It's the middle of summer. On Cornish sea-fronts, happy children grip melting ice-creams. In the south of France, sunlight filters through leaves as families picnic in the shade. And in the fashionable resorts of the Mediterranean, the beautiful people sun themselves on picture-postcard beaches. And in those long, hot summer nights ... murder walks abroad. Away from familiar surroundings, and as the temperature rises, old grudges come to the surface, new hatreds reach boiling point - and clever minds start to make dangerous plans. These ten classic mysteries, from some of the finest crime...

Sherlock Holmes: A Gripping Casebook of Stories contains the full-length novel A Study in Scarlet, plus 14 short stories. A Study in Scarlet marked Sherlock Holmes' debut appearance in novel form, while Holmes made his first short story appearance in A Scandal in Bohemia, also included in this compendium. In his perceptive introduction to this compendium, leading crime writer Martin Edwards observes that 'the compelling evocation of character is what makes Conan Doyle's stores come alive'. Ally this to vivid settings and the result is unbeatable entertainment enjoyed by crime fans the...

The year is 1888. Mary Morstan visits Sherlock Holmes and presents him with a startling new case. On seeing an anonymous advert in the newspaper in 1882 asking for her address, Mary responded and then received, also anonymously, a valuable pearl through the post each year for six years. After the sixth pearl, a letter arrives asking for a meeting. Could these events relate to the disappearance of her father ten years ago, or to the death of her father's only friend, Major Sholto, in 1882? Holmes takes up Mary's case and uncovers theft, corruption and death whilst interpreting the mysterious...

This unique collection offers the reader a fascinating insight into the life and work of Arthur Conan Doyle. Covering the full range of his prolific writing, this invaluable collection also features biographical and historical background to help the reader's understanding of the man, his writing and the society in which he lived. The collection includes short stories and extracts from novels as well as non-fiction pieces all with contextual information, making the collection ideal for both an author study and for early preparation for the requirements of GCSE English Language and GCSE...