The Last Case Book of Sherlock Holmes Author:Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The last of the four collections of Doyle's stories about the great detective, published in 1927, but mostly set in 1900-1902, "around the time of the Boer War". It's an odd selection, not the best of the Holmes stories; there are several tales turning on freaks of nature (monkey gland injections, a disease almost like leprosy and a killer jelly... more »fish) and several where Holmes doesn't actually solve anything but is more a kind of deliverer of absolution. Both British & American 1st editions were published in 1927, but the British is called "Case-Book" and the American "Case Book" -- a later American edition is called "Casebook." The Case-Book is notable for containing three stories not narrated by Dr. Watson, as most Sherlock Holmes stories are.
"Sherlock Holmes was not the only writing Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) did but Holmes and Dr. Watson are his most remembered characters.
Holmes titled himself a "Consulting Detective". His powers of observation, his understanding of crime, and his insights into the criminal mind were brilliant. His knowledge of things not related to crime were extemely limited, except in opera and the violin.
Like many other authors famous for a single character, Authur Conan Doyle attempted to "kill" Holmes. But the readers would not let this happen. Holmes eventually appeared in 56 short stories and 4 novels.« less