"A Study in Scarlet" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: 70 Proof's look at the great mystery writers continues with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the most famous detective of them all, Sherlock Holmes.

As a young man, Mr. Doyle didn't set out to become a writer. In fact, despite his family being known in the art world, he attended the University of Edinburgh in hopes of becoming a doctor. His study of medicine led him to encounter a Dr. Joseph Bell, whose use of observation and deduction in diagnosing patients would serve as the inspiration for the legendary Holmes. Make no mistake; Mr. Doyle was also greatly influenced by the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Doyle flattered the hell out of Poe. But we'll get into all that when discussing Poe's work. For now, let our only concern be the celebrated sleuth of 221B Baker Street.

After serving as ship doctor on a few expeditions abroad and testing his hand with short stories, Mr. Doyle's peaceful life as a private practitioner was changed forever in 1887 with the publication of "A Study in Scarlet." The novel introduced the world to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, creating an immediate literary sensation.

Dr. Watson, as is the case with the vast majority of Holmes mysteries, narrates the story. Unlike in Hollywood, where he's often portrayed as a bumbling dolt of a sidekick, Watson is actually intelligent, fit, and brave. A British Army surgeon in the second Afghan War, Watson suffered a shoulder wound and survived a bout with typhoid fever before receiving a medical discharge. He returned to London to recover his health and to live as leisurely as possible on his scant army pension. Without friends or family upon which to lean, Watson's financial state becomes so dire he must make economic concessions. He decides to share living quarters. A mutual acquaintance introduces him to Sherlock Holmes, a rather peculiar young man also in search of affordable lodgings. A friendship is born.

Watson finds Holmes to be a perfect roommate, if a little eccentric. The doctor regards his new companion as a constant source of curiosity. Holmes' activity level is one of extremes; he either lounges around on the couch for days without uttering a word or he's up till all hours of the night working on chemical experiments and other irregular pursuits. Watson, still unaware of his friend's occupation, discovers Holmes to have a superior, if selective, intellect. In matters of chemistry, anatomy, and criminal history, Holmes is infallible. Yet when Watson begins a discussion of the Solar System, Holmes is completely in the dark. This ignorance carries over into such subjects as Literature, Philosophy, and Politics. Puzzled by the incongruities of such a mind, Watson becomes even more confounded when Holmes often begs for use of the sitting room so he can see his "clients."

One morning over breakfast, Watson casually picks up a magazine and begins reading an article about the powers of observation. The author makes such extraordinary statements, claiming to be able to tell the history and profession of a man by a single glance; Watson can't help but share his scornful disbelief with Holmes. The latter confesses to having penned the article and then proceeds to dazzle the doctor with a demonstration of his unique gifts. Holmes finally reveals his trade as that of a consulting detective. Scotland Yard soon requests Holmes' assistance in solving a bizarre murder, giving Watson the opportunity to witness his friend in action.

The body of a man is found in an empty room of an abandoned house. Despite there being no signs of struggle or injury upon the victim's body, the word "Rache" is scrawled in blood on one of the room's walls. Why and how did the man come to such a location? How did he meet his demise? What is the meaning of the bloody inscription? Where did the blood even come from? Holmes, employing his singular style of observation and deduction, immediately sets to unraveling the riddle.

The truly unique thing about "A Study in Scarlet," aside from its protagonist, is its structure. Mr. Doyle divides his story into three sections. The first is concerned with the introduction of Holmes, the discovery of the crime, and Holmes' surprisingly swift solution. It concludes with Holmes slapping handcuffs on the guilty party without so much as a hint to the man's identity as the murderer.

The second section, entitled "The Country of the Saints," provides the background of the murderer, victim, and motive. Without giving too much away, you may want to avoid this part of the story if you or someone you love is Mormon. Anyway, the interesting thing about this segment is that Dr. Watson doesn't provide the narration. Instead, an omniscient, third person narrator does the honors, taking the reader back in time to the events leading up to the crime as they happen. The prose is much leaner, more straightforward.

Section three reverts back to the narration of Dr. Watson, with the murderer explaining the details of his wrongdoing and Holmes expounding upon his methods of uncovering the truth.

The way the story is constructed, it's entirely possible to skip the second section completely and not miss a thing. It's even reported some readers actually prefer to do just that, thereby retaining the standard Holmes formula used by Mr. Doyle in future stories. In the opinion of this humble reviewer, omitting the middle passage would be a sinful mistake.

