is said to have haunted the Baskerville family for generations. Unyielding to the superstitions of the story, Holmes and Watson embark upon their most engaging adventure yet as they go to Devonshire and find themselves entangled in a most complicated and intrinsic mystery that soon escalates into one of murder. 

The beauty and appeal of all the Sherlock Holmes adventures is that they are simply written and the impression and pull that they have over the reader lies solely in the stories and mysteries themselves. The winning mixture of mystery, drama, horror, and comedy is successful in making these books instant classics for anyone and everyone. 

Like The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles is written in the first person register, as the memoirs and recounts of Watson. With this book particularly, set against the eerie and gloomy moors of Devonshire, with its fogs and bogs and spooky wailing noises at night, the first person register works a treat as it really impresses upon the reader the feelings of terror, gloom, and impending doom that all the characters feel upon being at Baskerville Hall. 

From the stories that I’ve read, this one is the only one where Doyle indulges in his own little interest in the occult and the mystery becomes one of science vs. the supernatural, a conflict that proves to never get old and one that keeps the reader reading as they become ever more eager to discover how certain seeming supernatural effects were achieved. 

Filled with murder, the supernatural, superstitious legends, drama, and mystery, The Hound of the Baskervilles is a fantastic book and instantly recognised as Sherlock Holmes’ most exciting and classic adventure.