Book Anatomy: Ask the book now sits at the top of every book, with example questions · Ask any classic book about the craft that made it great · 50 tools · Updated 16 Oct 2026 · My list

Book Anatomy · Crime and mystery

Anatomy of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Arthur Conan Doyle, 1892. Public domain in the UK and the US. Short form mystery; reveal by reasoning.

Ask The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes a question about its craft (free beta)

Answers cite chapter and paragraph, and every quote is checked against the text. (3 free questions a day).

Try:

105,143 words
12 chapters
56% dialogue
14.9 words a sentence
first person
7.0 hours to read

Lessons to borrow

All 180 lenses

The 20 lenses below are the most asked for. The full set of 180 is grouped in 12 pages:

Beat positions Both

Story and structure · lens A1 · compare across books

BeatWhereOur reading
Inciting incidentCh 1 (I. A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA), about 4% throughThe King of Bohemia engages Holmes to recover a compromising photograph from Irene Adler.
First turning pointCh 2 (II. THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE), about 13% throughHolmes deduces the Red-headed League is a hoax to keep Wilson away from his shop during a bank robbery.
MidpointCh 6 (VI. THE MAN WITH THE TWISTED LIP), about 44% throughHolmes reveals Neville St. Clair's double life as a beggar, solving the mystery of his disappearance.
Low pointCh 5 (V. THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS), about 36% throughJohn Openshaw is found dead in the Thames despite Holmes's warning, showing the limits of his power.
ClimaxCh 8 (VIII. THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND), about 61% throughHolmes confronts Dr. Roylott's murder method and the swamp adder kills Roylott himself.
ResolutionCh 12 (XII. THE ADVENTURE OF THE COPPER BEECHES), about 95% throughHolmes solves the final case of Violet Hunter and Alice Rucastle's imprisonment, completing the collection.
When a woman thinks that her house is on fire, her instinct is at once to rush to the thing which she values most. (Ch 1, para 209)
My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence. These little problems help me to do so. (Ch 2, para 213)
there, sitting by the fire and grinning at my surprise, was none other than Sherlock Holmes (Ch 6, para 28)
K. K. K.!’ he shrieked, and then, ‘My God, my God, my sins have overtaken me! (Ch 5, para 38)

Percent is the middle of that chapter as a share of all words. The beat labels are our AI reading of the chapter notes.

Chapter length chart Count

Pace · lens D1 · compare across books

12 chapters. Median 9,194 words, shortest 7,019, longest 9,993. Whole book 105,143 words, about 7.0 hours at 250 words a minute.

Each bar is one chapter in reading order. Hover for the title and count.

Dialogue share per chapter Count

Dialogue and voice · lens C1 · compare across books

56% of all words are dialogue. A further 20% is long told stories inside quote marks (a narrator within the story), which we count apart. Speech tags: "said" is 57% of tag verbs we found.

Cast and presence map Count

Character · lens B1, B2 · compare across books

CharacterRole (our reading)Share of mentionsChapters on pageFirst appears
Sherlock Holmeslead53%12 of 12Ch 1, para 2
Dr. Watsonnarrator12%12 of 12Ch 1, para 6
Inspector Lestradefoil5%5 of 12Ch 4, para 22
Neville St. Clairminor4%1 of 12Ch 6, para 42
James Windibankantagonist4%6 of 12Ch 2, para 135
Irene Adlerlove interest3%8 of 12Ch 1, para 2
Miss Mary Sutherlandminor3%7 of 12Ch 1, para 11
Miss Helen Stonerally2%1 of 12Ch 8, para 22
Dr. Grimesby Roylottantagonist2%1 of 12Ch 8, para 1
Jabez Wilsonminor2%1 of 12Ch 2, para 6
Violet Hunterally2%1 of 12Ch 12, para 21
Victor Hatherleyally2%2 of 12Ch 4, para 17

Who is on the page, chapter by chapter

123456789101112
Sherlock Holmes
Dr. Watson
Inspector Lestrade
Neville St. Clair
James Windibank
Irene Adler
Miss Mary Sutherland
Miss Helen Stoner
Dr. Grimesby Roylott
Jabez Wilson

Most shared chapters: Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes (12), Dr. Watson and Irene Adler (8), Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes (8), Miss Mary Sutherland and Sherlock Holmes (7), Dr. Watson and Miss Mary Sutherland (7).

Counts use the names and aliases in our cast list. A name in narration or speech counts as a mention.

Chapter ending hooks AI

Pace · lens D8 · compare across books

Chapter endings: 6 reveal, 5 quiet, 1 cliffhanger.

