Sherlock Holmes Books in Order
Sherlock Holmes lives in sixty adventures spread across four novels and five story collections — the canon, as its readers insist on calling it. Arthur Conan Doyle invented the modern detective story here, then killed his detective off a decade in, then resurrected him by popular demand, and the seams of that history are visible in the shelf itself. Every procedural, every genius-with-a-sidekick pairing since is standing on this ground. (Arthur Conan Doyle, 1887–1927).
Where to start
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes — the first short-story collection — is the best possible start: twelve perfect cases, the formula at full strength, and no novel-length commitment. If you want a novel first, The Hound of the Baskervilles is the famous one and the most fun. A Study in Scarlet shows the whole thing being invented but carries a long Western flashback that loses some readers; start there only for completeness.
The complete list
Tick the boxes off as you read, or for the bookshelf.
| Year | Title | Series / type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | A Study in Scarlet | Novel | |
| 1890 | The Sign of the Four | Novel | |
| 1892 | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | Stories | |
| 1894 | The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes | Stories | |
| 1902 | The Hound of the Baskervilles | Novel | |
| 1905 | The Return of Sherlock Holmes | Stories | |
| 1915 | The Valley of Fear | Novel | |
| 1917 | His Last Bow | Stories | |
| 1927 | The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes | Stories |
Does the reading order matter?
Read in publication order and the canon plays two tricks on you: Holmes dies at the Reichenbach Falls at the end of Memoirs, then Hound appears (a previously unrecorded case, Doyle hedging), then Return resurrects him without apology. New readers should simply follow publication order — the references accumulate pleasantly and nothing is spoiled, because Doyle wrote each story to stand alone.
Which one is the best?
The Hound of the Baskervilles is the classic novel; 'The Red-Headed League' and 'A Scandal in Bohemia' are the famous stories. The Adventures collection as a whole is the peak.
Covered in depth here
An 8-question quiz, reading time, club questions and verified quotes for The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Related guides
Readers finishing this shelf usually want the map next door: Agatha Christie books in order, Louise Penny books in order, Kay Scarpetta books in order. Every guide follows the same format — the shelf, the entry point, the honest answer about order.
Make it a project
Pick a session size and let the days accumulate — at the pace our reading speed test measures, most shelves above clear in a few weeks of half-hours. Every guide on the books in order shelf follows this same format, and when a book lands, its 8-question quiz is waiting on the original book quiz.
Frequently asked questions
What order should you read Sherlock Holmes books in?
Publication order is the canon order — four novels and five collections, each standing alone. The only must: The Return of Sherlock Holmes after Memoirs, because it explains the resurrection.
Where should I start with Sherlock Holmes?
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes — twelve perfect short cases. The Hound of the Baskervilles if you want a novel.
How many Sherlock Holmes books are there?
Nine books: four novels and fifty-six short stories in five collections, written between 1887 and 1927 — plus the pastiches by everyone else, which are not the canon and know it.
What was Sherlock Holmes's first book?
A Study in Scarlet (1887) — the first row of the list above.