Whodunit #4

In Hound of the Baskervilles, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are up against a supernatural hound that, according to legend, has been the curse of the Baskerville family for generations. The recent death of Sir Charles Baskerville by the gloomy moor in Devonshire has aroused suspicion that the curse has something to do with it. Dr. Mortimer, a family friend, enlists the help of Holmes to solve the mystery as the remaining heir to the estate, Sir Henry, is arriving to take the place of the late baronet, and Mortimer is worried that the young Baskerville might suffer the same fate as his father. Holmes, saying that he has business to attend to in London, asks Watson to accompany Sir Henry back to Baskerville Hall in Devonshire, acting as the detective's eyes and ears in his absence.


In Devonshire, intriguing events take place: the suspicious behavior of the servants; reports of an escaped convict in the area; eerie sounds in the middle of the night; a strange, solitary figure roaming the hills by the moor; a certain Laura Lyons who has something to hide; and a warning from the beautiful, dark-haired Beryl Stapleton who lives in Merripit House beside Baskerville Hall with her brother, Jack.


Although the motive is obvious and the suspect is revealed quite early on, it was a thrill to sit back and watch Holmes tie the loose ends together using his trademark and uncanny logic, unraveling a gothic mystery with supernatural elements. Arthur Conan Doyle, as always, provides masterful entertainment.