A Study in Scarlet (Serial Edition Cover)

A Study in Scarlet by A. Conan Doyle. Part I, presented as Watson's reminiscences, introduces Dr. John H. Watson, an army surgeon invalided home from the Second Afghan War after being wounded at Maiwand and contracting enteric fever in India. Now in London with modest means, Watson seeks affordable lodgings. Through an acquaintance, Stamford, he meets the eccentric Sherlock Holmes at a hospital chemical laboratory. Holmes has just developed a chemical reagent test that can identify blood-stains with precision—a discovery he believes will revolutionize criminal detection by allowing investigators to distinguish blood from other substances on clothing or fabric. The two men, finding compatibility in their needs and temperaments, agree to share rooms together in Baker Street. Part II, concerning "The Country of the Saints," begins.