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
The Final Problem The Final Problem "The Final Problem" is a short story by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring his detective character Sherlock Holmes. It was first published in "Strand Magazine" under the title "The Adventure of the Final Problem" in December 1893. It appears in book form as part of the collection "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes". This story, set in 1891, introduced Holmes's greatest opponent, the criminal mastermind Professor James Moriarty. Conan Doyle later ranked "The Final Problem" fourth on his personal list of the twelve best Holmes stories. Holmes arrives at Dr. John Watson's residence one evening in a