The Adventure of the Empty House - a Sherlock Holmes Short Story

The Return of Sherlock Holmes #1

by Arthur Conan Doyle

Dr. Watson faints for the first and last time in his life when the believed-to-be-dead Sherlock Holmes reappears three years after his apparent death.

Readers will recall 'The Final Problem,' which is the last short story in 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.' And the fatal incident at Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. Watson was there. So imagine his surprise when an old man he bumped into on the street, a collector of books, turned out to be his old friend.

Watson had taken an interest in the strange case of a young aristocrat found shot to death in a locked room on Park Lane. But the criminal investigation, although of huge interest to the public, was not progressing. Then Holmes returned.

Genres: Mystery, Classics, Short Stories, Fiction, Crime, Audiobook, Detective

17 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1903

About the author

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.

Reviews

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holmes returns

This is the story in which Sherlock Holmes returns after he was believed to be dead. Back in London he faces assassination by a dangerous criminal and former army officer.

Doyle brought Holmes back to life in a believable and realistic manner which pleased his fans. Holmes gives Watson an account of what happened and what he was doing after the incident. There is, of course, no mention of William S. Barring-Gould's theory that he had a love affair with Irene Adler resulting in the birth of Nero Wolfe.

In.addition to the Adventure of the Empty House this volume contains Aphorisms by Doyle and THE ORIGINAL OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by Harold Emery Jones.

[Aishu Rehman · Rating 2 out of 5]

In 1893 Sherlock Holmes had never been more popular, but Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself was tired of the character, and so had effectively killed the detective off by having him fall in the Reichenbach Falls.

Over the next ten years though, the demand for Sherlock Holmes never waned, but when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle eventually gave in to the demands, he had to find a way to resurrect the character. The first new story was The Hound of the Baskervilles but this was told as if it was an earlier case of the detective, but in The Adventure of the Empty House, Conan Doyle had to find a away to explain the survival of Sherlock Holmes, but also give him a big case to solve; hence the death of Ronald Adair, a man shot inside a locked room.

In truth, the case isn’t really a locked room mystery, for the explanation of the death is ultimately a straightforward one.

The Adventure of the Empty House is not a story which enables the reader to solve the case alongside Sherlock Holmes, but is a story that explains all that has happened to the detective since Watson last saw him in Switzerland. In the fictional world of Sherlock Holmes, three years were said to have passed.

The Adventure of the Empty House is, like The Adventure of the Final Problem, a core part of any adaptation of the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. As such in recent years, The Empty Hearse episode of BBC’s Sherlock plays homage to the original tale, but a faithful adaptation was undertaken by Granada TV in 1986, with Jeremy Brett playing the detective.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I went at it on my knees, sir, just as you instructed." #outofcontextquotes

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible recently introduced a new feature called Channels, which are select (usually short) stories or lectures provided free to subscribers. The genres are Mystery, Food, Romance, The Great Courses, Meditation, and The Daily Wrap.

I've listened to several of the available 'meditation' selections but this, The Adventure of the Empty House, is the first actual story I've listened to. I'm thrilled that audible has this new feature because I doubt I'd ever had tried listening to Sherlock Holmes if I'd had to pay for it.

Another HUGE plus is that these offerings are, as I said, short - about 30 minutes each - so they're perfect when you don't have a lot of time to invest but want something to listen to, start to finish.

I really enjoyed this Sherlock Holmes mystery. The narrator is very good and the story entertaining. This takes place 3 years after Sherlock's supposed death and is actually the first time Dr. Watson encounters his old friend so he was quite shocked to find him alive. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a poignant moment, but it did show just how deep their friendship was.

You can bet I'll be listening to more of the Channel selections!

[Jim Ef · Rating 5 out of 5]

8.8/10
It's the return of the "Aw wait, no way, you're kidding. He didn't just say, what i think he did, did he?"
And Dr.Moriarty said.... Nothing, you fools! Dr.Moriarty is dead,
he fell from a waterfall
and bust open his head ( Ha ha )

Sorry about that.
The great detective returns in action and solves yet another case that seems to be unexplainable while at the same tme takes care of personal business.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 starts & 5/10 hearts. Seriously such a brilliant return! It’s an epic story. I absolutely loved seeing Holmes & Watson meet again, and immediately be launched in a mystery. Seeing what Holmes had been up to was fascinating, and all his marvellous masterful work was splendid. And his interaction with Lestrade… and the actual adventure... and his meeting with the “human tiger”… yes, a wonderful story!!!

Content: Card-playing; smoking; brandy used to restore consciousness; murder; “good heavens” x2.

