A Study in Scarlet

Synopsis

"A Study in Scarlet is an 1887 detective novel by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would become the most famous detective duo in literature1. The book's title derives from a speech given by Holmes, a consulting detective, to his friend and chronicler Watson on the nature of his work, in which he describes the story's murder investigation as his "study in scarlet": ""There's the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it.""1 The novel begins with Dr. John Watson returning to London after serving in the Second Anglo-Afghan War. He seeks a place to live and is introduced to Sherlock Holmes, who is looking for someone to share the rent at 221B Baker Street. Watson moves in, and after witnessing Holmes's deductive skills, becomes his close companion. A telegram requesting consultation on a murder case leads them to an abandoned house on Brixton Road. The victim is Enoch Drebber of Cleveland, Ohio, and the investigation reveals a mysterious message written in red: "RACHE" (German for "revenge"). Holmes deduces that the victim died from poison and provides a description of the murderer. Thus begins their first adventure together"