Here, I will save you the time reading this:

"Hi, I'm Sherlock Holmes. I am sexist and conceited and enjoy deducing people's background by pointing out trivial things about them such as the color of their socks or the mud smears on their sleeves in order to make them think I'm amazing. Somehow, I have a great house in London, a plethora of nice suits and costumes, and fuel a cocaine addiction while working for free and turning down payment for all of my services. People come to me with problems that are obvious but that they apparently can't solve themselves. I listen to them and then disappear for a day to solve the crime in secret, repeatedly screwing over my so-called friend Watson. Once I have an answer, I pompously tell everyone (especially Watson) that they have no powers of observation and that, as always, I had the answer from the beginning. I don't try to get the criminal convicted though. It's all about the knowledge. Run free thieves and murderers. Pip pip cheerio!"

x's 12.

A Scandal in Bohemia: ****
The Red-headed League: ***
A Case of Identity: ***
The Boscombe Valley Mystery: ***
The Five Orange Pips: ***
The Man With The Twisted Lip: ****
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle: ***
The Adventure of the Speckled Band: *****
The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb: ****
The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor: ***
The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet: ****
The Adventure of the Copper Beeches: ****

3.58

I have to make clear that the ratings only represent how I personally felt reading each story, portraying the interest I had in them and how much I got carried away. It is a fact that all of them are well made and ingeniously crafted. Now, as to how I felt, there were times when I was amazed and others when I was "meh". For instance, I found "A Case of Identity" to be too obvious while Sherlock asked Watson questions that I could answer and the latter couldn't, making him look dumb. And then there was "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" which I found perfect. In any case (ha! see what I did there?), "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" is an exciting collection of stories that will make your brain cells disappear in no time!

This short story collection on the adventures on Sherlock Holmes set the famous fictitious detective at his best and Mr. Doyle himself at his best as well, save except in the Hound of the Baskerville. All twelve short stories in this collection are well written and varied between 3 stars to 5 stars in my opinion on them.

A Scandal in Bohemia - 4 stars - I really liked it. It was one instance that famous detective was outwitted, and that too by a woman!

The Red-headed League - 3 stars - This was a clever mystery where Holmes finally apprehend a most wanted criminal.

A Case of Identity - 3 stars - A simple mystery but nevertheless an enjoyable read.

The Boscombe Valley Mystery - 4 stars - An interesting mystery though the culprit was pretty predictable. Still, I liked it very much.

The Five Orange Pips - 3 stars - I wish the end of this mystery was made more satisfactory.

The Man with a Twisted Lip - 4 stars - I was really surprised at the end result to his mystery. Never for a moment guessed what it would be.

The adventure of the Blue Carbuncle - 3 stars - The famous detective shows the world that under a detached analytical self, a kind and compassionate man lives, by pardoning a thief and giving him another chance in life.

The Adventure of the Speckled Band - 5 stars - A great mystery, a sinister villain, the exceptional analytical skill of Holmes combines in creating a great adventure. Simply, an amazing read.

The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb - 3 stars - The mystery was interesting enough. My only regret was that the villain were not apprehended.

The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor - 4 stars - This is the one story out of the twelve pack in which I found a comic relief. I had a hearty laugh over the way this story was presented.

The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet - 5 stars - This is my most loved mystery out of the lot. Apart from Holmes and the dear doctor, I found an admirable character in Arthur Holder.

The Adventure of the Copper Beeches - 4 stars - Again we come across a sinister villain and how Holmes, a governess, a servant and a lover rescues an injured victim.

Overall, it was a enjoyable read. Highly recommended to those who would enjoy some quick adventures with our most beloved detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes!

A collection of adventures.

A short story collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. After two full length novels, this is the first short story collection. A mixed bag, as always with collections goes, Sherlock Holmes being no exception to the rule. Half of them good or very good, the other half not so much. Very interesting to know the origins of Irene Adler, and hoping to see more of her in the future. And quite an amazing surprise to see the ever invincible Sherlock Holmes lose a case for the first time. Highly remarkable.

