Written in 1887, A Study in Scarlet is a detective novel that marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, who would later become the most famous detective duo in popular fiction. This story is narrated from Dr. Watson's perspective as he returns to London after being shot and contracting a horrendous illness while serving as a doctor in Afghanistan. Too weak to work, he needs to find a roommate and is introduced to an enigmatic man: private detective Sherlock Holmes. When a body is found in unusual circumstances and Scotland Yard's officers are inefficient, Holmes is called to help solve the crime, and he invites Dr. Watson to join him. Together they unravel a tangled thread of murders that extend back thirty years.