The Sherlock Holmes Children's Collection: Shadows, Secrets and Stolen Treasure 10 Books (Series 1) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Titles in This Set:

1. A Study In Scarlet
2. The Sign of the Four
3. The Blue Carbuncle
4. The Speckled Band
5. The Red-Headed League
6. The Reigate Squires
7. The Naval Treaty
8. The Sussex Vampire
9. The Veiled Lodger
10. The Three Students

Description:

A Study In Scarlet
Body thought to be that of E.J. Drebber discovered last night in empty London house. No obvious cause of death. Address given as Cleveland Ohio. Any information would be appreciated.

After a mysterious murder leaves the police baffled, the world’s best amateur detective is asked to investigate. Along with his fellow lodger, Dr Watson, Sherlock Holmes sets about uncovering a quest for revenge that runs far deeper than anybody suspected.

The Sign of the Four
“Be at the third pillar from the left outside the Lyceum Theatre tonight at seven o’clock. You are a wronged woman and shall have justice. Do not bring police. If you do, all will be in vain.”

When Holmes is asked to look into a cryptic message received by Mary Morstan, neither he nor Watson expect to be drawn into a decades-old web of betrayal. Soon they’re conducting dangerous moonlit expeditions to uncover the meaning of the sign of the four, and resolve a long-buried crime.

The Blue Carbuncle
A valuable jewel known as the Blue Carbuncle was stolen from the jewel case of the Countess of Morcar yesterday.
A reward of £1000 has been offered by the countess for information leading to the stone’s return …

While the police work to trace the missing diamond, Holmes attempts to reunite a Christmas dinner and its owner. But when the detective comes across the jewel, Holmes and Watson find themselves in a race against time to save an innocent man’s life.

The Speckled Band
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Miss Julia Stoner of Stoke Moran. The cause of death remains unknown.

The mysterious noises last heard around the time of Julia’s death are back, and her sister Helen knows it is simply a matter of time before she suffers the same fate. There is a dark plot afoot and the only way to catch the culprit is to walk into a deadly trap …

The Red-Headed League
The Red-Headed League is looking for a new member to assist with minor tasks. The salary for this position will be four pounds a week. All red-headed men in good health and over the age of twenty-one will be considered.

After Jabez Wilson’s well-paid position with the Red-Headed League ends with no warning, he asks Holmes to find out why. What starts out as a straightforward investigation turns into a midnight stakeout as Holmes attempts to prevent a shocking crime.

The Reigate Squires
Keen to help his friend recover from a particularly stressful case, Watson arranges for them to visit a friend in the country. But after a robbery baffles the local police, Holmes is drawn into a web of lies, blackmail and murder. It’s up to him to identify the villains – if he survives the case, that is …

The Naval Treaty
Watson, Do you think you could bring your friend, Mr Sherlock Holmes, down to see me? My position at the Foreign Office seemed safe until this horrible disaster. I fear my career is ruined!

War becomes a real possibility after a top-secret document is stolen from the Foreign Office. But why has the thief waited ten weeks to sell the treaty? Holmes and Watson are plunged into a world of international diplomacy only to find that danger can come from unexpected quarters.

The Sussex Vampire
Sir – our client, Mr Robert Ferguson, has made an enquiry concerning vampires. Since we are an engineering firm, unfortunately the matter is not one upon which we can advise. Perhaps you can help.

Holmes and Watson take on their strangest case yet when a distraught husband comes to them desperate to understand his wife’s weird behaviour. He’s caught her sucking the blood of their baby son! But there’s no such thing as a vampire … is there?

The Veiled Lodger
Seven years ago a disturbing incident took place in the village of Abbas Parva. Mr Ronder, owner of Ronder’s Wild Animals Show, met his end after an escaped lion attacked him.

Holmes is confronted with an old mystery when he is summoned to visit a lady who refuses to show her face. A grisly crime committed seven years ago has had terrible consequences, and it is up to Holmes to save the veiled lodger from her own conscience.

The Three Students
Mr Holmes – I beg for your assistance. I cannot engage the police. If news of this dreadful scandal were to reach the public, the reputation of this university would be utterly destroyed.

A leisurely research trip turns into a race against time when Professor Soames comes to Holmes and Watson with a bizarre mystery. Three students are suspected of cheating – can Holmes solve the case in time for the examination to go ahead?

Adapted by Stephanie Baudet

Summary
Sherlock Holmes is one of the most famous fictional characters ever created and is a literacy legend in his own right. He inspired the first fandom, he’s been portrayed on screen since the birth of the movies themselves, and he’s been a fancy dress staple for over a century. The Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection: Shadows, Secrets and Stolen Treasure is an excellent introduction to the intrepid detective and his tireless chronicler Dr Watson.

