The Hound of the Baskervilles - Arthur Doyle

After reading all of the Hardy Boy's books when I was a little kid, I honestly say that I can see what everyone sees in Sherlock Holmes. I read The Hound of the Baskervilles today and thoroughly enjoyed it. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle brilliantly weaves together different plots ending in an exciting finale.

The book opens with Sherlock Holmes and Watson in their London home. A Dr. Mortimer visits them and asks them for help in a confusing case. Rich Sir Charles Baskerville has recently been killed and Dr. Mortimer is in London for the purpose of escorting the next heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, to his inheritance in Baskerville Hall, a rich old mansion in England.

However, there is mystery afoot. Dr. Mortimer knows that Charles Baskerville was murdered, and because of an old curse on the family, he is afraid to bring Henry Baskerville to his inheritance. He asks for Sherlock Holmes' help in unraveling the mystery surrounding a manuscript, a 'hound from hell', and a murder.

Holmes sends his assistant Watson with Henry Baskerville and Dr. Mortimer to Baskerville Hall, with instructions to Watson to investigate the case. Watson makes many surprising leads, but it's only at the end that Sherlock Holmes comes and figures out the tangle of mystery surrounding the Hound of the Baskervilles. Who murdered Charles Baskerville? Is the same fate in store for Henry Baskerville? And what is the phantom hound heard on the moor at night?

This book was very enjoyable to read. I had no trouble following the plot or the settings at all, though at the very beginning I did have some trouble keeping a few of the characters straight. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a masterful writer and keeps his readers in suspense for the entire time. I was glued to this book for most of today, waiting to see what would happen next.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is the first Sherlock Holmes novel I've read and I must say it's one of the best detective stories I've ever read. The surprising twists and obvious solutions that elude you until the end keep you on your toes in this book. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who likes action and mystery.

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