From the Bookshelf of Reading the Classics…

The Valley of Fear (Sherlock Holmes, #7)

Arthur Conan Doyle

Start date: October 7, 2013

Finish date: October 16, 2013

Why we're reading this: Next book in our Summer of Sherlock project.
[close] Next book in our Summer of Sherlock project.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

Oct 10, 2016 Henry Avila rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Sherlock Holmes receives a message from the mysterious "Porlock" , a nom-de plume, as he tells the curious Dr.Watson, in their residence, at 221 B Baker Street, in London...coded, they will have to find a particular book to decipher it, but clues are given and though a second note promised, never arrives from the obviously very nervous man, soon they do succeed...Alec MacDonald of Scotland Yard enters the room unexpectedly, disclosing a murder has just occurred, a Mr. John Douglas was shot in hi Sherlock Holmes receives a message from the mysterious "Porlock" , a nom-de plume, as he tells the curious Dr.Watson, in their residence, at 221 B Baker Street, in London...coded, they will have to find a particular book to decipher it, but clues are given and though a second note promised, never arrives from the obviously very nervous man, soon they do succeed...Alec MacDonald of Scotland Yard enters the room unexpectedly, disclosing a murder has just occurred, a Mr. John Douglas was shot in his Manor House, in the small village of Birlstone Sussex, not a surprise to the two friends. Mr.MacDonald is flabbergasted, Mr.Holmes explains and shows him the name of Douglas in the decoded message, too late to help the poor victim. Asking for help from the famous private detective the young policeman is not ashamed, he needs assistance they all travel to the crime house but not before Holmes discloses his theory about Professor Moriarity, a seemingly brilliant scientist and law abiding citizen, who Sherlock says is the criminal chief of the underworld, MacDonald is skeptical... Something is not quite right as Holmes looks around, (the grateful provincial constables, watch ) feels uncomfortable, Mrs.Douglas and Cecil James Barker the husband's best friend are not acting properly and the local police theory how the killing happened, he doesn't believe. The manor is surrounded by a moat, the drawbridge raised at night how did a stranger get in, commit the murder and disappear unseen by the servants and why the murder, nothing was taken from the home....Later information discovered by the famous detective, states that when Mr. Douglas lived in America and where he made his fortune under a different name, he was involved with a secret society of miners the "Scowrers" ( patterned after the infamous Molly Maguires) in the grimy dangerous, coal fields of eastern Pennsylvania the Vermissa Valley, frequently snowbound nicknamed "The Valley of Fear, "Murder is common there and the authorities unable to stop the bloodletting, the population afraid and helpless to stop it, the Scowrers control vast areas in their endless fight with the mine owners and the mostly Irish coal minors continue , year after year... A Sherlock Holmes novel, only one of four written by the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, that is really two different narratives one set in England with Holmes and the other in America, with Mr." Douglas" both are interesting and highly exciting but some will be rather disappointed, in the lack of the main character in the latter... ...more

138 likes · Like · see review

Mar 04, 2011 Mickey rated it it was amazing

This is a departure for Arthur Conan Doyle. Although framed with Holmes and Watson, the protagonist of this story is a working man who gets involved in the unions in America. I thought it was great. It reminded me a lot of Upton Sinclair (similar setting and circumstances).

Like · see review