The original canon by creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was written between 1887 and 1927 and remains in print to this day. However, younger readers are keen to get a hold of these stories. They may have seen the Robert Downey Jr. films, the Sherlock TV show, or simply heard of Sherlock Holmes through the grapevine. However, many may find the archaic language and the small, dense text used in many of these editions to be off-putting.

The Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection: Shadows, Secrets and Stolen Treasure is a fantastic collection for readers seven and up. It contains retellings of ten Sherlock Holmes stories, retold in simple English with an easy-to-read font and illustrations. It includes Holmes’ debut adventure, A Study in Scarlet, the follow-up novel The Sign of the Four, and classic stories like The Sussex Vampire and The Speckled Band. 

It’s perfect for fans of A Murder Most Unladylike and readers who love to solve a mystery. This set is one of our bestsellers, and the beautiful box packs the timeless classics together. Be sure to check out our classic fiction category for more great titles. We’re constantly getting new titles in - which one will you detect?

About Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is quite possibly one of the most influential personalities in the world of detective stories. He was created by the famous and talented Scottish writer Arthur Conan Doyle. He was arguably the first-ever consulting detective. Since his creation, Holmes has remained one of the most profound and recognisable characters in the detective world and genre.

Holmes first appeared in the novel A Study in Scarlet, published in 1887.  In the books, Holmes investigates complicated cases during the era of Victorian and Edwardian London. Only he can solve the mysteries that baffle the people in the city. The personality and characteristics of Sherlock Holmes were derived from the author’s professor called Dr Joseph Bell, who was a professor at the University of Edinburgh. 

Holmes would solve many highly complex problems and challenging cases, all recorded by his trusted partner and friend, Dr John H Watson. They pursue the mind-bending cases together. Even though Holmes’ ability to solve problems seems perplexing and challenging to grasp, he has a straightforward approach to his objectives. “When you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

Holmes is described as a tall, thin, dark man with a high nose, strong eyes, and angled shoulders. Watson often describes Holmes as a depressing and weird individual with odd traits. Holmes is often moody and untidy, yet he has a strict manner in many cases. However, he is exceptionally talented and very particular in his deduction. Though Holmes displays a very cold-hearted attitude towards people, he becomes lively and even described as overly obsessed when solving cases. 

Holmes possesses diverse expertise, including Chemistry, Human Anatomy, Sensational Literature, Geology and Martial Arts. Holmes is proficient at forensic science and logical thinking and often prefers to take the intellectual road. However, he’s also an adept swordsman, stickman, and pugilist when the situation calls for it.

Holmes plays the violin and has the habit of using drugs like morphine and cocaine, both legal during 19th century England. Holmes’ odd obsession with crime-solving and weird habits meant that he would often skip several days of meals. During some cases, this extended to the point of dangerous effects on his health.

About the authors
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh on 22 May 1859. He trained as a doctor and worked as a surgeon and a medical practitioner. He was an unsuccessful doctor but became a prolific and successful writer. His most enduring creation is Sherlock Holmes. The first two novels were well-received, but the character became a phenomenon only with his appearances in The Strand magazine.

Conan Doyle had created the character Sherlock Holmes based on his University professor Dr Joseph Bell at the University of Edinburgh Medical School. The fundamental similarity is his miraculous ability to collect crucial information and evidence from his natural observation, analytical skills, and reasoning talent. 

Despite the success of Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle wanted to end the series by killing off the character in hopes that he could prioritise other writing ideas he had at the time. However, the public and fans who were die-hard followers of his work at the time made a massive commotion that pressured Conan Doyle to revive Sherlock Holmes. Conan also wrote many other titles, such as The Lost World, and several other non-fiction books. 

Stephanie Baudet was born in Cheshire and grew up in the Antipodes. She’s since spent most of her life in Buckinghamshire. She’s the author of over eighty children’s books, including The Dinosaur Detectives and Mr Pattacake, and has been writing since the 1980s. She’s the author behind all three of Sweet Cherry Publishing’s Sherlock Holmes box sets, as well as versions of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

From the publisher
A simplification of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, perfect for young fans of mystery books. A great introduction to classics for children aged 7+. Each book comes with free read-along audio. Just scan the barcode on the first page of each book.

This ten-book set includes A Study In Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, The Blue Carbuncle, The Speckled Band, The Red-Headed League, The Reigate Squires, The Naval Treaty, The Sussex Vampire, The Red-Headed League and The Three Students.