The Sign of The Four Review: Exploring Sherlock's Addiction Problem

Sherlock Holmes has no case to apply his gifted powers to. Out of pure boredom, he has been injecting a seven percent cocaine solution into his veins three times a day for months. He complains to Dr. Watson that he cannot live without mental exaltation, practically begging for work. Enter Mary Morstan with a most uncommon problem. Six years ago, she found a newspaper advertisement asking for her address for her own good. She reluctantly complied, and the very next day, she received a remarkably costly pearl. Every year since, on the exact same date, an identical pearl has arrived from an anonymous sender. Now, the mysterious benefactor wishes to meet her. Filled with fear and suspicion, she seeks Holmes’s counsel. The detective immediately awakens from his months-long lethargy, leaves his artificial stimulants aside, and is ready for action once again.

Case File: The Sign of The Four

Author & Year: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1890)

The Detective: Sherlock Holmes

Sub-Genre: Victorian Detective Fiction / Mystery

Fair-Play Rating: Not Applicable (Pre-Golden Age Rules)

My Verdict: 4/5 Magnifying Glasses

The Plot

Mary accompanies both Holmes and Watson to the Lyceum Theatre to meet her unknown well-wisher. There, a mysterious coachman guides them into a horse-drawn cab, driving them deep into the London suburbs. They arrive at the home of Thaddeus Sholto, the eccentric son of Major John Sholto. His house is a sanctuary of Indian culture, filled with Eastern antiques, tapestries, and Indian servants. Thaddeus informs Mary that his late father had acquired a vast treasure, held jointly with her own father, Captain Arthur Morstan. Upon the Major's deathbed six years prior, he charged his sons with giving Mary her rightful half, which he couldn't do himself because of his greed. Thaddeus’s twin brother, Bartholomew, had finally discovered the hidden chest at their old home, Pondicherry Lodge, just the previous night, and they now wish to hand over her inheritance.

The Locked-Room Mystery

When the party arrives at Pondicherry Lodge to claim the fortune, however, the story takes a dark and terrifying turn. They stumble directly into a shocking, locked-room crime scene. The treasure is completely gone, and the official police are entirely baffled. Fortunately, Holmes is on hand to reconstruct the impossible crime scene with ease. Athelney Jones, a bumbling detective from Scotland Yard, is called in primarily to provide a comedic contrast, highlighting just how inept the official police force looks when Holmes is in the room.

Sherlock's Allies: Baker Street Irregulars and Toby the Tracking Dog

With the treasure looted, the mysterious perpetrators are officially on the run, leaving behind a trail of bizarre, seemingly impossible clues that reveal an incredibly unique and dangerous partnership. What follows is a thrilling chase across London. Holmes first utilizes Toby, a talented tracking dog, and then employs his street-smart Baker Street Irregulars to locate the suspects. I think this time he used them to a greater extent and they play a relatively more important role in solving the case than the first book. We even get a rare glimpse of an irritated Sherlock when his initial efforts fail to track the duo down which is rare.

The final steamboat chase down the River Thames is exceptionally thrilling and keeps you hooked until the very last page. Once the dust settles, Doyle treats the reader to a substantial, well-paced chapter dedicated entirely to a fascinating backstory that spans continents, this time in India, to explain the culprits' true motives.

Tracing The Antagonist's Motive to India

Without giving away any secrets, this backstory explores a dark pact born out of the chaos of British India during the Great Uprising of 1857 (the first freedom struggle of india). It is a testament to Doyle’s mastery that the reader genuinely sympathizes with the unlucky antagonist. Doyle provides a tragic history of betrayal and injustice that makes the vengeful path taken by the murderer entirely understandable.

Romance Brewing between Watson and Mary

Meanwhile, a tender romance blossoms between Watson and Mary Morstan. Throughout the horror and thrill of the investigation, they find comfort in holding each other's hands. The entire business is incredibly hectic—neither Holmes nor Watson sleep for days—yet Watson always manages to keep Mary updated on their adventures, and her deep care for him is clear. At the story's conclusion, Holmes reacts strongly to the emotional developments of the case, perfectly encapsulating his cold philosophy:

"But love is an emotional thing, and whatever is emotional is opposed to that true, cold reason which I place above all things. I should never marry myself, lest I bias my judgement."

The Chemistry of Holmes and Watson

One of the absolute highlights of these novels is the evolving dynamic between the two leads. While Holmes’s presence often makes everyone else in the room look foolish, the duo works because they are both intellectually sharp in different ways; Watson’s practical, grounded nature serves as the perfect anchor for Holmes’s erratic genius.

All of Sherlock’s methods would remain a complete mystery to the public if it were not for Watson. While envious Scotland Yard detectives dismiss Holmes’s successes as mere luck, Watson studies his friend minutely and chronicles the adventures for the world. In fact, Watson's published stories have made Holmes so famous that the detective is forced to use elaborate disguises for first time for his investigations. Even Inspector Athelney Jones admits that Holmes would have made a wonderful actor. Beyond recording the cases, Watson is a vital partner who communicates messages and handles critical business in Holmes's absence. He is no longer just a co-lodger; he is a trusted partner, even if their relationship is filled with delightful disagreements and witty banter.

Who is the landlady of Holmes and Watson?

Additionally, this novel officially introduces us to their legendary landlady, Mrs. Hudson. While her role in the main plot is minor, we see a heartwarming connection developing between the trio as she grows visibly anxious over Holmes’s restless, erratic behavior. Notably, core universe elements like Professor Moriarty or Mycroft Holmes have yet to be introduced.

Historical and Cultural Context

I have noticed several glaring historical and continuity errors in Doyle's writing that are worth noting for sharp-eyed readers:

1. The Wandering Wound: In A Study in Scarlet, Watson explicitly states he was shot in the shoulder. In this novel, the Jezail bullet has miraculously moved to his leg, causing him a noticeable limp.
2. Cultural Nomenclature Blunders: The Indian characters mentioned in the backstory are explicitly described as belonging to one specific religious culture, yet their names are distinctly derived from an entirely different one.
3. Sensationalized Geography: Doyle takes massive creative liberties regarding distant British territories, depicting native characters with highly exaggerated, monstrous traits and fictional weapons to terrorize his then Victorian audience. In reality, modern anthropological and historical data shows that the actual indigenous tribes of these regions are hunter-gatherers with entirely different tools and customs.

We also see a distinct imperialist tone tailored to the British audience of the 1890s. Doyle has used a bit offensive and derogatory language to describe British Indian populations like black devils and black fiends, reflecting the common Victorian mindset of the era. Subtly, it highlights the deep-seated fear and psychological trauma that the great uprising is 1857 left in the hearts of the British Empire.

The Verdict

Much like the first novel, the story concludes with a dramatic shifts in the life of our main characters except for Sherlock for he is left with his cocaine once again. Readers are left satisfied with all peices of mystery answered while setting up a fascinating future for the Baker Street duo.

When I was a kid, I actually preferred this book over the first because Holmes is constantly in motion. Re-reading it now, however, I find A Study in Scarlet to be slightly superior. The segment where Holmes utilizes the Baker Street Irregulars felt almost like a direct copy of the first book, and the pacing drags slightly in the middle before the river chase begins. That being said, whenever Sherlock Holmes gets the limelight, he remains show-stopper.

My Verdict: 4/5 magnifying glasses.

"The Sign Of The Four" in Lippincotts Monthly Magzine via Toronto Public Library/Wikimedia Commons