The Reigate Puzzle

The Reigate Puzzle is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle that revolves around a mysterious death and the subsequent investigation led by Sherlock Holmes. The story was first published in 1893 and has since become a classic of detective fiction.

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · First published 1892 · Genre: Mystery, Detective Fiction, Crime Fiction · 8,642 words

First lines

It was some time before the health of my friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes recovered from the strain caused by his immense exertions in the spring of '87. The whole question of the Netherland-Sumatra Company and of the colossal schemes of Baron Maupertuis are too recent in the minds of the public, and are too intimately concerned with politics and finance to be fitting subjects for this series of sketches. They led, however, in an indirect fashion to a singular and complex problem which gave my friend an opportunity of demonstrating the value of a fresh weapon among the many with which he waged his lifelong battle against crime.

What this Textopian page supports

The Reigate Puzzle is listed on Textopian as a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, dated 1892 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: 1892 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Mystery, Detective Fiction, Crime Fiction, Short Story
• Length: 8,642 words
• Structure: 1 section, 193 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Reigate Puzzle 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 Reigate Puzzle?
• 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

• The Adventure Of The Three Gables by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Adventure Of The Three Garridebs by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Adventure Of Shoscombe Old Place by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Problem Of Thor Bridge by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Adventure Of The Blanched Soldier by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Adventure Of Wisteria Lodge by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Genres

• Mystery — The book is a Sherlock Holmes story involving a complex and mysterious case, fitting the mystery genre.
• Detective Fiction — The narrative follows Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson as they solve a puzzle, typical of detective fiction.
• Crime Fiction — The story revolves around a crime that Sherlock Holmes is tasked to solve, thus fitting within crime fiction.
• Short Story — The Reigate Puzzle is a short narrative, fitting the genre of a short story.

Tags

mystery · detective · Sherlock Holmes · crime · investigation · puzzle · suspense · whodunit · 19th century · literature · short story · logical reasoning

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