Sherlock Holmes, Hardboiled Detective | CrimeReads

The formula of the traditional mystery is straightforward. A crime (usually a murder) occurs, and then the detective assembles an array of clues, all of which are laid out in front of the reader, who is then given ample time to have a crack at solving the problem themselves before the detective lays out the solution in the final chapter, rather like the answer to a crossword puzzle. Not so Holmes, who frequently presents his conclusions before he ever shares his observations with the reader. Doyle, we must remember, was writing before the detective genre was established, and would (in his early writing at least) have been quite unaware that there were readers who wanted to play along at home.