The Valley Of Fear

When John Douglas of Birlstone Manor is discovered with his head blown almost to pieces by a shot gun blast, Inspector MacDonald finds out that Sherlock Holmes has already been warned about the impending tragedy by an informant close to the infamous Professor Moriarty. Using his trademark methodology of close observation and logical deduction, Holmes realises that the account of the dreadful events given by Douglas's wife raises more questions than it answers. It soon transpires that the solution to the mystery lies far away in the American frontier of the 1860s, where the law is enforced by vigilante violence and powerful vendettas are pursued. Conan Doyle's evocation of that time and place is skilfully intertwined with the events of the main story, set in the late 1880s, and there is a striking contrast between the harsh landscape and life of the American pioneers and the leafy - but no less deadly - surroundings of Sussex. Perhaps inevitably, Professor Moriarty has the last word. The Baker Street Classics Sherlock Holmes collection is a retro-inspired full set of Arthur Conan Doyle's wonderful tales of the inimitable "consulting detective" at work. Featuring original cover illustrations from editions of the 1920s, this collection will adorn any booklover's shelf and transport the reader back in time to Holmes's bustling Victorian London; the misty moors of Dartmoor; the dizzying heights of Reichenbach; and the cozy living room of 221b Baker Street.