The Red-Headed League is a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, first published in The Strand Magazine in August 1891. The story follows the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they investigate the mysterious disappearance of a man named Jabez Wilson. Wilson had recently been hired by a mysterious organization called the Red-Headed League, which promised to pay him four pounds a week to copy out the Encyclopedia Britannica. One day, however, the League suddenly disbanded, leaving Wilson without a job or an explanation. Holmes and Watson soon discover that the League was a ruse created by a criminal mastermind, Professor Moriarty, in order to distract Wilson while Moriarty and his henchmen robbed a nearby bank. With the help of Inspector Lestrade, Holmes and Watson are able to apprehend the criminals and recover the stolen money. The story is notable for its clever use of deduction and its introduction of Professor Moriarty, who would become one of the most famous villains in literature.
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · First published 1909 · Genre: Mystery, Crime Fiction, Adventure