::AMAZON REVIEWS::

Great story... but not on the kindle
I read a review for a free version of this for the kindle that suggested you spend a buck or two to get a decent copy. Apparently the free version has more than its share of issues. I figured this was still reasonably priced at $0.99, so gave it a shot. It's more or less readable, but the frequency of errors is just inexcusable... even if it is less than a dollar. There are random breaks in mid-paragraph and mid-sentence (random meaning there is no apparent reason for it; they actually show up pretty consistently), missing words at the start of chapters or paragraphs, and several typos (typos that don't exist in the print version I also bought).

The story itself is an easy 5 stars. There have to be better versions out there, though.

My Dear Watson
Interesting from the first page. There's already a mystery to be solved right when you open the book, with a mysterious cane left in Watson and Sherlock's office.

Doyle keeps each page filled with suspense and thrills. Even as I read, I could hear the low, mournful sound of the hound that Stapleton keeps locked up baying across the moor.
The characters are amazing and funny. Sherlock Holmes keeps me giggling with all of his oddities and eccentrities. Watson is amusing with his normal assumptions next to Sherlock.

The mystery is intriguing and darker and deeper than it first appears. The book can actually be rather creepy and suspenseful, unlike the other mystery novels where they're solving the typical robbery, or something like that.
The only thing that I didn't like as much compared to other authors I've read was that his sense of description wasn't as good. I had to rely more on my imagination to see the moors as he described it rather than what it really looked like.
Yet in spite of that, the novel was comedy, mystery, and a pinch of horror all rolled into one delicious enchilada

One of the All-Time Classics!
Sherlock Holmes is at his best every time you read it, and this newly-published edition is no different. The 2009 edition is well-edited, and well-presented, and the story is timeless. If you have read "Sherlock Holmes" in the past, it should take no convincing as to why you should read it again. If you have never read this book, then you need to purchase this today and enjoy the amazing story that the rest of us have been enjoying for years. This novel also makes a fantastic gift for those of our younger generations that have never had the pleasure of enjoying Sherlock Holmes in all of his glory.

Please enjoy this book, and share it with your friends and family!

Todd Hagopian
President/CEO
Hagopian Institute
Author of the popular "Quote Junkie" series, and the newly-published "Idiom Junkie" series

A Curse on the Aristocracy
The Hound of the Baskervilles, by A. Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson discuss what can be deduced from a walking stick left behind by a visitor. When the visitor returns he tells of the old legend about the hound of the Baskerville family, and how Sir Charles Baskerville died recently. Dr. James Mortimer found the footprints of a gigantic hound twenty yards from the body! There have been sightings of a huge hound on the moors at night. A new heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, arrives from Canada to take over the Baskerville property; he is the last of the line. Will he meet the same evil fate? Holmes makes an appointment to meet Sir Henry the next day. Holmes peers over the Ordnance map of that area. Has any crime been committed (Chapter 3)? Sir Henry tells of a warning letter sent to his hotel; who knew he was there? Why would anyone steal just one of his new boots? Would anyone follow Sir Henry? Dr. Watson will accompany Sir Henry back to Baskerville Hall; there is less danger in a small village than in London. Dr. Watson must keep his revolver near and never relax his precautions (Chapter 6).

The moor country is described as wild and sparsely settled. Dr. Watson reports his observations of the people who meet with Sir Henry. Watson sees the dangers of the great Grimpen Mire when a pony is caught in a bog and killed. There are stone huts from prehistoric man. Watson meets Stapleton the naturalist and then his beautiful sister (who tells him to go back to London). Stapleton had once been a schoolmaster (Chapter 7). Watson sends letters to Holmes in London (Chapter 8). Mr. Frankland has a passion for litigation. He also observes the country with a telescope on his roof. Why was Stapleton so angry (Chapter 9)? What was the secret of the Barrymores? Watson meets Laura Lyons and hears her secret story (Chapter 11). What did she hold back? Mr. Frankland observed the stone huts. Then Watson hears a terrible scream from the moor (Chapter 12). Holmes has the solution to a cold-blooded murder, but lacked definitive proof. Holmes studied the portrait of the wicked Sir Hugo. Then plans are made for the night's activities. Will an unexpected fog create a complication? Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade rescue Sir Henry from a murderous fate. The villain escaped to a hiding place on the moor, but justice wasn't cheated. Chapter 15 ties up the loose ends.

This may be the most popular of Doyle's four Holmes novels. It does not involve a religion, a company town, or imperial looting. Did Doyle implicitly criticize a hereditary aristocracy that passed down evils to each generation? The character traits of the villain seem like those in true crime stories. Inheritance through murder has inspired other stories ("The List of Adrian Messenger"). There is one flaw in this story. How could the purchase of food for a giant hound be kept secret? Sherlock Holmes could question the grocers and butchers in the area to find the owner of that giant hound.

One of the More Enjoyable Holmes Novels
Synopsis: The book begins with the usual formula--Holmes and Watson are at Baker Street, a client comes seeking Holmes services, and the mystery is put forth. In this book, there has been a mysterious death--a man with a heart problem was run down by a hound, which may or may not be earthly. His death follows the pattern of a family curse, and the man seeking services wonders what to tell the heir who is coming into the inheritance. Due to other cases, Holmes cannot go to the site, but sends Watson as his emissary. Watson sends him reports, and eventually, Holmes rejoins him to solve the case and hopefully to rescue those in danger.

Review: I enjoyed this book much more than Sign of the Four. There are twists and turns to the mystery, significant side stories that distract Watson and Holmes, and well thought out supporting characters. The story stays in England, so there are no cheap thrills more typical of a dime-store pulp novel. I especially enjoyed the fact that Watson is alone through a large part of the novel. Part of the fun is trying to figure out the mystery along with Watson, as opposed to just having Holmes solve everything right away. In some TV/film versions, Watson is portrayed as a fat bumbling fool. In Doyle's original work he is a strong and intelligent--a doctor and former army man. This is particularly evident in this novel. Here, we see Watson's strength, his assistance to Holmes, his keen and clever observations, and his social abilities (which Holmes often lacks).

Although I enjoyed the short story collections more, I think this is the best out of the four novels featuring Sherlock Holmes. It is a gem of a short novel and is still suspenseful and interesting, even for modern readers.

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