Go for the Best, consider the Good, whatever the Meh.

n   The Best n:
★★★★★  "A Scandal in Bohemia."
★★★★☆  "The Copper Beeches."
★★★★☆  "The Man with the Twisted Lip."

n   The Good n:
★★★☆☆  "The Boscombe Valley Mystery." [3.5]
★★★☆☆  "The Speckled Band." [3.5]
★★★☆☆  "The Engineer’s Thumb."
★★★☆☆  "The Blue Carbuncle."

n   The Meh n:
★★☆☆☆  "The Five Orange Pips." [2.5]
★★☆☆☆  "A Case of Identity."
★★☆☆☆  "The Red-Headed League." [1.5]
★☆☆☆☆  "The Beryl Coronet."  
★☆☆☆☆  "The Noble Bachelor."

Still remaining, the BBC series.

It’s public domain, you can find it HERE.

-----------------------------------------------
n  PERSONAL NOTEn:
[1892] [389p] [Collection] [Partly Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------

★★★★☆ 1. A Study in Scarlet [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 2. The Sign of Four [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
★★★★☆ 4. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [3.5]
★★★★☆ 5. The Hound of the Baskervilles
★★★★☆ 6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes
★★★☆☆ 7. The Valley of Fear
★★★★☆ 8. His Last Bow [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 9. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 10. The Complete Sherlock Holmes

-----------------------------------------------

Una colección de aventuras.

Una colección de cuentos cortos por Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Después de dos novelas de completa longitud, esta es la primera colección de cuentos cortos. Una bolsa mixta, como siempre se da con las colecciones, Sherlock Holmes no siendo la excepción a la regla. La mitad de ellos buenos o muy buenos, la otra mitad no tanto. Muy interesante conocer los orígenes de Irene Adler, y esperando ver más de ella en el futuro. Y una sorpresa bastante impresionante ver al siempre invencible Sherlock Holmes perder un caso por primera vez. Altamente destacable.

Ir por lo Mejor, considerar lo Bueno, loquesea lo Meh.

n   Lo Mejor n:
★★★★★  "Escándalo en Bohemia."
★★★★☆  "El Misterio de Copper Beeches."
★★★★☆  "El Hombre del Labio Retorcido."

n   Lo Bueno n:
★★★☆☆  "El Misterio de Boscombe Valley." [3.5]
★★★☆☆  "La Banda de Lunares." [3.5]
★★★☆☆  "El Dedo Pulgar del Ingeniero."
★★★☆☆  "El Carbunclo Azul."

n   Lo Meh n:
★★☆☆☆  "Las Cinco Semillas de Naranja." [2.5]
★★☆☆☆  "Un Caso de Identidad."
★★☆☆☆  "La Liga de los Pelirrojos." [1.5]
★☆☆☆☆  "La Corona de Berilos."
★☆☆☆☆  "El Aristócrata Solterón."

Queda pendiente, la serie de BBC.

Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.

-----------------------------------------------
n  NOTA PERSONALn:
[1892] [389p] [Colección] [Parcialmente Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------

A Scandal in Bohemia
It's a great story to open the collection, the introduction of a strong female protagonist in Irene Addler - a story about blackmail and the manner in which Holmes makes mistakes adds an intriguing dynamic to the tale.

A Case of Identity
A quick, fast-paced story that highlights the manner in which Holmes deuces the mystery.

The Red-Headed League
It's one of my favourites, I love the whole premise and misdirection. A simple effective mystery.

The Boscombe Valley Mystery
A murder mystery is central to the difficult to solve tale.

The Five Orange Pips
The initial setup is great with the pips being sent in the post, slightly unfortunate that the initials are wildly known for a modern read.

The Man with the Twisted Lip
Another standout story in the collection is a possible abduction and murder case that has plenty of twists along the way.

The Blue Carbuncle
The fun festive tale of the collection. The way in which Holmes tricks the grocer into giving him information is very funny.

The Speckled Band
Another strong outing in the collection. A nice setup with a memorable mystery solution.

