The barren scene, the sense of loneliness, and the mystery and urgency of my task all struck a chill into my heart Could the sudden death of Sir Charles Baskerville have been caused by the gigantic ghostly hound that is said to have haunted his family for generations? Arch-rationalist Sherlock Holmes characteristically dismisses the theory as nonsense. And immersed in a The barren scene, the sense of loneliness, and the mystery and urgency of my task all struck a chill into my heart Could the sudden death of Sir Charles Baskerville have been caused by the gigantic ghostly hound that is said to have haunted his family for generations? Arch-rationalist Sherlock Holmes characteristically dismisses the theory as nonsense. And immersed in another case, he sends Watson to Devon to protect the Baskerville heir and observe the suspects close at hand. With its atmospheric setting on the ancient, wild moorland and its savage apparition, The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the greatest crime novels ever written. Rationalism is pitted against the supernatural, good against evil, as Sherlock Holmes seeks to defeat a foe almost his equal. This edition contains a full chronology of Arthur Conan Doyles life and works, an introduction discussing the background to the novel and the legends and events that inspired the story, with further reading and explanatory notes.