The Sherlock Holmes Collection: Slip-cased Set

Most Sherlock Holmes fans have read and re-read these stories. I am one of those people. But I will say that this is essential in my "library" as these are stories that I still turn to when I begin to miss them.

The only reason I gave it four, instead of five, stars is the fifth star is reserved for my well-worn hardback copy. It's my comfort book that I enjoy sitting on the deck in the fall and reading with a pipe or cigar, or that I took and read during "relaxing time" on the beach on more than one vacation.

Like many people, I was familiar with Sherlock to since childhood. I'd read a couple of stories in high school, seen a few Sherlock Holmes movies. This collection of Sherlock Holmes stories contains an exhaustive collection of original Sherlock Holmes stories written in Victorian English. I loved these stories, both novels and novella's. I appreciated the ability to highlight a word and get the definition because I was unfamiliar with.many of the old English words and terms. Even for a rabid reader, this collection offers many hours of reading. It kept my interest all through the collection because no one story is too long in and of itself. The writing is so convincing that I had to look up Sherlock Holmes after finishing reading the collection because I was convinced Watson and Holmes must have been real people! I thoroughly enjoyed being transported back in time to 1880's and 1890's London where Holmes done most of his work. Doyle's descriptions of the man and the places he lived and worked are amazingly vivid. Nearly every time I was sure I had a case figured out, I would be surprised at the outcome and would find myself saying "of course, that was so obvious!" I would recommend this collection for everyone from teens through retirees! I came to love the stories that contained the infamous Professor Moriarty, Holmes' chief nemesis. I also enjoyed meeting Holmes brother, Mylof, who, though blessed with the same uncanny ability for deductive reasoning as his more famous brother, instead used his skills in service to the English government instead of crime fighting. Whether you're familiar with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson's adventures, or have never read a Sherlock Holmes book, I believe most people will find this collection to be addictive reading once you start. There are some typos, and unless you're a scholar in vintage English language, you will probably do as I did and consult the embedded dictionary often, but I was truly sorry when I read the last story. I read at least 2 or 3 stories a day for weeks and yet I crave more. For a free book, you can't go wrong here. Go ahead, give it a shot... I think you'll be happy you did!

My star rating refers to this collection, not the stories themselves, which are classics. This is a collection of most--not all--of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. It only includes two of the twelve final stories in The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, a book that is not currently in the public domain (and thus won't appear in any free collections). You're better off paying 0.99 for one of the complete collections available for Kindle. Just make sure it has the entire Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. One star for false advertising.

One of the review questions for this book is: How would you describe the plot of this book? Predictable, Some Twists, or Full of surprises. I found that to be an overly complicated question. As someone that is familiar with Sherlock Holmes, I find the plots predictable. But I already know them. However, if you're new to the tales of Sherlock Holmes, you'll find and occasional twist/surprise.

Good, well-organized collection with an active table of contents so you can read any of the Sherlock Holmes stories in any order you choose, but doesn't include the dozen tales comprising "Tales of Terror and Mystery" such as 'The Leather Funnel' , 'The New Catacomb' , 'The Case of Lady Sannox' and more which I had hoped for and is lacking some graphics as well. While you can probably pick up the remainder of the tales separately for a reasonable sum, it still came up a bit short for me hence the lower rating. Otherwise a fine bargain for fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

A wonderful read about an amazing character. Engrossing who-dunnits with logical deductive reasoning solving every case. The villains are developed with detailed stories of how they came to be in Sherlock's radar. Watson's narration of these amazing tales makes the reader feels as though you're right there in the thick of the case. A classic read I highly recommend.