No characters in English literature since those in the Great Dickens gallery have taken so firm a hold upon the British and American imagination as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. This selection draws the best stories from the several Sherlock Holmes volumes, and shows how the famous detective and his assistant are elevated above the level of fiction and into the realm of mythology, where the learned and the simple meet on equal footing. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

阿瑟•柯南•道尔爵士（1859-1930），1859年生于苏格兰爱丁堡，曾入爱丁堡大学医学院就读，后定居伦敦。由于并不热衷医务，使他有许多空闲时间从事福尔摩斯探案的书写工作。第一篇成名作品《血色的研究》于1886年完成。1890年在《四签名》出版后，他放弃了医务专心写作。正是因为《福尔摩斯探案全集》的创作成就和巨大影响，它的作者阿瑟•柯南道尔成为侦探小说的一代宗师，在英国被公认为同莎士比亚、狄更斯比肩的人物。

柯南•道尔一生多彩多姿且曲折离奇。他是个历史学家、捕鲸者、运动员、占地通讯记者及唯心论者。他曾亲自参与两件审判不公的案子，并运用他的侦探技巧证实那罪犯其实是清白的。福尔摩斯不但头脑冷静、观察力敏锐、推理能力极强，而且他的剑术、拳术和小提琴演奏水平也相当高超，平常他悠闲地在贝克街221号B公寓里，抽着烟斗等待委托上门。一旦接到案子，他立刻会变成一只追逐猎物的猎犬，开始锁定目标，将整个事件抽丝剥茧、层层过滤，直到最后真相大白。

1902年，柯南•道尔因在布尔战争中于南非野战医院的优异表现荣封爵士，逝于1930年。