The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a twelve-story collection of Arthur Conan Doyle, with his fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. It was first published on October 14, 1892; Individual stories had been serialized in The Strand Magazine between July 1891 and June 1892. The stories are not in chronological order, and the only characters common to the twelve are Holmes and Dr. Watson. The stories are related in the first-person narration from Watson's point of view. In general, the stories of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes identify, and attempt to correct, social injustices. Holmes is presented as offering a new and more just sense of justice. Stories were well received, and the Strand Magazine subscription numbers increased, prompting Doyle to demand more money for his next set of stories. The first story, "A Scandal in Bohemia", includes the character of Irene Adler, who, despite being present only in this Doyle story, is a prominent character in Sherlock Holmes' modern adaptations, generally as a love interest for Holmes. Doyle included four of the twelve stories in this collection in his twelve favorite Sherlock Holmes stories, choosing "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" as his favorite in general.
