ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born on May 22, 1859, in Edinburgh, Scotland. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. He was practising in Portsmouth when he came up with the idea of a detective who solved his cases by scientific deduction. Sherlock Holmes is one of the most popular fictional characters of all times. The character first appeared in publication in 1887. In 1891 the Strand Magazine, a monthly periodical, began publishing Sherlock Holmes stories. By the end of the first series of twelve stories, Conan Doyle’s detective had become a national institution.

Arthur Conan Doyle died of a heart attack at the age of 71 in 1930.

Les 10 mots clés de l’histoire

a case = une affaire policière to clear up = élucider to threaten = menacer compromising = compromettant the engagement = les fiançailles a wedding = un mariage to blackmail = faire chanter to prevent = empêcher to recover = récupérer a row / a quarrel = une bagarre