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The Sign of the Four: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery Audio CD – Unabridged, June 1, 2010

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Author), Ralph Cosham (Reader)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 7,670 ratings
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In this second Sherlock Holmes novel, the indomitable sleuth is visited by a woman in distress. Each year for the past six years, on the anniversary of her father's mysterious disappearance ten years ago, Miss Mary Morstan has been receiving pearls, she knows not why or from whom. This time, her anonymous benefactor wants to meet. In the letter, he promises to reveal the mystery and to right the wrongs against her. If you distrust me, he writes, bring two friends. And so she approaches Holmes and Watson. Naturally the great detective cannot pass up such a singular puzzle, so he and Watson agree to accompany her to the mysterious meeting. The ensuing investigation turns up a wronged woman, a stolen hoard of Indian treasure, a wooden-legged ruffian, a helpful dog, and a love affair.

From London to India and back again, this case once more reveals the incomparable talents of the world's only consulting detective.

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  1. Print length
    5 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Blackstone Audiobooks
  4. Publication date
    June 1, 2010
  5. Dimensions
    6.8 x 1.2 x 6.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1441739025
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1441739025
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"In The Sign of the Four Sir Arthur Conan Doyle weaves a story that stretches from London to India...Holmes finds himself enmeshed in a crime involving two murders, a wooden-legged man, a budding love story, and the theft of an Indian treasure. Add to this a depiction of Colonial India during the time of the 1857 rebellion and you have one of the more intriguing Holmes stories...Three-time Audie nominee, Ralph Cosham, in a voice reminiscent of Nigel Bruce who played Dr. Watson in early Hollywood films of the Holmes canon, brings the right tenor and feeling to the work. This is classic, well executed and well worth visiting again."

-- "SoundCommentary.com"

Of all the Holmes stories it is The Sign of the Four which remains persistently in my memory.

-- "Graham Greene"

About the Author

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was born of Irish parentage in Scotland. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, but he also had a passion for storytelling. His first book introduced that prototype of the modern detective in fiction, Sherlock Holmes. Despite the immense popularity Holmes gained throughout the world, Doyle was not overly fond of the character and preferred to write other stories. Eventually popular demand won out and he continued to satisfy readers with the adventures of the legendary sleuth. He also wrote historical romances and made two essays into pseudoscientific fantasy: The Lost World and The Poison Belt.



Ralph Cosham (1936-2014), a.k.a. Geoffrey Howard, was a British journalist who changed careers to become a narrator and screen and stage actor. He performed in more than one hundred professional theatrical roles, and several of his narrations were named Audio Best of the Year by Publishers Weekly. He won seven AudioFile Earphones Awards, and in 2013 he won the coveted Audie Award for Best Mystery Narration for his reading of Louise Penny's The Beautiful Mystery.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Blackstone Audiobooks; Unabridged edition (June 1, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Audio CD ‏ : ‎ 5 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1441739025
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1441739025
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.8 x 1.2 x 6.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 7,670 ratings

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
7,670 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

HENRIETTE SCHOLTZE
5.0 out of 5 stars The sign of the Four
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2024
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That's not to like? Very interesting story, bizarre people, intricate riddles, palpable smells, excellent combination of evil and good! Really good reading!
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 stars
Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2023
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I enjoyed "A study in Scarlet" a smidge more. It was a little easier to follow,nonetheless this was still a great read. It did take awhile to get into though, but as way the same for Scarlet.
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Jason
5.0 out of 5 stars A good edition of a classic
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2022
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The physical book itself is fine, nothing special but also not poorly made. It’s a simple paperback version of the story. As for the story itself, it is a must read for those who enjoy fiction and murder mystery. From the humid and exotic land of India in the 1850s to the fog and darkness of 1880s London, the story takes the reader on a journey, one well worth the price of entry.
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Her Royal Peepness Princess HoneyBunny Blayze
3.0 out of 5 stars Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of The Four
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2023
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This is the second Sherlock Holmes story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Sign of The Four opens with Dr. Watson troubled by how his friend and roommate. (As we say in the states.) Chooses to escape boredom from not having any "brainwork" as Holmes calls it.

During this discussion a woman arrives to plead with Holmes to take on her case. At first it sounds like a missing person case. What unfolds is a tale that has quite a lot of "brainwork" for Holmes and Watson. The twists and turns just keep coming up until the end.

As a PBS show it was always one of the least favorite Sherlock Holmes episodes. This the first time I have read it since school and , my views haven't really changed.

For those considering reading for the first time in 2023. I will state this book was written when some people were very careless with their speech so prejudicial terms are used based upon look and ethnicity.

As far as writing about mystery, crimes and thrillers. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle brought to the table skills that hook readers to this day and, modern authors often try to duplicate.
2 people found this helpful
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Miran
5.0 out of 5 stars Always liked Sherlock Holmes books!
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2022
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Awesome! I liked readding Sherlock Holmes books so much!Over and over.Hooked from the outset my attention never wavered until I read the last word of this excellent tale.The story is well paced and makes you want to read on.Well written plot and author kept the book flowing.
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Frank Donnelly
4.0 out of 5 stars The Sign of the Four - A Very Good Example of Both Sherlock Holmes and Victorian Detective Fiction
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2019
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This review is specifically for "The Sign of the Four". The reviews I am looking at appear to be of various products.

"The Sign of the Four" is the second "Sherlock Holmes" novel, the first being "A Study in Scarlet". This novel was published in 1890, during the Victorian Era. It is a good example of both of a Sherlock Holmes novel, and Victorian Literature. The novel is of medium length. Many Victorian novels are quite lengthy compared to many modern American popular novels. The language is somewhat formal and proper, especially when individuals such as Holmes and Watson are speaking. The is no vulgarity. The story was authored during the time of British Colonialism and some references may seem ethnically insensitive.

