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Quick answer: If you loved The Hound of the Baskervilles, try A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Moonstone, The Woman in White and Murder on the Orient Express. Each one offers a clever detective, a creepy setting or a puzzle that keeps you guessing until the end.
Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous Sherlock Holmes novel sends Dr. Watson to the bleak moors of Devon to protect the heir to the Baskerville estate from a legendary demon hound. It combines a gothic atmosphere with a brilliant detective and a satisfying solution. These books offer more Holmes, classic detective fiction and modern mysteries written in the same spirit.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Study in Scarlet | Arthur Conan Doyle | Classic mystery | readers who want to see Holmes and Watson meet |
| The Sign of the Four | Arthur Conan Doyle | Classic mystery | readers who want more Holmes |
| The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | Arthur Conan Doyle | Short stories | readers who like quick puzzles |
| The Moonstone | Wilkie Collins | Classic mystery | readers who love Victorian detective fiction |
| The Woman in White | Wilkie Collins | Gothic mystery | readers who like atmosphere and suspense |
| Murder on the Orient Express | Agatha Christie | Golden Age mystery | readers who love a clever solution |
| The Murder of Roger Ackroyd | Agatha Christie | Golden Age mystery | readers who want a shocking ending |
| The Daughter of Time | Josephine Tey | Classic mystery | readers who like historical puzzles |
| The House of Silk | Anthony Horowitz | Holmes pastiche | readers who want a new Holmes case |
| The Beekeeper's Apprentice | Laurie R. King | Historical mystery | readers who want a fresh Holmes series |
| Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess | Nancy Springer | Middle grade mystery | younger readers |
| A Study in Charlotte | Brittany Cavallaro | YA mystery | teen readers |
| Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | Gothic suspense | readers who loved the gloomy estate |
| The Turn of the Screw | Henry James | Gothic novella | readers who like ambiguous ghosts |
| The Big Sleep | Raymond Chandler | Hardboiled mystery | readers who want an American detective |
1. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
The first Sherlock Holmes novel introduces the detective and Dr. Watson as they investigate a murder in London with roots in America.
Best for: readers who want to see Holmes and Watson meet.
2. The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
A young woman asks Holmes to find her missing father, leading to a stolen treasure and a chase on the Thames.
Best for: readers who want more Holmes.
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Twelve classic cases, including “A Scandal in Bohemia” and “The Speckled Band.” Perfect for reading one at a time.
Best for: readers who like quick puzzles.
4. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
A cursed diamond disappears from a country house, and several narrators piece together what happened. Often called the first English detective novel.
Best for: readers who love Victorian detective fiction.
5. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
A drawing teacher meets a mysterious woman dressed in white and uncovers a plot of identity and inheritance. Long and gripping.
Best for: readers who like atmosphere and suspense.
6. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Hercule Poirot investigates a murder aboard a train stuck in the snow. One of the most famous twists in detective fiction.
Best for: readers who love a clever solution.
7. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Poirot investigates a death in a quiet English village, and the solution changed mystery fiction.
Best for: readers who want a shocking ending.
8. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
A bedridden detective investigates whether Richard III really killed the Princes in the Tower. A clever armchair mystery.
Best for: readers who like historical puzzles.
9. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
Authorized by the Conan Doyle estate, this novel gives Holmes and Watson a dark new case in Victorian London.
Best for: readers who want a new Holmes case.
10. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
A retired Sherlock Holmes takes on a brilliant young woman, Mary Russell, as his apprentice. The first in a long series.
Best for: readers who want a fresh Holmes series.
11. Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
Sherlock's teenage sister Enola sets out to find their missing mother and solves a case of her own. Fun and clever.
Best for: younger readers.
12. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
Descendants of Holmes and Watson meet at a Connecticut boarding school and are framed for murder. A modern twist on the legend.
Best for: teen readers.
13. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A young bride arrives at Manderley and is haunted by the memory of her husband's first wife. A classic of gothic suspense.
Best for: readers who loved the gloomy estate.
14. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
A governess believes the children in her care are haunted by ghosts. Short, eerie and open to interpretation.
Best for: readers who like ambiguous ghosts.
15. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Private detective Philip Marlowe takes a blackmail case for a wealthy family in Los Angeles. Sharp dialogue and moody atmosphere.
Best for: readers who want an American detective.
How to Choose
For more Holmes, read A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. If you loved the eerie moors, try The Woman in White, Rebecca or The Turn of the Screw. For clever puzzles from the golden age, choose Agatha Christie or The Daughter of Time. Fans who want new Holmes stories can turn to The House of Silk or The Beekeeper's Apprentice, and younger readers can start with Enola Holmes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Hound of the Baskervilles the best Sherlock Holmes book?
Many readers think so. It is the most famous Holmes novel and a great place to start.
Do I need to read the other Holmes books first?
No. It works as a standalone, though reading A Study in Scarlet first introduces the characters.
Is The Hound of the Baskervilles scary?
It has a spooky atmosphere and a legendary hound, but it is a mystery more than a horror story.