The War Service of Sherlock Holmes - A Sherlock Holmes Short Story
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It’s the eve of the First World War, and Sherlock Holmes has retired and taken up beekeeping, or has he? This short spy story is the final tale in the masterful detective’s chronology and reveals new depths to his sleuthing skill.
Now past his prime, Sherlock Holmes has retired to the countryside to live a quiet life in his remaining years. Yet as the First World War approaches, British government officials reach out to the once-great detective to ask for his assistance. Pairing up with his loyal companion, Doctor Watson, once more, Holmes embarks on a new career path: espionage. Going undercover, it’s up to the sleuthing duo to infiltrate German intelligence and stop the British security leak.
First published in 1917, this short story by Arthur Conan Doyle is the final tale in the Sherlock Holmes chronology. It is often seen as propaganda intended to boost British morale due to its patriotic themes and wartime setting. Read & Co. Books is proud to republish ‘The War Service of Sherlock Holmes’ in a new edition featuring a specially commissioned introduction and an article by the author.
Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle was born in 1859. He trained to be a doctor at Edinburgh University and eventually set up a medical practice in Southsea. During the quiet periods between patients, he turned his hand to writing, producing historical novels such as Micah Clarke and adventure yarns including The Lost World, as well as four novels and fifty-six stories involving his most celebrated creations, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. Doyle was knighted in 1902. In later life he devoted much of his time to his belief in Spiritualism, using his writing and celebrity as a means of providing funds to support activities in this field. He died in 1930.
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