The Return of Sherlock Holmes

London: George Newnes, Ltd, 1905. Very Good +. First English edition of the third collection of Sherlock Holmes stories (preceded by the first American edition by about one month). Small octavo (7 3/8 x 4 13/16 inches; 187 x 122 mm.). [8], 403, [1, printer's imprint], [4, publisher's advertisements] pp. Sixteen plates (including frontispiece). Some occasional light, mainly marginal foxing. Publisher's dark blue cloth lettered in gilt on front cover and spine. Early ink signature "Mary V.B.M." and bookplate of Barry Cross of Bishop's Waltham (UK) on front free endpaper. Spine rolled, but with the gilt much brighter than is usually seen.

Doyle was commissioned by an American magazine to return to the beloved Holmes and Watson for a series of new stories. Of the project he said " 'I would not write a Holmes story without a worthy plot, without a problem which interested my own mind, for that is a requisite before you can interest any one else.' The main problem was the plot...The plots did come and thirteen stories were written, among them some of the most interesting in the whole series" (Green and Gibson). The stories include: "The Adventure of the Empty House," "The Adventure of the Norwood Builder," "The Adventure of the Dancing Men," "The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist," "The Adventure of the Priory School," "The Adventure of Black Peter," "The Adventure of Charles August Milverton," "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons," "The Adventure of the Three Students," "The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez," "The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter," "The Adventure of the Abbey Grange," and "The Adventure of the Second Stain."

Green and Gibson A29a. Very Good +.