Madison Kwiecinski – Editor-in-Chief

mvk5945@psu.edu

Photo Credit: Stephan Bäckman

Do you enjoy unique and suspenseful mystery stories? Is the feeling of being inches from the solution as the reader but never quite being able to reach it enthralling to you? Then I have a recommendation for you. 

“A Study in Scarlet” is the first piece of literature written regarding the infamous John Watson and Sherlock Holmes. Published in 1887, author Arthur Conan Doyle could not have possibly imagined all of the incredible literary works that were going to spawn from these two literary figures’ first encounters with one another. 

“A Study in Scarlet” is a murder mystery story, and honestly one that set the standard for mystery stories that attempt to follow in its course. The book begins with John Watson, who has returned from war and is living a very common and simple, yet lonely life in London. Watson’s lonely lifestyle leads him to seek out a roommate through a friend, which is how he ends up meeting the incredibly strange and quirky Sherlock Holmes. 

Sherlock’s job and even his area of study is a complete mystery to Watson upon meeting him, as he appeared to have scattered interests that added up to no specific area of expertise in Watson’s eyes. He soon realizes though, that what Sherlock is an expert in is simply people and the art of deduction. 

Two detectives approach Sherlock a few chapters into the short story, asking him for assistance in a strange murder case. Joseph Strangerson had turned up deceased, and it is Sherlock Holmes’ mission to figure out the facts of the case. 

The novel closely follows the pursuit of the criminal who committed this murder, with many more theories, twists, and even another death or two occurring along the way. Holmes is intelligent, and although you are following the story at the same pace he is solving it, the detective always appears to be one step ahead. 

Through relentless pursuit and expert detective skills, halfway through the story Holmes identifies and captures the killer, leading the story to enter its second phase. 

For nearly the rest of the duration of the novel, Holmes and Watson do not appear again as the story transitions to a flashback to reveal the background and motivation behind the killer’s crime. 

The second half of the story takes a unique stylistic turn, skipping several decades into the past and telling another story the reader would otherwise never get to experience. The entirety of the crime, from motivation to planning to execution is found throughout these chapters, making it a truly unique read. 

As much as I would love to take this time to further elaborate on the story and provide details on why this flashback portion of the book is by far my favorite part of the story, I will not spoil what truly is a great short mystery story. Arthur Conan Doyle’s “ A Study in Scarlet” is one reader should truly experience for themselves.