The terrible spectacle of the beast, the fog of the moor, the discovery of a body: this classic horror story pits detective against dog. When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on the wild Devon moorland with the footprints of a giant hound nearby, the blame is placed on a family curse. It is left to Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson to solve the mystery of the legend of the phantom hound before Sir Charles' heir comes to an equally gruesome end. "Hound of the Baskervilles" gripped readers when it was first serialised and has continued to hold its place in the popular imagination.

About the Author

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was born in Edinburgh where he qualified as a doctor, but it was his writing which brought him fame, with the creation of Sherlock Holmes, the first scientific detective. He was also a convert to spiritualism and a social reformer who used his investigative skills to prove the innocence of individuals. Professor Christopher Frayling is Rector of the Royal College of Art, an expert on horror fiction and has published widely on the subject.

Reviews

Reader Freddie Jones gives a riveting performance of Conan Doyle's most spellbinding novel. The story of the "hound from Hell" has haunted the Baskervilles through many generations. Now, Sir Henry Baskerville has more than the legendary hound to take on as Seldon, the infamous Notting Hill murderer, has escaped from prison and is known to be lurking around the moor. What a time for Sherlock Holmes to be detained in London! Thus, Watson is left to take on the case. This mystery is much more than elementary, however. The abridgment captures the dark, brooding nature of Dartmoor and the Grimpen Mire, providing the perfect backdrop for the story. Recommended for most libraries.‘Theresa Connors, Arkansas Tech Univ., Russellville

Gr 9 Up-In what is arguably both the best Sherlock Holmes story in the canon and one of the classic all-time mystery novels, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle parlays his interest in the occult with keen scientific detection in a story that prominently showcases Dr. Watson. Upon hearing Dr. James Mortimer's saga of the haunted Baskerville family and the recent death of family head Sir Charles Baskerville, apparently from the hound of the legend, Holmes and Watson begin their investigation. When the estate's heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, arrives in London from Canada strange things immediately occur and Holmes dispatches Watson to accompany Sir Henry to Baskerville Hall. Situated in Dartmoor in Devonshire, the estate borders a tremendous moor that includes Grimpen Mire, the deadly quicksand-like bog, and provides the Gothic atmosphere that so beautifully saturates the storyÄthe oppressive manor and nightly sounds of a wailing woman, Neolithic ruins and monoliths throughout the moor, a mysterious butler and his agitated wife, an escaped killer at-large on the moor, and the spectral and murderous hound. This expurgated version is wonderfully conceived and executed in every aspect, but particularly in the dexterous delivery of veteran British actor, Tony Britton. His diverse and distinctive portrayal of over a dozen characters is singularly commanding. This literary masterwork that has found its simpatico audio incarnation should be an obligatory purchase for all audio collections.-Barry X. Miller, Austin Public Library, TX Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Sherlock Holmes aficionados will welcome the first two volumes in the Baker Street Irregulars manuscript series: Arthur Conan Doyle's Angels of Darkness: A Drama in Three Acts edited by Peter Blau, and The Hound of the Baskervilles: Chapter XI. The former contains a facsimile of an unpublished play based on the second part of A Study in Scarlet, while the latter includes not only a holograph reproduction and linear transcription of the chapter manuscript but also several scholarly essays on what many consider the best detective novel ever. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.