The best SherlockHolmes stories, as selected and introduced by Arthur
Conan Doyle himself""""When this competition was first mooted I went
into it in a most light-hearted way, thinking that it would be the
easiest thing in the world to pick out the twelve best of the Holmes
stories. In practice I found that I had engaged myself in a serious task
. . .""In 1927, "Strand" magazine challenged its readers to guess which
of his Sherlock Holmes stories Arthur Conan Doyle himself rated as his
very best. (Mr R. T. Newman of Spring Hill, Wellingborough, won 100 for
successfully guessing 10of the12 stories correctly.) Doyle revealed his
choice and, in his own inimitable way, explained his reasoning in an
article for the magazine. The stories included "The Speckled Band," "The
Final Problem," and "The Dancing Men." Arthur Conan Doyle s favorite12
Sherlock Holmes stories are now published together for the first time,
with his original "Strand" article to introduce his own selection."