The Adventure of the Dying Detective

The Adventure of the Dying Detective is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle that follows the famous detective Sherlock Holmes as he investigates a mysterious case involving a dying man who is unable to speak due to a severe injury. Despite his weakened state, the man is able to communicate through a series of taps on a typewriter, leading Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson, on a thrilling adventure to uncover the truth behind the man's condition.

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · First published 1913 · Genre: Mystery, Crime, Detective Fiction · 7,117 words

First lines

Mrs. Hudson, the landlady of Sherlock Holmes, was a long-suffering woman. Not only was her first-floor flat invaded at all hours by throngs of singular and often undesirable characters but her remarkable lodger showed an eccentricity and irregularity in his life which must have sorely tried her patience. His incredible untidiness, his addiction to music at strange hours, his occasional revolver practice within doors, his weird and often malodorous scientific experiments, and the atmosphere of violence and danger which hung around him made him the very worst tenant in London. On the other hand, his payments were princely. I have no doubt that the house might have been purchased at the price which Holmes paid for his rooms during the years that I was with him.

What this Textopian page supports

The Adventure of the Dying Detective is listed on Textopian as a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, dated 1913 CE.

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

• Work type: Short story
• Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Date: 1913 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Mystery, Crime, Detective Fiction, Adventure
• Length: 7,117 words
• Structure: 1 section, 187 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Adventure of the Dying Detective 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 the Dying Detective?
• How does this short story 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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Genres

• Mystery — The book is a Sherlock Holmes story which typically revolves around the unraveling of a mystery, hence the 'Mystery' genre is most appropriate.
• Crime — Sherlock Holmes stories often involve crimes that need to be solved, which places this in the 'Crime' genre.
• Detective Fiction — This is a detective story with Sherlock Holmes as the primary character; so, 'Detective Fiction' is a relevant genre.
• Adventure — Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes narratives often send the detective on thrilling and dangerous missions, classifying them as 'Adventure' novels.

Tags

detective · mystery · Sherlock Holmes · Watson · crime · investigation · suspense · thriller · 19th century · literature · short story · deduction

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