A Scandal in Bohemia

“A Scandal in Bohemia” (1891) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has the distinction of being the first short story to feature literature’s most famous sleuth, Sherlock Holmes. The Sherlock Holmes stories were originally serialized in The Strand Magazine, and the famous British literary magazine published Doyle’s works from 1891 to 1930. Doyle also featured his iconic amateur detective in four novels and several collections, including A Study in Scarlet (1887), The Sign of Four (1890), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), and The Valley of Fear (1915).

“A Scandal in Bohemia” takes place in London in 1888 and features Holmes’s confidant, Dr. John Watson. Holmes’s elusive female adversary, Irene Adler, also makes her first appearance in the series. Upon its publication, the work quickly became a success and helped launch the storied fictional career of Sherlock Holmes that would span almost three decades.

This study guide refers to the 1891 version published in The Strand Magazine.

Content Warning: The story contains mentions of drug use.