The Adventure of the Second Stain

The Adventure of the Second Stain is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle featuring Sherlock Holmes. The story follows Holmes and Dr. Watson as they investigate a mysterious stain on a piece of fabric that appears to be a second stain on a dress worn by a woman who was already stained with blood at the time of her husband's death. The investigation leads them to uncover a complex web of deceit and murder, ultimately revealing the killer's identity.

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · First published 1904 · Genre: Mystery, Crime, Adventure · 11,571 words

First lines

I had intended "The Adventure of the Abbey Grange" to be the last of those exploits of my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, which I should ever communicate to the public. This resolution of mine was not due to any lack of material, since I have notes of many hundreds of cases to which I have never alluded, nor was it caused by any waning interest on the part of my readers in the singular personality and unique methods of this remarkable man. The real reason lay in the reluctance which Mr. Holmes has shown to the continued publication of his experiences. So long as he was in actual professional practice the records of his successes were of some practical value to him, but since he has definitely retired from London and betaken himself to study and bee-farming on the Sussex Downs, notoriety has become hateful to him, and he has peremptorily requested that his wishes in this matter should be strictly observed.

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What this Textopian page supports

The Adventure of the Second Stain 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, Crime, Adventure, Detective Fiction
• Length: 11,571 words
• Structure: 1 section, 275 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Adventure of the Second Stain 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
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Genres

• Mystery — The book is a detective story featuring Sherlock Holmes, emphasizing mysterious circumstances, clues, and investigative problem solving.
• Crime — Sherlock Holmes solves cases that involve criminal activities, including theft and murder.
• Adventure — The book features suspenseful exploits and risks undertaken by Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in their pursuit of crime solving.
• Detective Fiction — The narrative centers on a detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his assistant, Dr. Watson, and their process of unraveling clues to solve cases.

Tags

mystery · detective · Sherlock Holmes · Watson · crime · investigation · suspense · Victorian · literature · short story · clue · intrigue

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