The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton

The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle featuring Sherlock Holmes. The story follows Holmes as he investigates the case of a wealthy man named Charles Augustus Milverton who has been blackmailing several individuals, including a young woman named Mary Morstan. Holmes discovers that Milverton is using his knowledge of past secrets to extort money from his victims and sets out to expose him. The story ends with Milverton's downfall and the resolution of the case.

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · First published 1904 · Genre: Mystery, Detective fiction, Crime · 8,030 words

First lines

It is years since the incidents of which I speak took place, and yet it is with diffidence that I allude to them. For a long time, even with the utmost discretion and reticence, it would have been impossible to make the facts public, but now the principal person concerned is beyond the reach of human law, and with due suppression the story may be told in such fashion as to injure no one. It records an absolutely unique experience in the career both of Mr. Sherlock Holmes and of myself. The reader will excuse me if I conceal the date or any other fact by which he might trace the actual occurrence.

What this Textopian page supports

The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton is listed on Textopian as a novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, dated 1904 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Novel
• Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Date: 1904 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Mystery, Detective fiction, Crime, Adventure, Short story
• Length: 8,030 words
• Structure: 1 section, 134 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

• What should a reader notice first when entering The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton?
• How does this novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
• Where does Mystery first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

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• The Adventure Of The Dying Detective by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Genres

• Mystery — The story involves detective work and a mysterious antagonist, Charles Augustus Milverton, thereby fitting the classic 'Mystery' genre.
• Detective fiction — The story features the central characters Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson, who work together to solve a case, categorizing it as 'Detective fiction'.
• Crime — The plot revolves around a case of blackmailing, formulating it as a 'Crime' story.
• Adventure — The continuous, eventful actions and the suspense involved in the story make it an 'Adventure' genre.

Tags

detective · mystery · Sherlock Holmes · Watson · crime · blackmail · Victorian · London · intrigue · suspense · investigation · literature

More by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

• The Parish Magazine (1914)
• The Great Brown-Pericord Motor (1914)
• The Holocaust of Manor Place (1901)
• The Debatable Case of Mrs. Emsley (1901)
• The Love Affair of George Vincent Parker (1901)
• The Disintegration Machine (1927)
• The Bully of Brocas Court (1914)
• The Brown Hand (1914)
• All works by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle