First published in 1893, TFP was initially intended to be the last installment in the Sherlock Holmes series. Eight years later, roundabout 1901, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (thankfully) changed his mind.

The Final Problem is my least favorite story in the Holmes franchise. Maybe it is because Doyle was weary of the whole thing when he wrote it? It does seem to lack the complexity and zeal of his other stories. Or maybe it is just me? Maybe I like it less because it feels like the last hoorah of a beloved character?

Either way, I’m elated that Doyle had a change of heart because his next story, set before The Final Problem, was (in my humble opinion) his best…

The Hound of the Baskervilles