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The Sign of Four  By  cover art

The Sign of Four

By: Arthur Conan Doyle
Narrated by: Patrick Tull
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Editorial reviews

At the outset of Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sign of Four, the ever-faithful Dr. Watson debates confronting his boss - the brilliant Sherlock Holmes - about his drug problem. The Sign of Four is the second installment in the Holmes series and greatly expands upon the emotional and spiritual sides of the great detective. Performed by British master, Patrick Tull, whose deep voice and impeccable dialect carry the listener, The Sign of Four features a secret pact made between corrupt prison guards and four convicts, and a mysterious string of pearls received by a client of Holmes. While not necessarily a success upon initial publication, The Sign of Four has been dramatically adapted at least 12 times.

Publisher's summary

Greed, betrayal, and vengeance set the stage for this Sir Arthur Conan Doyle classic. Sherlock Holmes is rescued from boredom by the strange case of Jonathan Small and the tragedy of Pondicherry Lodge. The mystery leads Holmes and Dr. Watson into an intricate plot regarding a lost treasure belonging to four convicts on the Andaman Islands.

Public Domain (P)1986 Recorded Books, LLC

What listeners say about The Sign of Four

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Sherlock is always a winner

Would you listen to The Sign of Four again? Why?

Patrick Tull is one of my favorite readers - I'd be happy to hear him read the phone book (as they say)!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Sign of Four?

I love Sherlock Holmes stories, so really the whole thing was great, though I love it when he comes in to Baker St in disguise and Watson doesn't recognize him.

What about Patrick Tull’s performance did you like?

His voices were stellar, as is the energy of his reading - he dramatizes without it seeming forced or unnatural

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

The Sign of Sherlock Holmes! And Cocaine!

This title was available for free as part of Audible/Amazon's WhisperSync promotion, and the decision to pick up or pass on a classic, free Sherlock Holmes tale was, well, elementary.

The story itself is one of the earlier Holmes books - it's the first to detail his "struggles" with cocaine, and introduces us to Mary Morstan. It's an exciting mystery filled with treasure and villainy that uses the East India Trading Company as a backdrop.

Holmes and Watson themselves are great, of course, and that's in no small part due to the narration of Patrick Tull (of Patrick O'Brien fame). gets a solid handle on the characters of Holmes and Watson, and his narration is very easy on the ears. There are, unfortunately, few minor recording errors that apparently went without noticed (flubbed and clipped lines, etc.), but in general, that didn't detract too much from what was a classic story matched with a very fine reading.

If you like, or are curious at all, about why Sherlock Holmes is now a household name, this is worth checking out. But don't be surprised if, like a drug, it leaves you longing for another fix of the master detective.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • E
  • 12-21-15

Great for all ages

Not my favorite mystery but this our go to genre for long drives in the car. Everyone is engaged and gives us a topic to discuss later.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed my first audible book!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Sign of Four to be better than the print version?

Since it is my first. I would say yes, because I do get busy. It is easier to have my headphones in then trying to do things and hold my tablet.

What does Patrick Tull bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I like how Patrick Tull gives a distinguished voice between the characters. There is only a few times that I got confused over Watson and Sherlock.I enjoyed listening to Patrick's english accent too. It adds the touch to the story as I would do when I read out loud or in my mind.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

It's A.C.D. What can I say?

You either love the Holmes stories or not, so it's really about the reader. I found Patrick Tull's reading to be just that, "reading" not "performing." For that I took away one star. I could hear no attempt to change voices for each character; however, since the Novella is written as Dr. Watson's documentation of the events (like the other Holmes adventures) this is not really a bad thing. You can just view it as Watson reading his own work. Anyway, I found it perfectly enjoyable and wholeheartedly recommend it to all lovers of the Doyle's "Consulting Detective."

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

My Dear Watson

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I really enjoy hearing the story while driving. The reader does a great job and look forward to hearing more Arthur Conan Doyle stories read by Patrick Tull.

What did you like best about this story?

It is a Sherlock Homes story, what is not to like.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very Enjoyable!

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I was only casually familiar with Mr. Doyle's master sleuth through movies and pop culture references. That said, I had no idea what a great writer and storyteller Mr. Doyle was until I decided to get this book. Very entertaining and well narrated by Patrick Tull. I definitely recommend this book. While it's not the first in the series, it's still one of the earlier works and makes for a good introduction to the main characters, Sherlock and Mr. Watson.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Holmes - always good

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Well performed classic mystery well delivered. It was good entertainment while driving.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sherlock Holmes is always interesting with a blend of arrogance and compassion

What does Patrick Tull bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The use of different voices for different characters is brought alive by the narrator.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

What happened in the past that now is affecting the present in the life of one young woman?

Any additional comments?

Good story, good presentation.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Best Audio book for this Sherlock Holmes Title

What did you love best about The Sign of Four?

This is the Second Best full length Story in the Sherlock Holmes Short Stories Written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

What did you like best about this story?

In this story Dr. Watson meets his first wife. The story builds and moves and is well done.

What about Patrick Tull’s performance did you like?

Patrick Tull is one of the best narrator's in the Sherlock Holmes series,along with Alexander Spencer and Ed Simone.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Well well familiar already with the Sherlock Holmes stories, but thinking back I was glued to the story when I first read it.

Any additional comments?

I like these Sherlock Holmes Unabridged stories. There are many out there and many abridged or the story is changed from the original.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Pleasant - but a bit simple

I can't complain - this was a free book. But compared to the involved fiction of today, this was a "simple" read. Still it was fun and passed the time, But if it weren't free, I wouldn't really recommend using a credit for it. Rather, get it for free off Amazon.com and just read it on the Kindle.

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