A Study in Scarlet, Arthur Conan Doyle's debut novel (1887), introduces the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes and his chronicler, Dr. John Watson. When Watson returns from the Afghan war, the two men become flatmates at 221B Baker Street. Together they investigate the mysterious death of Enoch Drebber, found dead in an abandoned London house with the word "RACHE"—German for "revenge"—scrawled in blood on the wall. While the police flounder, Holmes's brilliant deductive method unravels a tale of love, betrayal, and vengeance stretching back years to the Mormon settlements of Utah. This novel launched the world's most famous detective duo.