The Engineer's Thumb
I liked the way this story was framed as hydraulic engineer Victor Hatherley recounts most of the tale to Holmes after visiting Dr. Watson concerning his injured hand.
Some great deductions again by Holmes.

The Noble Bachelor
It's not the strongest, but it has some witty dialogue and the verbal sparring between Lestrade and Holmes is enjoyable.

The Beryl Coronet
One of the weaker stories in the collection but works well as a whodunit.

The Copper Beeches
Opening with references to previous cases that has appeared in this book.
There's quite a lot going on in this one as a young women seeks Holmes advice on her new role as a governess.

La tercera entrega de Arthur Conan Doyle sobre el más famoso y peculiar de los detectives consiste en una recopilación de doce cuentos cortos o, bien podríamos decir, doce misterios. Algunos más trágicos, otros más cómicos, un par puede que incluso predecibles pero, sin lugar a dudas, todos atrapantes y endiabladamente disfrutables.

Watson vuelve a ser el narrador de las osadas e ingeniosas aventuras de su excepcional amigo mientras Sherlock Holmes hace una vez más -o mejor dicho doce veces más- gala de una audacia analítica sin precedentes que convierte simples detalles en grandes revelaciones mediante mecanismos deductivos que parecen naturales para él, elementales incluso, pero irrevocablemente inauditos para aquellos a su alrededor.

Si tuviera que elegir mis tres favoritos, estos serían el misterio de Cooper Beeches, la banda de lunares y el pulgar del ingeniero. Gocé tremendamente sumergiéndome en cada uno de ellos y puede que el libro en sí mismo se haya posicionado por encima de estudio en escarlata y el signo de los cuatro al menos en mi ranking personal.

One of my favorite set of books is a 2 volume set of the complete Sherlock Holmes that was given to me by my grandfather about 50 years ago. While they were very nice hardbacks at one time, the years & readings by myself & my kids have made them somewhat delicate. It's been a long time since I last read an entire collection of these stories, so when I found this audiobook I thought I'd see how the stories held up in this format. Very well! Well narrated & the flow of the stories was perfect to being read aloud. Highly recommended.

June 2020
So this is a Group read for "English Mysteries", where we shall be reading all of the Conan Doyle Holmes short stories and Novels over the next 18 months finishing on Dartmoor for Christmas 2021.

Interestingly, I have to say the version I am now reading has 12 short stories compared to the 10 in 2018. I can only guess that different editions (and I have many) for different countries have different sets of stories.
For this re-read there will be 12, 12 is the number of stories, there shall be !!
So in order read:-
The Redheaded League 5⭐️
A wonderful example of Holmes capabilities. What is The Red Headed League and why does it want pawnbroker Mr Wilson to join their ranks.
A Case of Identity 4⭐️
Where has the intended of Miss Mary Sutherland disappeared to ? In fact why did he vanish on the way to their wedding ?
The Boscombe Valley Mystery 5⭐️
Who else but his son could have killed Mr Charles McCarthy, but if so, why did James not say what their argument had been about or why make up the story about his father saying "a rat" with his last breath
The Five Orange Pips 4⭐️
Who keeps sending members of the Openshaw family 5 Orange Pips. And what papers should be put on the sundial in the garden ?
The Man with the Twisted Lip 5⭐️
A wonderful story in which Holmes is for a while stumped, how could the beggar have killed the fit London businessman and disposed of his body out of the window into the Thames so quickly. And then a night of pipe smoking contemplation allows him to solve the crime.
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle 5⭐️
A fabulous story, demonstrating Holmes ability to delve into a problem and follow it to a conclusion. So who was the man who was attacked late one night as he staggered home with a goose. Peterson the commissioner, saw the man attacked and rescued his hat and goose. Holmes manages to discern a large amount of information about the gooses owner just from his hat much to Watson's amazement.
The Speckled Band 5⭐️
Probably one of the most famous short stories, and very atmospheric. Why did her twin die, and what is the whistling ?
The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb 4.5⭐️
A story that focusses on an injury done to a hydraulic engineer who had been called out late at night to repair a hydraulic press. Offered an extortionate fee for his assistance it ends in him being taken to Dr Watson's surgery for treatment.
The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor 4.5⭐️
The upper crust Lord Robert St Simon calls on Holmes when his American (very rich) wife of just a few hours mysteriously disappears
The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet 5⭐️
Alexander Holder, co-owner of a private bank, arrives in a terrible state at 221B. His honour could be in shreds as he has taken a well known fabulously expensive bejewelled coronet in exchange for a monstrous loan of £50, 000. And then that night he catches his son with the coronet in his hands and jewels missing, ruination beckons.
The Adventure of the Copper Beeches
Why as a governess would you be offered 3 times your asked for salary, be asked to occasionally wear certain dresses, and asked to cut your hair short. Violet Hunter visits Sherlock to ask if she accept a job with those conditions. Sherlock says she should keep in touch if she accepts the position, but he would not let his sister accept that position if he had one.
A Scandal in Bohemia
So this is story 1 in the book but as part of the group read, I am reading it last in this anthology simply because although interesting, it is also reliant on people already knowing about Holmes. Needless to say it is all about That Woman . enough said.

