A STUDY IN SCARLET was Sherlock Holmes' first adventure, and the first sale for the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. We immediately see that Dr. Watson, Holmes confidante and "side-kick" has a background very similar to the author's. The good doctor enumerates Holmes; faults (starting with his habitual use of cocaine), as well as his more numerous good points (especially the detective's knowledge of chemistry and his violin playing). The story is a tale that shows Holmes' genius, but is also notable for Conan Doyle's apparent treatise on the Mormon religion. The events occur on two continents, and only Holmes (of course) can solve the riddle