The Sign of the Four
Mary Morstan brings Sherlock Holmes a puzzle: her father vanished ten years earlier, and since then an unknown person has sent her a large pearl every year. Now a letter asks her to a meeting. The trail leads to a locked-room murder at Pondicherry Lodge, a stolen Indian treasure, a one-legged man and his small accomplice, and a chase by steam launch down the Thames. Along the way Watson falls in love. Published in 1890, the second Holmes novel opens with the detective injecting cocaine and complaining of boredom, and it is more atmospheric and more tightly built than A Study in Scarlet; the backstory, told by the convict Jonathan Small, reaches into the Indian Mutiny of 1857 and the Andaman Islands. Read it online in your browser on Vinteuil; the first chapter is free.
Start reading right away, without signing up. The complete text is included in Vinteuil Reading, or yours forever with a one-time purchase.
Frequently asked questions about The Sign of the Four
The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read The Sign of the Four online?
Yes. The Sign of the Four opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is The Sign of the Four free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of The Sign of the Four is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is The Sign of the Four in the public domain?
Yes. The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle is a public-domain work. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read The Sign of the Four?
About 2 h 53 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is The Sign of the Four?
The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle is filed under "Mystery" in the Vinteuil library.
