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ISBN: 9780140437720(ISBN-10: 014043772X)
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
September 1914 | Publication | Reception was solid and respectful rather than enthusiastic. Serialisation in the Strand Magazine drew reliable readership but by 1914 Holmes was an institution and the novel was received as a dependable addition rather than an event. Contemporary reviewers noted the structural similarity to A Study in Scarlet and opinion divided on whether the American flashback section strengthened or diluted the main investigation. Modern critical assessment places it third of the four novels, above The Sign of Four in most rankings, valued for the Moriarty framing and the American section's historical grounding. |
Reception was solid and respectful rather than enthusiastic. Serialisation in the Strand Magazine drew reliable readership but by 1914 Holmes was an institution and the novel was received as a dependable addition rather than an event. Contemporary reviewers noted the structural similarity to A Study in Scarlet and opinion divided on whether the American flashback section strengthened or diluted the main investigation. Modern critical assessment places it third of the four novels, above The Sign of Four in most rankings, valued for the Moriarty framing and the American section's historical grounding.