The Sign of Four

By: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrated by: David Timson

Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

The Sign of Four is the second story by Conan Doyle about the exploits of Sherlock Holmes.

From the moment Mary Morstan tells Holmes about the mysterious disappearance of her father and the yearly gift of a pearl from an unknown benefactor, Holmes and his companion Watson are involved in an exotic tale of stolen treasure, secret oaths and murder, culminating in a breath-taking chase down the Thames. Holmes is on top form, and Watson falls in love. David Timson won the Audiobook of the Year Award for his reading of this, the first Sherlock Holmes novel.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

Public Domain (P)2003 Naxos Audiobooks

I'm planning to listen to more Sherlock Holmes!

I purchased this 4.5 hour book during a recent Audible Daily Deal, and I'm quite pleased with my purchase! A typical Holmes mystery - "G" rated, as you would expect. A very comfortable listen. My first experience listening to David Timson. Fantastic narrator - I will look for him in the future. And Dr. Watson falls in love! Very nice read - I highly recommend it if you like cozy mysteries!

Poor purchase

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, do not care for A C Doyle's writing style. This was the first of his books I listened to, and will probably be the last.

What was most disappointing about Arthur Conan Doyle’s story?

The book was very "dry" and I just couldn't get into it. Just couldn't concentrate to follow the story.

What three words best describe David Timson’s performance?

Accent, emphasis, authoritarian

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No, I can't get into TV shows based Holmes & Watson.. I tried the audio book and was not impressed.

Any additional comments?

I have over 500 audio books and this is only the second one that was a total waste for me. I purchase "sale" books to try new authors and will continue to do so, I'll hope for better results next time.

Charming mystery, as before

Another pleasant insight into Sherlock Holmes' insights. As engaging as A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four is a well narrated, captivating listen. Definitely worth my time.

Revisiting the 1890 classic

If you're unfamiliar with this story, you can't do better than to choose this virtuoso narration by David Timson. It's astounding, even for an actor whose narrations are consistently of the highest quality.

A lovely young lady comes to Holmes to help her solve a mystery: she has been receiving a pearl of great price each year from an anonymous donor.

You'll see Holmes at his best and worst, Watson at his most chilvalrous and romantic. An eccentric valetudinarian, a gang of criminals, foreign lands, violence, adventure, and a man with a most unusual sidekick all figure in this engaging tale.

Highly recommended to all who love Victorian classics and good mysteries!

Sherlock Holmes-his reputation precedes him

I am shamed to admit that although I am 36 years of age, I have previously only read one Sherlock Holmes story (The Hound of the Baskervilles). I have decided to remedy that. This was my first go. Obviously a classic for a reason, Sherlock Holmes is a pretty great character. A brilliant jerk. The mystery was good as well. I found it very enjoyable. Unfortunately, as I have only read 2 Sherlock stories, I can't give any expert comparative opinions. I did enjoy The Hound of the Baskervilles more than this one, but this story was still great. I did enjoy the narrator. Sometimes I find that narrators often miss the mark when performing the classics. They sound stuffy or pretentious. This narrator was pleasant to listen to. I'm off to a good start.

A Mixed Bag

This seemed to have been a week when I was destined to listen to unknown works by two authors I enjoy (See my review of Double Star by Robert Heinlein).

The narration of The Sign of Four was very good. He varied the characters voices so that you had a good image of each one. Discovering the meeting and romance of John Watson and Mary Marston was also enjoyable.

The book does fall down in middle, however, and never really recovers. The first half is classic Holmes and Watson and they quickly resolve the mystery. The second half is devoted to the culprit giving a detailed and (to my mind) tedious back story of the events that led up to the story's two murders.

As with Double Star, I bought this audio book as a daily deal but it wasn't nearly as good a bargain as that book. Given the low price, I felt reasonably satisfied with it. However, I wouldn't recommend purchasing it at full price or with a credit.

Yay

Loved it. Never a dull moment. Hope there are more in this series on Audible

Sign of the Four and a Study in Scarlet

David Timson is a wonderful narrator. I felt as if I were there in the room listening to Holmes and Watson.

We all know the Holmes stories, from movies, and recordings as edited and rewritten to fit a time limit. So listening to these unabridged versions as Arthur Conan Doyle wrote them is a treat.

Disappointing.

I know I should rave about this because it's a classic, but it wasn't very good. Long winded and boring...not at all like the first Sherlock Holmes book. It was a struggle just to make it through. The performance was excellent, the material was not.

great sherlock holmes tale

beautiful storytelling. nice twists and turns as the story unravels. Finished the book very quickly!