The Valley of Fear is the fourth and final Sherlock Holmes novel by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. It is loosely based on the Molly Maguires and Pinkerton agent James McParland. The story was first published in the Strand Magazine between September 1914 and May 1915. The first book edition was copyrighted in 1914, and it was first published by George H. Doran Company in New York on 27 February 1915, and illustrated by Arthur I. Keller.
First edition (US)
Holmes studies the window sill as MacDonald, White Mason, and Watson observe (Strand, 1914)
Barker informs Holmes about Douglas's fate (Strand, 1915)
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic, which he employs when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard.
Sherlock Holmes in a 1904 illustration by Sidney Paget
The cover page of the 1887 edition of Beeton's Christmas Annual, which contains Holmes's first appearance (A Study in Scarlet)
Holmes (right) and Watson in a Sidney Paget illustration for "The Adventure of Silver Blaze"
Holmes and archenemy Moriarty struggle at the Reichenbach Falls; drawing by Sidney Paget