"The Sign of the Four" and "A Study in Scarlet" are both good novels and I liked both of them about the same. Both involve a back stories from other countries. The back story takes up a good bit of the time of both novels. It also makes both novels somewhat unlikely stories, but of course, this is fiction! At times both of these stories are somewhat convoluted. But in the end they are both fairly readable and comprehendable.

As a retired detective who enjoys Victorian Literature, Sherlock Holmes is certainly one of favorite fictional detectives.. I enjoy some of his leaps of logic, although for me many of them fall into the category of "possiblity" rather than "probability" as far as I am concerned. Of course Sherlock Holmes is almost always correct.

During my career, I had to rework numerous cases, "cold cases" and others that were generally screwed up messes. When I worked these cases, what I found was that often police officers would sometimes make such leaps of logic and then assume these leaps are correct. When cases go nowhere, as often as not I found it was because these leaps were incorrect.

In summary, I liked this novel very much. At times the story was somewhat convoluted but was still enjoyable. In the near future I intend to continue my study of Sherlock Holmes stories, the next being "A Scandal in Bohemia". Thank You...
9 people found this helpful
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Sofia Petrovna
5.0 out of 5 stars Love and mystery
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2022
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Every time I need some comfort reading, I go back to A.C. Doyle and his most famous detective Sherlock Holmes. I love the way he writes, and how he sets a scene. Here, in this story, he put an extra effort to help us understand what kind of society Sherlock was living in. Some history, military advances, and in the middle of it all, one girl with no protector. But those who have no one will always have a clear way out - Sherlock will be there to help.
This story is also one of the most important ones because here dr Watson, Sherlock's loyal sidekick, is falling in love. He is mostly silent about his feelings because the girl is beautiful and he is not rich.
And here is my favorite scene as well: the one when Sherlock explains why he is taking drugs.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Fabiano Batista de Souza
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente livro.
Reviewed in Brazil on August 8, 2022
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Agregou muito no meu aprendizado do Inglês nível intermediário.
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Helma
4.0 out of 5 stars Great story
Reviewed in the Netherlands on January 20, 2024
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What a story! I don't follow all the information amd I don't understand how Holmes can know all the details, but still I am amazed by how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was able to come up with such a story!
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Vedant Pande
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read.
Reviewed in India on December 21, 2023
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The media could not be loaded.
 Amazing before bed read. (For teens)
Easy to carry.
Good quality pages.
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Vedant Pande
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read.
Reviewed in India on December 21, 2023
Amazing before bed read. (For teens)
Easy to carry.
Good quality pages.
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Namarie
5.0 out of 5 stars Me encanta!
Reviewed in Mexico on July 28, 2020
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Para todos los fans de Sherlock es un deleite, es la historia clásica de Conan Doyle, pero con la introducción de los personajes de la serie.
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Katja H. Labonté
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read
Reviewed in Canada on September 17, 2019
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5 stars & 5/10 hearts. The first time I read this, I enjoyed it less than A Study in Scarlet. But I quickly learned to love it! 

Arthur Conan Doyle always nails his openings. I loved Sherlock’s complaint about how bored he was and Watson trying to distract him. I loved Mary, and how sweetly Watson fell in love with her—not only because of her looks, but because of her character. And I loved how nobly he fought his affection until he knew he was free to love her. I wish she’d shown up again! The Sholtos were all very unpleasant people, but Jonathan Small was very interesting and I loved how true he was to his oath and how he refused to be swayed by racism or to allow anyone to say that his Indian partners were “less than” a white man. Altheney Jones was quite amusing, and quite compatible with Sherlock; it’s too bad he doesn’t show up again. 

The plot is so fun. I enjoy seeing Sherlock & Watson partner up; and of course all the deductions and brainwork was epic. There was copious amounts of excellent humour, and the “flying chase up the river” was absolutely thrilling—and possibly one of my favourite Sherlockian dénouements. This story raises some very good questions to ponder, and has a good moral. Overall, it’s my second-favourite Sherlock novel after The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Content: Slight swearing, drinking, smoking; Sherlock’s morphine/cocaine addiction is revealed (condemned by Watson); a gruesome (bloodless) murder; a couple more murders mentioned/described; some racism/contemptuousness. 

A Favourite Quote: “‘Well, I gave my mind a thorough rest by plunging into a chemical analysis. One of our greatest statesmen has said that a change of work is the best rest.’”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “It was a September evening, and not yet seven o’clock, but the day had been a dreary one, and a dense drizzly fog lay low upon the great city. Mud-coloured clouds drooped sadly over the muddy streets. Down the Strand the lamps were but misty splotches of diffused light, which threw a feeble circular glimmer upon the slimy pavement. The yellow glare from the shop-windows streamed out into the steamy, vaporous air, and threw a murky, shifting radiance across the crowded thoroughfare. There was, to my mind, something eerie and ghost-like in the endless procession of faces which flitted across these narrow bars of light—sad faces and glad, haggard and merry.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “Miss Morstan’s demeanour was as resolute and collected as ever. I endeavoured to cheer and amuse her by reminiscences of my adventures in Afghanistan; but, to tell the truth, I was myself so excited at our situation, and so curious as to our destination, that my stories were slightly involved. To this day she declares that I told her one moving anecdote as to how a musket looked into my tent at the dead of night, and how I fired a double-barrelled tiger cub at it.”
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