Reviews

The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

kinosthesia's review against another edition

5.0

Even after so many years these stories still enthral me whether I know the outcome or not. as a child the crime aspect was always the fascinating part, but now as an adult I am more intrigued by the friendship between Holmes and Watson and how they balance each other so well. My favourite story is the first one - a locked room murder and the return of Holmes - something that must have been so satisfying when it was first published and still one of the best character returns today.

kinosthesia's review against another edition

4.0

Always a fascinating read and, after such a long time, it felt new an fresh to remember the endings and try to second guess Holmes. Imaginative, thrilling, its a super way of getting to know Holmes and Watson, much more so that the first two novels. Its easy to see why the crime duo became so popular, the crimes occurring in places outside of London as well within. There are hints of stories untold too which for me makes it all the richer.

nikki_deanmarshall's review against another edition

5.0

This was a collection of short stories and I enjoyed listening to the foreword from Stephen Fry. The 12-year break did Arthur Conan Doyle good as the stories and writing were fantastic. One of my favourites out of the Sherlock Holmes series.

josedelcarril's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

laurathompson's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

ranee_samaniego's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

Maybe I have read too many Sherlock Holmes cases in a row, but they are starting to feel a bit… predictable. I know that it will be complex, and I know Sherlock will solve it in the end. 

Nevertheless, these are still enjoyable! I’m just going to take a break from Sherlock Holmes for a bit. 

niamhyjay's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

221becca's review against another edition

5.0

I'm not much of a reviewer when it comes to books, but I just have to say that these particular stories are amazing, and Sherlock Holmes is quickly becoming my favorite fictional character ever.

I did get a bit bored while reading some of the previous Sherlock Holmes stories, but I breezed through The Return, which surprises me. I'm not a big fan of older books usually.

benstanley's review against another edition

4.0

The first thing I want to say is that this collection is really good. Arthur Conan Doyle didn't lose a step in the great hiatus between this and Adventures (even though The Hound of the Baskervilles already made that clear). That being said, I didn't find myself getting in to this collection as much as I had the previous two. There were a few stand-outs, such as The Empty House, Charles Augustus Milverton, Abbey Grange, and the Second Stain. And then there were a few duds, like the Solitary Cyclist and the Dancing Men (apologies if those are someone's favourites). And on the whole the rest of them, while good, weren't all that remarkable.

Also, it seemed like Watson seriously lost some agency between Hound and Return. He only got to act as a character rather than a narrator/blank wall for Holmes on a few occasions, and in most of those it was simply to prove how inferior he was to Holmes' staggering intellect. I realize you have to expect some of that, but it felt a bit too overdone in this collection. Still though, I enjoyed the whole book immensely.

me_myself_andida's review against another edition

adventurous informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0