Most chapters end with Holmes explaining his deductions or revealing a hidden truth, satisfying curiosity while maintaining Watson's admiration. Some end with quiet resolution or ominous news, varying the emotional tone.

Every chapter ending
  1. Ch 1: reveal. The final paragraphs reveal that Holmes keeps Irene Adler's photograph and refers to her as 'the woman', showing she has become his one exception to his rule against emotion.
    And when he speaks of Irene Adler, or when he refers to her photograph, it is always under the honourable title of the woman. (Ch 1, para 262)
  2. Ch 2: reveal. Holmes explains the entire scheme in the early morning hours, showing how every detail pointed to a tunnel being dug beneath the pawnbroker's shop to reach the bank.
    My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence. These little problems help me to do so. (Ch 2, para 213)
  3. Ch 3: quiet. Mary leaves with faith in Holmes, who settles into his chair with his pipe, ready to solve the mystery
    There is danger for him who taketh the tiger cub, and danger also for whoso snatches a delusion from a woman (Ch 3, para 137)
  4. Ch 4: reveal. Turner confesses and Holmes promises to keep the secret unless McCarthy is condemned, allowing both justice and mercy
    I will keep your confession, and if McCarthy is condemned I shall be forced to use it (Ch 4, para 212)
  5. Ch 5: cliffhanger. Holmes learns from a newspaper that Openshaw has been found dead in the Thames, killed despite Holmes's warning, spurring Holmes to seek revenge
    It proved to be that of a young gentleman whose name, as it appears from an envelope which was found in his pocket, was John Openshaw (Ch 5, para 147)
  6. Ch 6: reveal. Holmes washes away the beggar's disguise to reveal St. Clair alive, solving the mystery and allowing him to return home with his secret intact
  7. Ch 7: quiet. Holmes dismisses the case as solved and suggests they investigate another matter involving a bird, returning to routine with dry humour
  8. Ch 8: reveal. Holmes explains his full deductions as they travel back, revealing how the ventilator, dummy bell-rope, and trained snake formed the murder method
  9. Ch 9: quiet. The chapter ends with Holmes and Hatherley returning to London, the criminals having vanished forever despite their near capture
    And Holmes’ fears came to be realised, for from that day to this no word has ever been heard either of the beautiful woman, the sinister German, or the morose Englishman. (Ch 9, para 172)
  10. Ch 10: quiet. Holmes and Watson settle in for the evening with violin and wine, the case resolved but Lord St. Simon's pride wounded
    Draw your chair up and hand me my violin, for the only problem we have still to solve is how to while away these bleak autumnal evenings. (Ch 10, para 226)
  11. Ch 11: reveal. Holmes reveals the full truth: Mary and Burnwell fled together, Arthur protected her honour, and the case is solved with the gems recovered and a cheque written
  12. Ch 12: quiet. The mystery is solved, the villain punished by fate, and Violet moves on to run a school; Holmes shows no further interest once the case ends
    And thus was solved the mystery of the sinister house with the copper beeches in front of the door. Mr. Rucastle survived, but was always a broken man, kept alive solely through the care of his devoted wife. (Ch 12, para 212)

Viewpoint per chapter Both

Viewpoint and narration · lens E2 · compare across books

Counted: the narration is mostly first person (first person words per 1,000 outside speech: 43.4).

Watson narrates all cases in first person, observing Holmes's methods and often being surprised by his conclusions. This creates distance between reader and Holmes, making him seem more mysterious and brilliant.

Want and need of the lead AI

Character · lens B3 · compare across books

LeadSherlock Holmes
WantsTo solve puzzles and demonstrate the power of logical deduction over emotion and conventional wisdom.
NeedsTo find meaning and purpose through his work rather than through human connection.
False beliefThat emotion and sentiment are weaknesses to be overcome rather than aspects of human nature.
Arcflat. Holmes remains fundamentally unchanged across the cases, though his regard for Irene Adler hints at hidden depths.