Having read several of the Holmes stories before encountering "A Study and Scarlet," I expected the usual fare; Holmes is informed of a crime, Holmes solves crime, Holmes explains solution. I was pleasantly surprised by the uncharacteristic digression of the second section. Its inclusion, with its change in narration and style, elevates "A Study in Scarlet" from a mere detective story into the realm of actual literature. What makes a book great isn't the story, but how it's told. The shift in time and voice of the second passage proves Mr. Doyle's skill as a storyteller and gives the work much greater depth. It also serves to build suspense, delaying the mystery's resolution from the moment Holmes apprehends the murderer at the end of section one until the linear tale is resumed with section three.

"A Study in Scarlet," with its legendary characters and intriguing mystery, is worthy of respect. Its clever construction, in Mr. Doyle's deft hands, pushes it over the top.

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"The Sign of Four" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: In 1890, Mr. Doyle followed up the success of "A Study in Scarlet" with his second Sherlock Holmes novel, "The Sign of Four." While it lacks the nifty narrative nuances of its predecessor, "The Sign of Four" is a splendid mix of adventure and mystery, boasting hidden treasure, a peg-legged pirate, a Pygmy named Tonga, blowguns, revenge, and a rollicking good boat chase down the Thames. There's even romance, with Dr. Watson finding true love. But perhaps all of it takes a backseat to the introduction of Holmes' "seven-percent solution."

When the story opens, Watson is watching in disgust as Holmes administers himself a shot of cocaine. Yes, Sherlock Holmes did use cocaine. He injected a seven-percent solution of the drug to stimulate his mind during periods of inactivity. Oh, sure, that's great and all when Sherlock Holmes does it, but the whole "stimulate the mind" excuse never worked for Ike Turner. Hardly seems fair. Of course, cocaine wasn't illegal back in the 1890s. Born too late, Ike. Born too late.

Thankfully, Holmes' bout with intellectual stagnation doesn't last long. The needle is barely out of his arm when Miss Mary Morstan, a young woman who wins Watson's heart at first glance, comes to seek Holmes' assistance regarding an unusual invitation. An anonymous party had written Miss Morstan, requesting a rendezvous. The letter stated she was a wronged woman and shall have justice. She was allowed to bring two friends if she had any safety concerns, as long as she didn't involve the police. Oddly enough, I usually make similar demands before a first date.

The strange note isn't the first unexplained event in Miss Morstan's life. Ten years earlier, her father, Captain Arthur Morstan, had disappeared without a trace. He was last seen leaving his home to visit Major Sholto, a former friend in the 34th Bombay Infantry. Four years after her father vanished, a newspaper ad pleaded for Miss Mary Morstan to come forward, claiming it would be to her benefit. After replying to the ad, she was sent a very large pearl. A similar pearl arrived on the same day each year.

Holmes and Watson agree to accompany Miss Morstan on her mysterious journey. When they arrive at the predetermined spot mentioned in the letter, a waiting carriage whisks them away to the residence of one Thaddeus Sholto, the son of Major Sholto. Thaddeus breaks the news to Mary that her father is dead, having died of heart failure all those many years ago during his visit to Major Sholto. The two men were quarreling over how to divide a treasure they brought back from India when Captain Morstan keeled over, striking his head. Major Sholto, fearing he would be seen as a murderer, covered up his colleague's death, allowing the world at large, including Mary, to believe Morstan disappeared on his own.

Thaddeus first heard the story six years ago when his own father, Major Sholto, was lying on his deathbed. Sholto was about to reveal to Thaddeus and his twin brother Bartholomew where the treasure was hidden, but is literally scared to death by a vision he sees at his bedroom window. The two sons search the property and find nothing. When they return to their father's side, a piece of paper is fixed to the dead man's chest. It read "The Sign of Four."

Being of tremendous wealth already, Thaddeus feels it is his and Bartholomew's duty to look after Mary, who is Captain Morstan's lone surviving heir. Bartholomew is nowhere near as generous as his brother, but allows Thaddeus to send Miss Morstan one pearl at regular intervals to keep her from feeling destitute. However, a dramatic event required Thaddeus to contact Miss Morstan immediately. Bartholomew had found the treasure! It was Thaddeus' hope that if he, along with Miss Morstan and her two friends, were to confront Bartholomew in person, he would relent and give the young lady her rightful share.

Does their plan work? Well, let's just say they arrive at Bartolomew's home to find a startling scene, which includes a second note scrawled with the words, "The Sign of Four."

Overall, this is another four-shot effort from Mr. Doyle. Perhaps we give out four shots too easily these days; I mean, let's face it, "The Sign of Four" isn't "The Great Gatsby" or "Notes from Underground." Then again, with its action and intrigue, it could very well be the Gatsby of detective stories.

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NEXT WEEK: We're not done with Mr. Doyle just yet. We'll return next week with a look at three collections of Sherlock Holmes stories.