A review by filipacmiranda
The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

3.0

 The story narrated by Conan Doyle in The Sign of the Four proved to be more interesting than its predecessor. Reading A Study in Scarlet felt like the ending came too fast. In this case, it felt the exact opposite. In some situations, such as the suspect’s pursuit, having access only to Dr Watson’s perspective made it dull. 

The mystery was appealing, even if the criminal’s motivations weren’t clear to me. Additionally, the fact that the author used retrospectives to reveal details from the crime seemed better in the text this time. 

Lastly, even as background to all the adventures and mysteries that go on, the personal stories of Sherlock and Watson started to gain shape. On the one hand, we have access to Sherlock’s addictions and mental health problems. On the other, Watson’s future wife makes her first appearance in this novel. When it comes to this love story, all I can say is there’s something special about how less than 24 hours and a few glances were enough to fall in love…
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