A Favourite Humorous Quote: “That you, Lestrade?” said Holmes.
“Yes, Mr. Holmes. I took the job myself. It’s good to see you back in London, sir.”
“I think you want a little unofficial help. Three undetected murders in one year won’t do, Lestrade. But you handled the Molesey Mystery with less than your usual—that’s to say, you handled it fairly well.”

[Suad Alhalwachi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holmes and Watson, my favorite detective with their eccentric methods, this novel solves two mysteries instead of the usual one death or one criminal case. And as usual it’s solved with impeccable style. Loved it

Some quotes that I liked:

“There are some trees, Watson, which grow to a certain height, and then suddenly develop some unsightly eccentricity. You will see it often in humans. I have a theory that the individual represents in his development the whole procession of his ancestors, and that such a sudden turn to good or evil stands for some strong influence which came into the line of his pedigree. The person becomes, as it were, the epitome of the history of his own family.”

“Ah! my dear Watson, there we come into those realms of conjecture, where the most logical mind may be at fault. Each may form his own hypothesis upon the present evidence, and yours is as likely to be correct as mine.”

“It will be verified or disproved at the trial. Meanwhile, come what may, Colonel Moran will trouble us no more. The famous air-gun of Von Herder will embellish the Scotland Yard Museum, and once again Mr. Sherlock Holmes is free to devote his life to examining those interesting little problems which the complex life of London so plentifully presents.”

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. I am delighted at my rediscovery of Sherlock Holmes and his adventures in recent years. I read several of them years before Goodreads came along. Doyle created a sensation in the late 19th century with Holmes and, for later generations, that fascination continues. GR has only added to that. This one is good, a must read for all, but it doesn't match the previous story for action. In its defence, nothing could. In 'The Final Problem,' Holmes and evil genius Professor Moriarty engaged in a titanic struggle on the edge of Switzerland's Reichenbach Falls with the two eventually tumbling to their deaths onto the rocks below and into the swirling waters. Over the next three years, Dr. Watson was able to console himself be recalling their many difficult cases and the way his friend had solved them. Then a problem arose which, in Watson's view, Holmes would have relished if he were alive. Ronald Adair, a young man of leisure who enjoyed cards and gambling was found shot in his locked sitting room. Could Holmes have worked it out? Of course - if he were alive. To Watson's shock and joy, he was! I was pleased too. (De2022/Aug2025)

[Mary ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars

TW: Stalking

And that is the third story we had to study, which was not as impressive as the first but I still very much enjoyed for the character development. I highly recommend!

[Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esta es la historia del regreso oficial de Sherlock Holmes después de que Conan Doyle quiso hacernos creer que se había muerto. Evidentemente nunca me lo creí, pero me dio mucha pena por el pobre Watson, que sí pensó que que había perdido a su amigo.

El punto aquí es que esta historia empieza tres años después del último relato e involucra a uno de los secuaces más poderosos de Moriarty, pues Sherlock sabe que hasta que no estén todos tras las rejas no va a poder seguir con su vida de detective.

En general fue un buen caso, aunque no tanto por la resolución, sino por el reencuentro entre Sherlock y Watson.

[Rob Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Public pressure forced Conan Doyle to bring the sleuth back to life, and explain his apparently miraculous survival of a deadly struggle with Professor Moriarty. This is the first Holmes story set after his supposed death at the Reichenbach Falls, as recounted in "The Final Problem". The Hound of the Baskervilles had seen the return of a pre-Reichenbach Falls Sherlock Holmes, which only served to whet readers' appetites.

I wonder if it would have been better if this had been one of the full length Sherlock novels instead of a short story? But it all comes together neatly.

The story takes place in 1894, three years after the death of Sherlock Holmes. On the night of March 30, an apparently unsolvable locked-room murder takes place in London: the Park Lane Mystery, the killing of the Honourable Ronald Adair, son of the Earl of Maynooth, a colonial governor in Australia. He was in his sitting room, working on accounts of some kind, as indicated by the papers and money found by police. Adair liked playing whist and regularly did so at several clubs, but never for great sums of money. It does, however, come out that he won as much as £420 in partnership with Colonel Sebastian Moran. The motive does not appear to be robbery as nothing has been stolen, and it seems that Adair had not an enemy in the world. It seems odd that Ronald's door was locked from the inside. The only other way out was the open window, and there was a 20-foot (about 6 m) drop below it onto a flower bed, which now shows no sign of being disturbed. Adair was killed with a soft-nosed revolver bullet to the head. No one in the area at the time heard a shot.

