The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes · Character
Sherlock Holmes
A consulting detective who treats crime as an exact science, he can dissolve into any disguise and read a stranger's life from a glance.
major
Also known as Holmes, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, Mr. Holmes, the celebrated Mr. Sherlock Holmes, Holmes the sleuthhound, Master Holmes
First appearance: A Scandal in Bohemia
As a major figure in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Hired by the King, employs deduction and disguise to investigate Irene Adler, but is ultimately outmaneuvered by her, earning his lasting admiration.
Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.
Holmes lives among tobacco ash, violin strings, and old books at Baker Street, taking cases the official police have abandoned and answering to no one but his own restless intellect. He scorns the softer passions as…
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The fuller portrait of Sherlock Holmes sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.
See Sherlock Holmes in A Scandal in BohemiaCharacter Web
42 connectionsA slice of how Sherlock Holmes sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Professional
- Rivalry
- Other
Character groups
- Protagonist
- Major Clients and Antagonists
+37 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This moment is the emotional and narrative peak because Holmes's arrival and his reading of the letter abruptl…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Godfrey Norton
professional · positive
Norton is a client of Holmes who seeks his help in a sensitive matter. How this plays out →
- Lady Clara St. Simon
professional · positive
- Lord St. Simon
professional · positive
- Sir George Burnwell
rivalry · negative
- Inspector Lestrade
professional · ambivalent
- Irene Adler
rivalry · ambivalent
- Colonel Openshaw
professional · positive
- Mr. Merryweather
professional · positive
- John Openshaw
professional · positive
- Godfrey Norton
professional · positive
Norton is a client of Holmes who seeks his help in a sensitive matter. How this plays out →
- Lord St. Simon
professional · positive
- Lady Clara St. Simon
professional · positive
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Sherlock Holmes in A Scandal in BohemiaIn the story
Sherlock Holmes appears across 15 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- A Scandal in Bohemia
- A Scandal in Bohemia
- II
- A Scandal in Bohemia: Chapter III
- The Redheaded League
- A Case of Identity
- The Boscombe Valley Mystery
- The Five Orange Pips
- +7 more
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Sherlock Holmes unlock in the free preview.
See Sherlock Holmes in A Scandal in Bohemia