HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. `A slow and heavy step, which had been heard upon the stairs and in the passage, paused immediately outside the door. Then there was a loud and authoritative tap.' Set against the foggy backdrop of London and the English countryside, each story in this quintessential collection unravels an exciting new mystery, from mistaken identity and portentous omens to counterfeit currency and jewellery theft. They follow the famous detective and his partner Watson on the trail of some of their most enjoyable cases, including `A Scandal in Bohemia', `The Five Orange Pips' and `The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle'. Appearing in the Strand magazine between 1891 and 1892, these are the first stories ever published to feature the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, whose adventures hold an unparalleled and enduring appeal to this day.