The Sign of Four

Holmes’ sharp intellect is iconic, but I wonder what inspired Doyle to make his detective so methodical yet eccentric. Did Doyle draw from real-life detectives or invent him entirely?

The story builds steadily, but I found myself wishing for a bit more urgency during some chapters. Do you think that was intentional to build suspense?

Some of the references felt dated or stereotypical. How does this affect your perception of the novel today, and do you think Doyle's perspective was influenced by his time?