The Valley of Fear

The Valley of Fear is a collection of previously published Sherlock Holmes stories published in 1915 by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. In this story, Moriarty is depicted as a exceedingly intelligent and cunning criminal. He is ruthless and capable of any crime including murder to get what he wants. Here is how Holmes describes of Moriarty in The Adventure of the Final Problem: “His career has been an extraordinary one. The Valley of Fear is a story about a mysterious murder in Birlstone, beautiful countryside in England. John Douglas of Birlstone Manor House is killed, and the mystery around his murder is mind-blowing and much more intense than any of the previous Sherlock Holmes stories. One of the most important themes of the novel is observation, which is what readers are encouraged to practice along with Holmes. Doyle sets out the particulars of the case without sparing any details in order to prompt his readers to think about what they see and try to form connections.