Scene log AI

Story and structure · lens A4 · compare across books

One line per chapter: goal, conflict, outcome
ChSummaryGoalConflictOutcome
1Sherlock Holmes is engaged by the King of Bohemia to recover a compromising photograph from Irene Adler, and through an elaborate scheme involving a staged riot and fire alarm, Holmes discovers its location but finds himself outwitted when Adler flees with her new husband.The King wants Holmes to retrieve a photograph that Irene Adler threatens to use to ruin his royal marriage.Adler is clever, cautious, and has already thwarted five attempts to steal the photograph; Holmes must find where she keeps it without her knowing.Holmes locates the photograph but Adler escapes to the Continent with her husband Norton, leaving only a letter and a photograph of herself for Holmes.
2Holmes investigates the mysterious Red-headed League, deducing that it is an elaborate hoax designed to keep a pawnbroker away from his shop while criminals tunnel into the adjacent bank vault to steal French gold.Jabez Wilson wants to know who created the Red-headed League and why they suddenly dissolved it after eight weeks.The scheme is so bizarre that its true purpose is hidden; Holmes must deduce the real motive behind the fake employment.Holmes identifies the scheme as a cover for a bank robbery, sets a trap with police, and captures the criminal John Clay attempting to break into the bank vault.
3Holmes and Watson debate whether real life is stranger than fiction, then Miss Mary Sutherland arrives with a case of a missing bridegroom.Mary seeks Holmes's help to find her disappeared fiancé Hosmer AngelAngel vanished on their wedding day; Mary's stepfather refuses to involve police or HolmesHolmes takes the case and begins investigating through letters and details
4Holmes and Watson travel to Herefordshire to investigate the murder of Charles McCarthy, with the son arrested despite circumstantial evidence that intrigues Holmes.Holmes seeks to prove young James McCarthy innocent of his father's murderCircumstantial evidence points to the son; the real murderer remains hiddenHolmes deduces the murderer is John Turner and secures a confession to save the innocent young man
5A young man named John Openshaw visits Holmes with a tale of mysterious orange pips sent to his family members, each followed by death, and Holmes deduces the Ku Klux Klan is responsible.Openshaw seeks Holmes's help to stop a curse of orange pips that has killed his uncle and fatherThe police dismiss the letters as pranks, the deaths appear accidental, and the threat is imminent with a new letter arrivingHolmes identifies the Ku Klux Klan as the culprit and sends Openshaw home with a plan, but Openshaw is killed before he can act
6Watson finds Isa Whitney in an opium den, discovers Holmes is undercover there investigating a disappearance, and together they uncover that the missing man Neville St. Clair has been living a double life as a beggar.Holmes seeks to find the missing Neville St. Clair and determine what happened in the opium denSt. Clair appears to have been murdered, his clothes are found, blood is on the sill, but the body is missing and a crippled beggar named Hugh Boone is the only suspectHolmes discovers St. Clair is alive and has been disguised as the beggar Hugh Boone to earn money, and the apparent murder was a misunderstanding
7Holmes deduces a man's life from his worn hat, then a blue carbuncle emerges from a Christmas goose, leading to a chain of inquiry through London's markets.Holmes wants to identify the hat's owner and trace the valuable blue carbuncle stolen from the Countess of MorcarThe stone has vanished into a goose sold through multiple dealers; the plumber Horner sits accused of theftHolmes traces the goose to Henry Baker (innocent), then to James Ryder (the real thief), who confesses and is released
8Holmes and Watson investigate the mysterious death of Julia Stoner and discover her stepfather has been using a trained swamp adder to murder his stepdaughters to prevent them claiming their inheritance.Holmes wants to uncover what killed Julia Stoner and protect Helen from the same fateThe room appears sealed; no weapon or poison is evident; Dr. Roylott is violent and dangerous; the truth seems impossibleHolmes identifies a swamp adder trained to crawl through a ventilator; it kills Roylott instead when Holmes drives it back
9A young hydraulic engineer arrives at Watson's surgery with a severed thumb and tells Holmes and Watson of a sinister night at a mysterious house where he was nearly killed by a hydraulic press.Hatherley wants Holmes to solve the mystery of who attacked him and whyThe criminals have covered their tracks and fled; the house burns down before police can investigateHolmes deduces they were coiners using the press to make counterfeit coins; the gang escapes in the fire
10Lord St. Simon's bride vanishes at her wedding breakfast; Holmes deduces she ran away with her true husband, an American she had secretly married years before in the mining camps.Holmes must find Lady St. Simon and explain her disappearanceLestrade suspects foul play by Flora Millar; the bride's clothes are found in the Serpentine; Lord St. Simon is humiliatedHolmes reunites the bride with her true husband Frank Moulton; Lord St. Simon accepts the situation coldly
11A desperate banker arrives at Baker Street with news that a priceless coronet has been stolen and his son caught red-handed, but Holmes suspects the truth is far more complex.Holder wants Holmes to prove his son innocent and recover the stolen beryl coronetArthur was caught with the broken coronet in his hands, and refuses to explain himself; the gems have vanishedHolmes deduces the real culprit is Sir George Burnwell, who was helped by Mary, and recovers the gems by day's end
12Holmes and Watson investigate a governess's strange employment at a country house where she is forced to wear a dead girl's dress and sit in a window, leading to the discovery of an imprisoned woman and a daring rescue.Violet Hunter seeks Holmes's advice on whether to accept a governess position with unusual conditionsThe Rucastles hold a prisoner in a locked room and use Violet to deceive her fiancé into thinking she is happy; Violet discovers the truth and calls for helpHolmes and Watson free the prisoner (Alice Rucastle), Rucastle is mauled by his own dog, and Alice escapes with her true love Mr. Fowler

