The Sign of the Four The Sign of the Four The Sign of the Four (1890), also called The Sign of Four, is the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle wrote four novels and 56 short stories featuring the fictional detective. The story is set in 1888. "The Sign of the Four" has a complex plot involving service in India, the Indian Rebellion of 1857, a stolen treasure, and a secret pact among four convicts ("the Four" of the title) and two corrupt prison guards. It presents the detective's drug habit and humanizes him in a way that had
Sherlock Holmes (2014 TV series) adaption of the series of Sherlock Holmes and that the material is worth creating derivative work. He also said that the presence of John Watson as a storyteller is very important and a splendid invention of Arthur Conan Doyle. He describes Watson as having warmth and passion that Holmes lacks and appreciates Martin Freeman who plays Watson with good nature in "Sherlock". In 2007, Freeman appeared in the play "The Last Laugh", based on "University of Laughs" (Warai no daigaku, ) written by Mitani. Mitani has said that what a human plays can also be played by a puppet. The