The Adventure of the Six Napoleons

The Adventure of the Six Napoleons is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle featuring Sherlock Holmes. The story follows Holmes as he investigates a series of strange occurrences involving six life-size clay models of Napoleon Bonaparte that have been placed in various locations around London. The models are found with their heads removed and replaced with those of the original Napoleon, leading Holmes to suspect that the culprit is not just any ordinary thief, but rather a man who has become obsessed with the French emperor. Through his investigation, Holmes uncovers a complex web of motives and secrets, ultimately revealing the identity of the perpetrator and their true motivations.

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · First published 1895 · Genre: Mystery, Detective Fiction, Crime Fiction · 9,855 words

First lines

It was no very unusual thing for Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard, to look in upon us of an evening, and his visits were welcome to Sherlock Holmes, for they enabled him to keep in touch with all that was going on at the police headquarters. In return for the news which Lestrade would bring, Holmes was always ready to listen with attention to the details of any case upon which the detective was engaged, and was able occasionally, without any active interference, to give some hint or suggestion drawn from his own vast knowledge and experience.

What this Textopian page supports

The Adventure of the Six Napoleons is listed on Textopian as a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, dated 1895 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: 1895 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Mystery, Detective Fiction, Crime Fiction, Suspense, Adventure
• Length: 9,855 words
• Structure: 1 section, 160 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Adventure of the Six Napoleons 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 Six Napoleons?
• 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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• The Adventure Of The Mazarin Stone by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Adventure Of The Red Circle by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
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Genres

• Mystery — The novel is a protagonist-led detective story by Arthur Conan Doyle featuring Sherlock Holmes.
• Detective Fiction — The novel features the character Sherlock Holmes solving complex cases, a defining feature of detective fiction.
• Crime Fiction — The plot involves investigation and resolution of crimes, which is characteristic of crime fiction.
• Suspense — The novel builds suspense as Sherlock Holmes unfolds the mystery behind the six Napoleons.

Tags

mystery · detective · Sherlock Holmes · Watson · crime · investigation · London · 19th century · sculpture · murder · clue · suspense

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