February 2018 5 Stars
This was a personal re-read , (I'm guessing for the 4th or 5th time ) and it was as fabulous as ever.
It comprises 10 short stories :-
A scandal in Bohemia --
A case of identity --
The Boscombe Valley mystery --
The five orange pips --
The adventure of the blue carbuncle --
The adventure of the speckled band
The adventure of the engineer's thumb
The adventure of the noble bachelor
The adventure of the beryl coronet
The adventure of the copper beeches

These stories are all well written, with wonderful characterisations and great settings. As with Miss Marple or Poirot, I see a certain actor whenever I read a Sherlock Holmes book and that is Jeremy Brett. To me he is the epitome of Sherlock-ness.
In this collection we see Sherlock and Watson involved with royalty to beggars, from geese to snakes, from central London to the suburbs (when they were suburbs) to the South Wset, from bank robbers to murders to "The Woman".

If you've never read any Holmes, this is a great place to start and will give you an insight into his amazing abilities, his relationship with Watson and fantastic descriptions of Victorian London.

120th book of 2022.

I like Holmes and think The Hound of the Baskervilles will pretty much remain at the top for me, as many others clearly agree. Though the ratings for the short story collections are usually as glowing as the novels, I found these quite inferior. With only 20 pages or so to work with Doyle has to set up the mystery and quickly have it solved in no time. This, sadly, consists of a lot of dialogue to report the action and the discovery as happening elsewhere or in the past. So very tell-y. Frankly a few of the stories bored me, reading two block pages of a character describing what happened to them. Sometimes the action happens in 'real time' in the longer stories but a lot of them felt too long-winded and not present enough. Sherlock remains a nice comfort read on rainy wintery English days though.

3.5/5 ~ The edition that I own is a collection of stories taken from both this book and another one! This book was a fun mysteries read, coolest part was definitely seeing Sherlock’s mind in action

To have a slight measure of the pleasant chills that race up and down your spine when you delve into a meaty Holmes mystery, do read the introduction passage by Mark Gatiss (co-creator of BBC Entertainment’s Sherlock). Amidst a host of admirable emotions, Gatiss’ one nostalgic paragraph captured my fancy.

It goes thusly,

n  n    “I’d never read any of the original stories until one fateful Saturday when, recovering from German measles, I was given a treat : a trip to WH Smith, and the purchase of any book I wanted. There, nestling amongst all the possible contenders for my shiny fifty-pence piece was a gorgeous, plump, purple Pan paperback, with a colour-tinted Sidney Paget illustration on the cover: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Everything about it promised the thrill of mystery and the faintly queasy allure of Victoriana with which I was already and headily in love. But first came the introduction. I can’t remember much about it now, except that it ended with the moving sentiment: I wish I were reading these stories for the first time.“n  n

*I wish I were reading these stories for the first time*

Never has a statement so effectively captured the sheer bliss of nose-diving into an old and much cherished spot of literature. What prompted me to revisit the series was BBC Entertainment’s hugely popular and marvellously brilliant show : *SHERLOCK*. A fellow fan, sharp reviewer and possessor of the prodigious talent to pick the perfect book (Yes, Mith....I am talking about you) and yours truly were jamming up our Tumblr dashboards with the magnificence of a certain Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch. Said Cumberbatch has done a splendid job of yanking Mr.Holmes into modern day London and playing him with aplomb. It doesn’t hurt that he’s very easy on the eyes too.

