The Hound of the Baskervilles

 The Hound of the Baskervilles by Conan Doyle

    I have never read many of the classic mystery novels, but this month’s theme at the library’s  Book Club was “Mysteries”, so I decided to try a Sherlock Holmes novel.  I had never read a Sherlock Holmes mystery, and this seemed like a good opportunity.  I went online and queried what was the best Sherlock Holmes novel.  The answer came back:  “The Hound of the Baskervilles”, so that is the one I read.  Fortunately since the book is no longer under copyright, you can get it for free as an ebook.

    The storyline begins when a Dr. Mortimer, who lives in a village in the Moors visits Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson at their office.  The doctor had previously visited the office when no one was there, and had inadvertently left his walking stick behind.  So the reader right away is given a hint of Holmes’s intellect as he and Watson, predict what the visiting doctor will be like by examining the clues they find on his walking stick.

    Dr. Mortimer tells the two of the strange and tragic events that have happened to a couple of the baronet heads of the wealthy Baskerville family.  Years earlier Sir Hugo Baskerville’s corpse was found in the moors, mutilated by what must have been a large demonic hound.  More recently, his son, Sir Charles Baskerville, was found dead outside Baskerville Hall after seemingly dying of a heart attack, after being frightened to death by the hound.  Sir Henry Baskerville, the new heir to the Baskerville fortune is about to take over the estate, and Dr. Mortimer fears that he too will be killed, which is why he now seeks Sherlock Holmes’ help.

    They all go to meet meet Sir Henry in London, before he goes to Dartmoor his inherited estate.  Holmes decides to take up the case, and sends Dr. Watson along with Sir Henry, to protect him and investigate what is going on.  Once at Dartmoor, Dr. Watson meets several people all of which are possibly involved in the mysterious deaths.  The entire novel is written through the eyes of Dr. Watson, as he relates the whole tale of what happens and how the mystery was solved.  I hadn’t realized that the whole Sherlock Holmes story would be told by Dr. Watson.

    Of course several possibilities of who the culprit behind the deaths might be are given to the reader as the storyline progresses.  One by one, they are debunked until the real suspect becomes known, but when that happens, Holmes lets that suspect stay free until he can set things up so that the suspect is caught in the act, giving Holmes the solid evidence he needs for the suspect to be convicted.

I enjoyed reading The Hound of the Baskervilles.  It was easy to read and straight forward.  I could see why the Sherlock Holmes mysteries had become so popular.

View my paintings at:  davidmarchant2.ca