Brought to you by Penguin.

This Penguin Classic is narrated by award-winning actor Christopher Eccleston who is best known for his lead role in the 2005 revival ofDoctor Who. Most recently Eccleston has starred in the critically acclaimed BBC dramaThe A Word. This definitive edition features an introduction by Peter Ackroyd.

As a dense yellow fog swirls through the streets of London, a deep melancholy has descended on Sherlock Holmes, who sits in a cocaine-induced haze at 221B Baker Street. His mood is only lifted by a visit from a beautiful but distressed young woman - Mary Morstan, whose father vanished ten years before. Four years later she began to receive an exquisite gift every year: a large, lustrous pearl. Now she has had an intriguing invitation to meet her unknown benefactor and urges Holmes and Watson to accompany her. And in the ensuing investigation - which involves a wronged woman, a stolen hoard of Indian treasure, a wooden-legged ruffian, a helpful dog and a love affair - even the jaded Holmes is moved to exclaim, 'Isn't it gorgeous!'

© Introduction Peter Ackroyd 2001 (P) Penguin Audio 2020