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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.
In the storyA Scandal in BohemiaOpen this moment free

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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 Bohemia

Character Web

42 connections

A slice of how Sherlock Holmes sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

GNGodfrey NortonLCLady Clara St.…DJDr. John WatsonLSLord St. SimonSGSir George Bur…SHSherlock Holmes

Relationship types

  • Professional
  • Rivalry
  • Other

Character groups

  • Protagonist
  • Major Clients and Antagonists

+37 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

SetupEscalationClimax
  • 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…

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Relationships

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Sherlock Holmes in A Scandal in Bohemia

In the story

Sherlock Holmes appears across 15 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Sherlock Holmes unlock in the free preview.

See Sherlock Holmes in A Scandal in Bohemia