Arthur Conan Doyle published his last tale of Sherlock Holmes in 1927. That same year,
The Strand Magazine
—the periodical in which most of the Sherlock Holmes stories first appeared—sponsored a competition for its readers to choose the twelve best stories featuring The Great Detective. Doyle himself participated, and in his essay "How I Made My List," published in the magazine's March issue, he gave the reasons for his twelve selections.
The Illustrated Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
features all twelve stories that Conan Doyle officially anointed the
creme de la creme
of the Sherlock Holmes canon:
The Musgrave Ritual
The Speckled Band
The Five Orange Pips
The Reigate Squire
A Scandal in Bohemia
The Red-Headed League
The Final Problem
The Empty House
The Devil's Foot
The Dancing Men
The Priory School
The Second Stain
All twelve stories are illustrated in full color by some of the best-known artists to interpret the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, among them Sidney Paget, Fredric Dorr Steele, James McNeill Whistler, Louise Rayner, and others.This volume brings vividly to life the exploits of Baker Street's most famous resident.