"Look down the valley! See the cloud of a hundred chimneys that overshadows it! It is the Valley of Fear, the Valley of Death." The Valley of Fear, the last of the four Sherlock Holmes novels, ranks among Arthur Conan Doyle's best work. The mystery begins with a coded warning of imminent danger, drawing the illustrious Sherlock Holmes and the faithful Dr. Watson to a secluded country home. A trail of bewildering clues--raincoats, dumbbells, a missing wedding ring--leads to sleuthing in the finest Holmesian tradition, with a gripping backstory of a cult that terrorized a valley in the American West. A cracklingly suspenseful narrative makes this a must for all lovers of mystery and detection. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859--1930) was born in Edinburgh and studied medicine. He began writing while he waited for his practice to grow and with 1887's A Study in Scarlet, he created Sherlock Holmes, one of the most famous literary characters of all time. Derek Jacobi has had a long and distinguished career in theatre, television and film. He has toured nationally in Breaking the Code, Becketand Uncle Vanya, and he also received a Tony Award for his performance of Benedick in the RSC's production of Much Ado About Nothing. His television work includes the lead roles in the ITV series Cadfael as well as the BBC's highly-acclaimed production of I, Claudius, while among his films are Henry V, Dead Againand Hamlet. Excerpted from Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
