Sherlock Holmes Books In Order: How To Actually Read Them

Reading the Sherlock Holmes books in order can make a captivating reading list. I still remember sitting on my best friend’s bedroom floor, the BBC Sherlock series playing from her laptop, absolutely entranced by the character. 

But, my love for the series didn’t start there. At some point in my teenage years, I got my hands on the hardcover, ribboned collection of the Sherlock Holmes books in order. The paper weight was perfect, smooth, and the ribbon made the collection feel extra special. 

You’d find me reading The Five Orange Pips or following along as Sherlock busted yet another mystery, trying to figure it out myself as well. Of course, Sherlock beat me to the punchline. 

Over the last decade, we’ve taught more 8,000 authors how to write, publish, and market their books and book series. That’s a lot of authors, and a lot of books, so today we turn to the classic: the Sherlock Holmes books in order, to teach you a few vital lessons. 

Sherlock Holmes books in order: what’s covered 

• Is it necessary to read Sherlock Holmes in order?
• What are the 9 books of Sherlock Holmes?
• In what order should I read the Sherlock Holmes books?
• Which Sherlock Holmes book is the best?

Is it necessary to read Sherlock Holmes in order?

While no, it is not necessary to read the Sherlock Holmes books in order, it can be beneficial. Imagine for a moment, and it may not take that much creativity, that Sherlock Holmes is a real person, not just a character. 

If this is the case, you’ll likely want to read about his life chronologically, like you would a biography or memoir, so you can trace his character development.

As an author, reading the Sherlock Holmes books in order can teach you a myriad of factors:

• You can trace Sherlock’s character arc
• Discover how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle developed the mysteries 
• Learn how he crafted such compelling characters
• Note the progression of Doyle’s writing craft 

You can spot Sherlock’s character arc (or lack thereof, as some argue he does not have one) no matter the order you read the books, but it can stand out more vividly when you read the books with some context for when they were published and the chronology for the characters. 

As far as writing craft and how Doyle created his mysteries, it can be a fun case study to trace the progression over time. 

I recently looked at an early, early draft for a novel I’ve been working on. While I expected the writing to be quite a bit different from my current version, it was helpful to see how much my writing had changed.

While conversing with a writing colleague, I said, “It reads as theater. Overdone.” In theater, facial emotions, and even tone, has to be exaggerated in order to reach the back-row audience members. 

My writing reflected my desire to communicate my story. But rather than trust the reader to pick up what I was writing, I overdid it. You can read the Sherlock Holmes books in order to see for yourself how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle progresses in his own writing. 

Granted, it’s classic literature and follows and breaks different rules than writers typically follow and break today, but there’s a reason his writing is considered so classic. 

What are the 9 books of Sherlock Holmes?

The Sherlock Holmes books in order of publication go as follows:

• A Study in Scarlet novel (1887)
• The Sign of Four novel (1890)
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes short stories (1892)
• The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes short stories (1894)
• The Hound of the Baskervilles novel (1902)
• The Return of Sherlock Holmes short stories (1905)
• The Valley of Fear novel (1915)
• His Last Bow short stories (1917)
• The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes short stories (1927)

Notice that A Study in Scarlet was published in 1887, while The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes didn’t release until 1927. That’s four decades later. 

Imagine writing a character readers resonated with so strongly that they stayed top of mind for forty years? If for no other reason than to study such an iconic character, this is one reason to read the Sherlock Holmes books in order. 

In what order should I read the Sherlock Holmes books?

You can read the Sherlock Holmes books in whatever order you like, but it can be beneficial to read them chronologically. Now let’s take a look at the short story collections in order.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892):

• A Scandal in Bohemia
• The Red-Headed League
• A Case of Identity
• The Boscombe Valley Mystery
• The Five Orange Pips
• The Man with the Twisted Lip
• The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
• The Adventure of the Speckled Band
• The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb
• The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
• The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
• The Adventure of the Copper Beeches

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894):

• Silver Blaze
• The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
• The Adventure of the Yellow Face
• The Adventure of the Stockbroker’s Clerk
• The Adventure of the Gloria Scott
• The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual
• The Adventure of the Reigate Squire
• The Adventure of the Crooked Man
• The Adventure of the Resident Patient
• The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter
• The Adventure of the Naval Treaty
• The Final Problem

The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905):

• The Adventure of the Empty House
• The Adventure of the Norwood Builder
• The Adventure of the Dancing Men
• The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist
• The Adventure of the Priory School
• The Adventure of Black Peter
• The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton
• The Adventure of the Six Napoleons
• The Adventure of the Three Students
• The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez
• The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter
• The Adventure of the Abbey Grange
• The Adventure of the Second Stain

His Last Bow (1917):

• The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge
• The Adventure of the Cardboard Box*
• The Adventure of the Red Circle
• The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans
• The Adventure of the Dying Detective
• The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax
• The Adventure of the Devil’s Foot
• His Last Bow

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1927):

• The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone
• The Problem of Thor Bridge
• The Adventure of the Creeping Man
• The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire
• The Adventure of the Three Garridebs
• The Adventure of the Illustrious Client
• The Adventure of the Three Gables
• The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier
• The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane
• The Adventure of the Retired Colourman
• The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger
• The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place

Which Sherlock Holmes book is the best?

I would argue that The Five Orange Pips is a fantastic short story, but it may seem impossible to choose one book as best.

It is Sir Authur Conan Doyle we’re discussing, after all. Each story portrays a fresh mystery, new discoveries by Sherlock, and a curious Watson always eager to be part. 

What would you deem as the best of the Sherlock Holmes books, whether novel or short story?

Sherlock Holmes books in order: take your next step 

Now that you know all about the Sherlock Holmes books in order and what you can learn from them, it’s time to take your next step. Use our free Publishing Path Assessment to get started on your author journey today!