The story begins with Holmes and Watson being visited by a Mr. Jabez Wilson, who has been hired by a mysterious organization called the Red-Headed League. Wilson was hired to copy out the Encyclopaedia Britannica, but the League has suddenly disbanded, leaving him without a job. Holmes and Watson investigate and discover that the League was a front for a criminal gang, led by the criminal mastermind, Professor Moriarty. The gang had been hired by the Countess of Morcar to steal the Mazarin Stone, a valuable diamond. Holmes and Watson follow the trail of the stone and eventually discover that it is in the possession of the Countess' former lover, Baron Gruner. Holmes and Watson confront Gruner and manage to recover the stone. In the end, Holmes and Watson are able to return the stone to the Countess and bring the criminal gang to justice.
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · First published 1927 · Genre: Mystery, Crime Fiction, Detective Fiction