The Adventure of the Speckled Band | Arthur Conan Doyle | Book Review | Short Story
The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle is one of his most impressive and perplexing mysteries featuring the iconic Sherlock Holmes. A short story part of the “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” collection, this mystery first published in 1892 and has wowed readers ever since.
So, read the publication history, short story review and buy links for The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle in this post below.
About The Adventure of the Speckled Band:
Title and Author: The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Print Length: 61 Pages
Publication Date: 1892
Language: English
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Short Story, Classics, Novel, Thriller, Detective fiction, Locked-room mystery
The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle Book Review:
The Adventure of the Speckled Band Summary:
Julia Stoner died mysteriously and very dramatically in her room with the last words out of her mouth being “…it was the speckled band!”
Following her death, now her twin, Helen Stoner is here in Baker Street to ask the help of the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. She is afraid of her violent step father who likes baboons and cheetah as pets and has a soft spot for the gypsies who are allowed to camp on his grounds. So, Helen is afraid and suspicious about her sister’s death just before her marriage. With Helen’s own marriage near, when the mysterious whistle and a heavy metal clang sound is heard again in the middle of the night and she has been shifted in the room where her sister died under the pretext of having repairs in her own room.
Can Sherlock Holmes solve the mystery of Julia Stoner’s sudden death and the mystery of her last words?
Is the speckled handkerchief worn by the gypsies in any way related to Julia’s last reference to a speckled band?
Can Helen’s story be believed?
Why is Helen’s father, Dr. Roylott against any investigation in his daughter’s death?
The Adventure of the Speckled Band Book Review:
This story is one of the fifty six short stories written and one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s four “locked room mysteries”. First published in 1892 in the “Strand Magazine”, Arthur Conan Doyle considered this short story his “best Holmes story” and also published this story under a different name in the US and also wrote and produced a play based on it.
The character of Sherlock Holmes is based on Doyle’s professor in college, Dr. Bell who treated his patients using his skills of observation and deduction.
Dr. Watson, friend and assistant of Sherlock Holmes narrates this story in the first person. The author takes the role of Dr. Watson who gives the details of
the mystery from the point of view of an ordinary man who is often amazed and wowed by the deductions of Sherlock Holmes. The plot is tightly plotted and
admirably executed with the author succeeding in intriguing and mystifying the reader. As a result, the solutions when they come leave the reader shocked and totally bowled over. The mystery is ingenious in its construction and execution. Hence, the circumstances are crisply explained and the writing is simple with no specific emphasis on the usage of difficult words.
I have read this story numerous times and still feel awed by the ingenious way in which the crime happens. So, this particular short story is my favorite
among the other fifty five short stories by Doyle. Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorite detectives and I have grown up reading his mysteries. Guaranteed to shock you and impress you, this is a must read from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Therefore, I give it 5 out of 5 super shiny stars and Njkinny recommends this spellbinding mystery to everyone.
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You know, I was never able to 'get into' Sherlock Holmes when I was a kid, maybe because I had to study it at one point – and that school can make me bitter about just anything. I read these recently after I loved Doyle's Lost World and you're right, it's ingenious, both in construction and execution.
I love all Sherlock Holmes books and this is definitely one of the best.. 🙂
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