In April, Doctor Watson (now a widower), having retained an interest in crime from his previous association with Holmes, visits the crime scene at 427 Park Lane. He sees a plainclothes detective there with police, and also runs into an elderly deformed book collector, knocking several of his books to the ground. The encounter ends with the man snarling in anger and going away. However, that is not the last that Watson sees of him, for a short time later, the man comes to Watson's study in Kensington to apologize for his earlier behaviour. Once he manages to distract Watson's attention for a few seconds (making Watson turn his head), he transforms himself into Sherlock Holmes, much to Watson's great astonishment when he turns back round.

Contrary to what Watson believed, Holmes won against Professor Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls, flinging him down the waterfall with the help of baritsu, and then he climbed up the cliff beside the path to make it appear as though he, too, had fallen to his death. This was a plan that Holmes had just conceived to defend against Moriarty's confederates. However, at least one of them knew that he was still alive and tried to kill him by dropping rocks down on the ledge where he had taken refuge. Hurriedly climbing back down the cliff—and falling the last short distance to the path—Holmes ran for his life and, by the next week, he was in Florence. Holmes apologizes to Watson for the deception needed to outwit his enemies, and describes his three years' exploits, explaining that he spent the next few years traveling to various parts of the world. First, he went to Tibet and wandered for two years, even attaining entry to Lhasa and met the "head lama". Afterward, Holmes travelled incognito as a Norwegian explorer named Sigerson. Then, he went to Persia, with Holmes entering Mecca and then to a brief stopover with the Khalifa in Khartoum. Finally, before returning, Holmes spent time doing chemical research on coal tar derivatives in Montpellier, France. However, Holmes was finally brought back to London by the news of Adair's murder. During all this time, the only people who knew that Holmes was alive were Moriarty's henchmen and Holmes's brother Mycroft, who provided him with the money he needed.

Holmes tells Watson that they are going to do some dangerous work that evening, and after a roundabout trip through the city, they enter an empty house, an abandoned building known as Camden House whose front room overlooks—to Watson's great surprise—Baker Street. Holmes's room can be seen across the street, and more surprisingly still, Holmes can be seen silhouetted against the blind: it is a lifelike waxwork bust, moved regularly from below by Mrs. Hudson to simulate life. Holmes employs the dummy because he was seen by one of Moriarty's men, and thus he expects an attempt on his life that very night. After a roundabout route, Watson and Holmes wait two hours until around midnight in the abandoned Camden House. A sniper, who has taken the bait, fires a specialized air gun to assassinate his foe. Surprisingly, he chooses Camden House as his vantage point.

Once the ruffian shoots his air gun, scoring a direct hit on Holmes's dummy across the street, Holmes and Watson are on him, and he is soon disarmed and restrained. While Watson knocks down the enemy, Holmes summons the police by blowing a whistle. They are led by Inspector Lestrade, who arrests the gunman. It is none other than Colonel Moran, Ronald Adair's whist partner, and the same man who threw rocks down on the ledge at Holmes at Reichenbach Falls. Holmes does not wish the police to press charges of attempted murder in connection with what Moran has just done. Instead, he tells Lestrade to charge him with actual murder, for Moran is the man who murdered Ronald Adair. The air gun, it turns out, has been specially designed to shoot revolver bullets, and a quick forensics check of the one that "killed" his dummy shows, as Holmes expected, that it matches the bullet used to kill Adair.

Holmes and Watson then go to their old apartment in Baker Street, where Holmes' rooms were kept as he had left them thanks to Mycroft's supervision. Moran's motive in killing Adair is a matter of speculation even for Holmes. Nonetheless, his theory is that Adair had caught Moran cheating at cards, and threatened to expose his dishonourable behaviour. Moran therefore got rid of the one man who could rob him of his livelihood, for he earned a living playing cards crookedly, and could ill afford to be barred from all his clubs.

[Maram · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh well, I have never liked or enjoyed Sherlock Holmes’ stories, to me they lack the lustre and thrill that I fondly remember from my childhood’s favourite detective/ crime books.

This story wasn’t an exception that I longed for.. :(


“Work is the best antidote to sorrow, my dear Watson,”

— how sad that this is true sometimes,

[midnightfaerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big story. Holmes is dead and Moriarty is rampant. A great start to another collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. Not so much a mystery as an explanation of events happening in Sherlock's life. Shock and awe pervade the scene but mostly at the doc's expense. Enjoyable, but not my favorite.

[Jason Parent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another important tale as it is, shall we say, the solution to the final problem. Plus, it is well told with a murderous villain.

[Jason Donoghue · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found it tiresome and boring. Holmes is alive and all this tells me is the author lost an excellent opportunity to end the story in a classic way, the final problem should by the very name of the story the final problem and final story for Sherlock Holmes.