Ergo, when Cumberbatch (he of the cupid curls, vertiginous cheekbones and manic eye-glint) with his trusty bro-mate, Watson (Martin Freeman) graced the cover of yet another Sherlock edition, I had to lay my hands on it. All the foaming-at-the-mouth fans (and I mean that in the nicest way possible since I unashamedly head the pack) can be forgiven for labouring under the misconception that this book here, is a TV Series adaptation. It’s not.

Sadly...well, not really (because, *KNOCK KNOCK*, it’s Sherlock Holmes, the O.R.I.G.I.N.A.L.)...the book is a reprint of the twelve original mysteries as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
So when Holmes is not marvelling over the cleverness of Irene Adler, he’s scratching his head over the sudden collapse of the Red-Haired League. Whether it’s the trivial case of the Blue Carbuncle or the horrifying finale of the Speckled Band, Holmes is striding about with a befuddled Watson in tow. Dignities are being restored....genteel ladies are being chivalrously rescued.....and pages are being fraught with drama, deceit and old-fashioned danger. In short, everything that you would expect from the most famous detective of all fictional times.

What could I write in my review that would add anything new to the reams that have been dedicated to the snarkiest sleuth of them all? How do I delve into a character that’s a delightful blend of humility and egotism? How do I gush and fawn over a mind that could dissect an individual down to the tiniest speck of dust on the tip of his frock-coat?

From the moment a knock falls at the door of 221B Baker Street, you know that you are in for a treat. From the pithy to the sensational, no case escaped the interest of Holmes and his partner in crime-solving, Dr.Watson. Holmes would settle down before the roaring fireplace, light his pipe, give the despairing individual a clinical onceover, draw his (almost always correct)conclusions and then just as quickly, proceed to unravel mysteries on the strength of observation, infallible logic and that essential spark of genius cloaked in eccentricities.

In the times of darkly dreaming Dexter and stiletto wearing Detective Kate Beckett, Holmes may pale in comparison. And then again....maybe he won’t. In the cold of Victorian London, amidst the ladies who sniffed into their lacy kerchiefs and the gentleman who blustered around in their breeches, Holmes cut a dashing figure. With his dry wit and baffling disguises, he plundered the murky underbelly (ah, how I love my clichés) of crime, and almost always got his man/woman/murderous cult.

Yes, we love our modern day detective-dramas and high-octane police chases. We love the forensics lab with it’s meticulously laid out tools. We love the fact that a well-worded Google search might just catch that horrendous serial killer by the end of the one hour episode.

But, as Steven Moffat (co-creator of BBC Entertainment’s Sherlock) puts it:

n  n    "Conan Doyle's stories were never about frock coats and gas light; they're about brilliant detection, dreadful villains and blood-curdling crimes – and frankly, to hell with the crinoline. Other detectives have cases, Sherlock Holmes has adventures, and that's what matters."n  n

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of twelve short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, featuring his fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. It was first published on 14 October 1892. Follow the brilliant Sherlock Holmes and his devoted assistant, Dr. Watson — as they investigate a dozen of their best-known cases.

Featured stories in this collection include several of the author's personal favorites: "A Scandal in Bohemia" — in which a king is blackmailed by a former lover and Holmes matches wits with the only woman to attract his open admiration — plus "The Speckled Band," "The Red-Headed League," and "The Five Orange Pips." Additional mysteries include "The Blue Carbuncle," "The Engineer’s Thumb," "The Beryl Coronet," "The Copper Beeches," and four others.