Setups and payoffs AI

Story and structure · lens A8 · compare across books

PlantedPays off
Holmes's unusual regard for Irene Adler as 'the woman' despite his contempt for emotion (Ch 1)Holmes keeps Irene Adler's photograph and refers to her as his one exception to his rule against sentiment (Ch 1)
Vincent Spaulding's worn and stained knees suggest tunnelling work (Ch 2)Holmes's observation proves Spaulding is John Clay, a master criminal digging beneath the pawnbroker's shop (Ch 2)
The dying man's reference to 'a rat' at Boscombe Pool (Ch 4)Holmes decodes 'rat' as 'Ballarat', naming the murderer's Australian origin and motive (Ch 4)
Orange pips sent to the Openshaw family with mysterious postmarks (Ch 5)Holmes identifies the Ku Klux Klan as responsible, but Openshaw is killed before justice can be served (Ch 5)
The beggar Hugh Boone's scar and twisted lip appear to be artificial makeup (Ch 6)Holmes washes away the disguise to reveal Neville St. Clair alive and living a double life (Ch 6)
The ventilator, dummy bell-rope, and clamped bed in Helen Stoner's room at Stoke Moran (Ch 8)Holmes reveals these form the mechanism for delivering a trained swamp adder to murder the stepdaughters (Ch 8)
Violet Hunter is forced to wear a dead girl's dress and sit in a window at Copper Beeches (Ch 12)Holmes discovers she is a double for the imprisoned Alice Rucastle, kept captive by her father (Ch 12)
The man in the road watches Violet intently when she sits in the window (Ch 12)The man is revealed to be Mr. Fowler, Alice's fiancé, watching to confirm she is alive (Ch 12)
Singularity is almost invariably a clue. The more featureless and commonplace a crime is, the more difficult it is (Ch 4, para 14)
The question for us now to solve is the sequence of events leading from a rifled jewel-case at one end to the crop of a goose in Tottenham Court Road at the other. (Ch 7, para 62)
You are probably aware that fuller’s-earth is a valuable product, and that it is only found in one or two places in England? (Ch 9, para 80)

Speech fingerprints Count

Dialogue and voice · lens C3 · compare across books

CharacterShare of attributed speechLinesWords a lineQuestions per 100 linesExclaims per 100Pet words
Sherlock Holmes91%38117.317.813.6shall, watson, case, matter, pray, take
Inspector Lestrade6%3015.06.713.3holmes, afraid, find, hard, theories, about
Jabez Wilson2%822.60.025.0done, just, business, keep, something, clever

We give a line to a speaker only when one cast name appears in the narration of that paragraph, so many lines stay unattributed. Treat the figures as a sample.

Sentence length per chapter Count

Pace · lens D2 · compare across books

Mean sentence 14.9 words, median 12.0. 42% of sentences are under 10 words and 11% over 30. In the last fifth of the book, chapters run at 115% and sentences at 103% of the earlier average.

Emotional arc shape Count

Pace · lens D7 · compare across books

0% to 5%: 0.3315% to 10%: 0.29310% to 15%: 0.25815% to 20%: 0.1920% to 25%: 0.12225% to 30%: 0.05530% to 35%: -0.00635% to 40%: -0.01140% to 45%: -0.00245% to 50%: -0.02650% to 55%: 0.00655% to 60%: 0.05160% to 65%: 0.04465% to 70%: 0.05170% to 75%: 0.12575% to 80%: 0.14480% to 85%: 0.15785% to 90%: 0.19990% to 95%: 0.22195% to 100%: 0.197

Computed shape: Man in a hole (fall then rise) (fit 0.92 on a scale of 0 to 1).

We score the mood of each paragraph with a standard word list, then average across 20 equal slices of the book and smooth it. It is a rough reading of word mood, not of plot, and old styles of English can fool it. Shapes follow Reagan and others (2016).

