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The Sign of Four

Arthur Conan Doyle

Ages 10–16

Readers rate it 3.7 (636 on Hardcover)

128 pages · Released 2001

Content report card

The Sign of Four parent’s guide: what’s inside

High confidence

LGBTQ+ themes

What it offers

A note for parents

This classic Victorian detective novel is a engaging mystery featuring Sherlock Holmes and Watson that rewards careful reading and logical thinking. The plot involves crime and conflict but violence is not graphically depicted; the main content concerns include period-typical language and Holmes's cocaine use, which are handled matter-of-factly rather than glamorized. The story models good detective work, friendship, and reasoned problem-solving, making it suitable for older elementary and middle-grade readers with interest in mysteries.

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From the publisher

As a dense yellow fog swirls through the streets of London, a deep melancholy has descended on Sherlock Holmes, who sits in a cocaine-induced haze at 221B Baker Street. His mood is only lifted by a visit from a beautiful but distressed young woman - Mary Morstan, whose father vanished ten years before. Four years later... As a dense yellow fog swirls through the streets of London, a deep melancholy has descended on Sherlock Holmes, who sits in a cocaine-induced haze at 221B Baker Street. His mood is only lifted by a visit from a beautiful but distressed young woman - Mary Morstan, whose father vanished ten years before. Four years later she began to receive an exquisite gift every year: a large, lustrous pearl. Now she has had an intriguing invitation to meet her unknown benefactor and urges Holmes and Watson to accompany her. And in the ensuing investigation - which involves a wronged woman, a stolen hoard of Indian treasure, a wooden-legged ruffian, a helpful dog and a love affair - even the jaded Holmes is moved to exclaim, 'Isn't it gorgeous!' --back cover

Shelved under

  • Plot driven
  • Weak Character Development
  • Not Diverse Characters
  • Loveable Characters
  • Unloveable Characters
  • Strong Character Development
  • UK
  • medium-paced
  • mysterious
  • adventurous
  • informative
  • dark

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ISBN 9780140439076 · Penguin Books

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