Historical fiction book · Curated
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Arthur Conan Doyle · historical fiction
Series: Sherlock Holmes
In 1889 Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead by the yew alley at Baskerville Hall, and the prints nearby are said to be a gigantic hound’s, from a curse on his house. Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1902 novel is Victorian mystery historical fiction of the case Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson take for the new heir, Sir Henry—Dartmoor, the Grimpen Mire, and a legend that does not account for every light on the moor.
Why read it: A widely searched Dartmoor detective novel—the Doyle title readers look up by name, and a Baskerville Hall counterpart to The Moonstone already on the shelf (not A Study in Scarlet, not The Valley of Fear).
About this historical novel
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle is historical fiction set around 1889 in the Victorian / Gilded Age period with key settings including Dartmoor, Baskerville Hall, the Grimpen Mire, 221B Baker Street. In 1889 Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead by the yew alley at Baskerville Hall, and the prints nearby are said to be a gigantic hound’s, from a curse on his house. Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1902 novel is Victorian mystery historical fiction of the case Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson take for the new heir, Sir Henry—Dartmoor, the Grimpen Mire, and a legend that does not account for every light on the moor.
On HisFic we tag it under 3. Historical mystery & crime and 6. Adventure & epic so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include a family curse, detection, the moor, an heir, and legend. A widely searched Dartmoor detective novel—the Doyle title readers look up by name, and a Baskerville Hall counterpart to The Moonstone already on the shelf (not A Study in Scarlet, not The Valley of Fear).
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Plot summary
In 1889 Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead by the yew alley at Baskerville Hall, and the prints nearby are said to be a gigantic hound’s, from a curse on his house. Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1902 novel is Victorian mystery historical fiction of the case Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson take for the new heir, Sir Henry—Dartmoor, the Grimpen Mire, and a legend that does not account for every light on the moor. A widely searched Dartmoor detective novel—the Doyle title readers look up by name, and a Baskerville Hall counterpart to The Moonstone already on the shelf (not A Study in Scarlet, not The Valley of Fear).
Subgenres
Eras
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- The Four Feathers · A. E. W. Mason
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- The Essex Serpent · Sarah Perry
In 1893, newly widowed Cora Seaborne leaves London for the Essex marshes, where rumor of a winged serpent collides with a country vicar, a dying wife, and the new sciences of fossils and medicine. Sarah Perry’s novel is Victorian historical fiction of faith, desire, and a coastal town arguing with the modern world.
Regions & places
Britain & Ireland
Dartmoor · Baskerville Hall · the Grimpen Mire · 221B Baker Street · Devon · England
Themes
- a family curse
- detection
- the moor
- an heir
- legend
Tags
mystery · classic · series