When the lead and the first dialogue arrive Count

Openings and endings · lens F3, F4 · compare across books

First line of dialogue: after 686 words (Ch 1, para 6), 0.7% into the book.

The lead, Sherlock Holmes, is first named after 1 words (Ch 1, para 2). In a first person book the narrator may be on the page from the first line before we learn the name.

Mystery clue list AI

Genre craft · lens G4 · compare across books

ClueKindLaidExplained
The pink Bohemian notepaper reveals the client's origin and identityclueCh 1Ch 1
Vincent Spaulding is actually John Clay, a master criminalclueCh 2Ch 2
Hosmer Angel's letters are typewritten with his signature also typewrittenclueCh 3
The dying word 'rat' is actually 'Ballarat', naming the murderer's originclueCh 4Ch 4
Postmarks from Pondicherry, Dundee, and London show the sender's location and methodclueCh 5Ch 5
The beggar Hugh Boone has a scar and twisted lip that could be artificial makeupclueCh 6Ch 6
The ventilator opening into the next room, newly madeclueCh 8Ch 8
The dummy bell-rope fastened above the ventilatorclueCh 8Ch 8
Violet's hair matches the coil found in the locked drawerclueCh 12Ch 12
The gipsies and 'band' reference is a red herring for the speckled pattern of the snakered herringCh 8Ch 8
Cooee’ is a distinctly Australian cry, and one which is used between Australians (Ch 4, para 162)
Obviously something had occurred during the morning, then, to cause her to change her mind. What could that something be? (Ch 10, para 220)

Antagonist AI

Character · lens B7 · compare across books

WhoDr. Grimesby Roylott
GoalTo prevent his stepdaughters from marrying and claiming their inheritance by murdering them.
MethodsTraining a swamp adder to pass through a ventilator and kill his victims in sealed rooms.
Shows their handCh 8
Our noteRoylott's violence and desperation are revealed through his visit to Baker Street and the physical evidence at Stoke Moran.

Tension curve AI

Pace · lens D6 · compare across books

Ch 1: 4Ch 2: 4Ch 3: 2Ch 4: 4Ch 5: 4Ch 6: 3Ch 7: 3Ch 8: 5Ch 9: 4Ch 10: 3Ch 11: 4Ch 12: 5

Tension score per chapter, 1 to 5 (our AI reading). The collection moves briskly through twelve distinct cases, each with its own arc of mystery and revelation. Watson's narration provides steady pacing with moments of tension and reflection.

Subplot thread map Both

Story and structure · lens A7 · compare across books

123456789101112
Holmes and Irene Adler
The Red-headed League and bank robbery
The Openshaw curse and Ku Klux Klan
Dr. Roylott's murders at Stoke Moran
Violet Hunter's governess position and Alice Rucastle's captivity
Holmes versus Scotland Yard

Motif tracker AI

Theme and motif · lens J3 · compare across books

I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. (Ch 1, para 25)
the little things are infinitely the most important (Ch 3, para 50)
Never trust to general impressions, my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details (Ch 3, para 87)
That the man was highly intellectual is of course obvious upon the face of it, and also that he was fairly well-to-do within the last three years, although he has now fallen upon evil days. (Ch 7, para 28)

Signature words Count

Prose style · lens H3 · compare across books

holmes 444 sherlock 96 watson 81 simon 39 baker 41 lestrade 37 remarked 64 client 31 coronet 26 goose 27 holder 23 case 115 photograph 25 matter 125 turner 20 geese 17 neville 19 street 83 obvious 29 police 52

Words this book uses far more than the other books on our shelf (log odds, at least 8 uses). Names often top the list.

Commercial facts card Research

Commercial facts · lens L1, L2, L4 · compare across books

First published1892
Author died1930
CopyrightPublic domain in the UK (author died 1930, so life plus 70 years has passed) and in the US (first published 1892, before 1931).
Length105,143 words in 12 chapters; about 7.0 hours to read
GenreCrime and mystery
Sales and adaptationsComing in a later phase, with sources.

Method: counts come from a clean public domain plain text, split into chapters and paragraphs with stable IDs (for example c3p12 is chapter 3, paragraph 12, in reading order). Lenses marked AI are our AI reading of each chapter, made once and stored. Every quote shown was checked word for word against the text; 14 AI quotes for this book failed that check and were dropped.

Share: XBlueskyLinkedInEmail

Weekly email: coming soon

One short email a week on new AI tools for authors. Sign up opens soon.