The Return of Sherlock Holmes

Book excerpt: Thirteen tales of crime and intrigue, including the remarkable story of Sherlock Holmes’s return from the dead It has been three years since Sherlock Holmes, locked in a fierce struggle with his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty, disappeared over the edge of the Reichenbach Falls. The world has mourned his loss greatly, no one more so than his good friend and partner in the arts of detection, Dr. Watson. Imagine Watson’s shock, then, when an elderly book collector he bumps into on the street turns out to be none other than the master sleuth himself. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Sherlock Holmes did not die in Switzerland—he vanquished his greatest foe and set a trap for every other would-be mastermind foolish enough to attempt to match wits with the world’s greatest detective. From the astonishing revelation in the opening paragraphs of “The Adventure of the Empty House” to the motiveless murder at the heart of “The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez” to the kidnapping that sets in motion the plot of “The Adventure of the Priory School,” these thirteen classic stories are among the most entertaining and endlessly clever entries in the canon of Sherlock Holmes. This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.