The Sign of Four

Miss Mary Morstan comes to Sherlock Holmes with a strange story of her missing father, Captain Arthur Morstan. She narrates that Captain Morstan served in the 34th Bombay Infantry and came to London on a twelve months leave. He sent a telegram to his daughter to visit him at the Langham Hotel. When she arrived , however, he had gone out somewhere and did not return afterwards. Four years after her father's missing, she found an advertisement in the newspaper requesting for her address, which she did publish. Afterwards she started recieving a precious pearl every year. Miss Morstan shows a letter without any address to Holmes and Watson that leads the three of them to Thaddeus Sholto, who is the son of Major John Sholto, Captain Morstan's dear friend. Thaddeus enlightens Miss Morstan as to how she is an heiress of a fortune and that her father died during an argument over the division of the treasure Sholto's father posessed, that belonged to both of them. Although Major Sholto had nothing to do with Captain Morstan's death, he burried his body secretly to avoid any sort of police interrogation or suspicion. Further Thaddeus narrates that Major Sholto had ailing health and on his death bed he told his sons about a treasure that was hidden in the house, however he passed away without stating the exact location of the treasure, he also told his sons about Miss Morstan. Thaddeus Sholto's brother Bartholomew Sholto finds the treasure and Thaddeus along with the three of them are to go and demand Miss Morstan's and his share. However, when they arrive at his residence, they find Bartholomew dead and the treasure chest gone, with a note saying, "The Sign of Four". From there on Sherlock Holmes unravels the whole mystery as to where did the treasure come from, who was the actual heir of the treasure and who stole it. It is a story of vengeance and a slight romance, for Dr. Watson finds his life partner in this very novel. Like any of Sir Doyle's, it's a page turner. 

Writer     :Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Category: Fiction

*the image has been taken from amazon.com