"holmes and watson meet for the first time.
watson's first case with holmes.
"
james, Resident Scholar
"This is the novella in which Doyle introduced the characters of Watson and Holmes. Our hero solves the mystery after only a quarter of the narrative, following which we travel back in time to learn the prehistory of the crime, set in the Mormon community of 1840s-1860s Utah.
"
David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of Study in Scarlet
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of story
- very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- 19th century
Spying/Terrorism Thriller
Yes
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- nearly 100%
Kind of investigator
- british mystery (I say!)
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here?
- finding a known killer
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- private investigator
Age:
- 20's-30's
- 40's-50's
Has special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character:
- can read emotions
Eccentric/Mental:
Yes
Eccentric:
- eccentric
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
- just the right amount
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- healthy but a geeky weakling
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- accused criminal
Has special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist:
- can read emotions
Eccentric:
Yes
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- physically sick
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Texas
- West
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Desert?
Yes
Desert:
- dying of thirst, sunburn
City?
Yes
City:
- Los Angeles
- London
Farm/Ranch?
Yes
Farm/Ranch:
- ranch
Misc setting
- scientific labs
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 3-4
Unusual forms of death
- poisoning
- perforation--swords/knives
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- mostly dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog