Sherlock Holmes debuts in A Study in Scarlet

Background. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a British writer and physician, completed his medical degree in 1885. He wrote A Study in Scarlet in three weeks at age 27. The manuscript was accepted by Ward Lock & Co on 20 November 1886 for £25, granting them all rights to the story. The work was originally titled A Tangled Skein before publication.

Publication. The story appeared in the 1887 edition of Beeton's Christmas Annual, published by Ward, Lock & Co. It received good reviews in The Scotsman and the Glasgow Herald. Eleven complete copies of this magazine are known to exist today. The novel was first published as a standalone book in July 1888, featuring drawings by the author's father, Charles Doyle.

Literary Context. A Study in Scarlet is the first of only four full-length novels in the original Sherlock Holmes canon. The title derives from a speech by Holmes describing the murder investigation as a "study in scarlet." The character was influenced by Joseph Bell, a mentor to Doyle, who recognized the similarity between Bell and Holmes.