[Tobi ﾄﾋﾞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

sexy sherlock strikes again

[Yassmeen Altaif · Rating 2 out of 5]

جيدة تلك الحبكة التي جعلتنا نستمع لجريمتين في مرة واحدة.

البداية مقتل شاب ثم تنتقل بعودة شارلوك ومحاولة قتله، لنكتشف في النهاية مجرم جريمة الشاب.

كعادة مغامرات شارلوك هولمز بسيطة وخفيفة.

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe a bit too short a short story. Intended as a return for Sherlock Holmes from his death, but short on the detection. Although Watson for me was the pivotal character in the story.

[Sohan · Rating 4 out of 5]

দ্য ফাইনাল প্রবলেম গল্পে শার্লক হোমসকে খাদে ফেলার পর কি হল তা আমরা সবাই জানি কিন্তু মজার ব্যাপার হল আরথার সাহেব কিন্তু সাথে সাথে শার্লককে ফিরিয়ে আনেননি। - (সুত্রঃ বিবিসি, রাত আটটার সংবাদ)
এই গল্পে শার্লকের প্রত্যাবর্তন হয়। Strand Magazine কে বাজারে টিকিয়ে রাখতে কিছুদিন পর 'হাউন্ড অব দি বাস্কারভিলস' প্রকাশ করা শুরু হয় যা আগের লেখা। তারও তিন বচ্ছর পরে এই এম্পটি হাউস লিখে আপদ মুক্ত হন।

শার্লক হোমসের ফিরে আসাটাও বেশ চমৎকার!

[Hadeel Kadada · Rating 3 out of 5]

أحب مغامرات هولمز 🤍

[IngeT (inge1970reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

He's baaaacckk 3.5

[Jera16 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The vibes>

[Greta Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a stickler for Sherlock Holmes mysteries. This particular one wasn’t too confusing or hard to figure out, which is disappointing because that’s the best part of reading Doyle’s mysteries. Still enjoyable and will be reading another one :)

[Nameer Houwari · Rating 2 out of 5]

شارلوك هولمز - مغامرة المنزل الخالي الكاتب : آرثر كونان دويل
الوقت : ساعه ودقيقتان
التقييم 2 / 5
النوع : روايه جريمه وتشويق

تبدأ هذه القصة بطلق رصاصي يصيب السيد رولاند أدير وهو جالس وحيد في غرفته و باب الغرفة مغلق من الداخل ، في ظروف غامضة حيث لم يسمع احد صوت اطلاق النار او يرى الجاني !

ولأن هولمز كان قد مات وهذا ما صدمني في البداية لانني لا اقرأ روايات شارلوك هولمز بالتسلسل ، فقد قرر الدكتور واتسون صديق هولمز حل اللغز .

أما عن هولمز الذي سيظهر لاحقا لصديقه واتسون لتتكشف الحقيقة بأنه لم يقتل بل كان متخفي عقب نجاته من موت محسوم و شعر بأنه مهدد بالقتل . و لكنه ظهر في اخر الصفحات ليكشف عن مقتل السيد رولاند و يحل اللغز .

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense and exciting. I felt I was there in the house with them.

[Aalyaa · Rating 2 out of 5]

ختامي مع شيرلوك هولمز انتهت حصيلة المغامرات التي أعارتني إياها صديقة وقرأتها حتى لا أكسر بخاطرها واستطيع أن أقول بدون تعسف أو تسرع أنني حقا لن أحب شيرلوك هولمز الأصلي أبدا (فأنا أحب المسلسل) واني قرأت له الكثير ولم أتقبله أبدا لعل المغامرة الوحيدة التي بصدق أحببتها كثيرا وسأتذكر شيرلو بيها هي مغامرة العقيق الأزرق فقد كانت محكمة وممتعة ومقفه الاخلاقي في نهايتها كان غاية في النبل والرحمة

[Catie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Return of Sherlock Holmes Litsy Readathon #Sherlocked hosted by @tjwill and @Daisey - June 1- July 15 2018

[Najla Isameel · Rating 1 out of 5]

ملخص القصة مقتل شاب، ومحقق يحاول معرفة القاتل في جريمة غامضه، وعودة شارلوك هومز للحياة بعد اختفاء لثلاث سنوات ظنوا انه قد مات

القصة مختصرة جداً

[Kylie Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

He’s back baby!!! Arthur was NOT ALLOWED to kill Sherlock, and even 10 years later, people were clamoring for more. What a compliment to this excellent character and writer.

[Dató · Rating 2 out of 5]

Շատ թեթև ու մաքսիմալ պարզ պատմվածք էր։