Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Sign of Four: A Sherlock Holmes Novel by Arthur Conan Doyle

50 reviews

meganpbennett's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I read The Sign of the Four many years ago, and enjoyed it. Read it again as part of the Letters from Watson, where in 2023 we read all the short stories in internal chronological order, and in 2024, the four novels. Very interesting, this one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism

misscoffeereads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

The Sign of the Four is the second entry in the Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle. Mary Morstan is the new client who arrives at 221B Baker Street to present Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson a new mystery which at the onset involves a father's disappearance and the receipt of pearls, but soon evolves to be more complex and mysterious than initially believed.

The novel is a light mystery read featuring the classic mix of Holmes' keen intellect and deduction, and Watson's steady, empathetic voice. The mystery itself was more clear cut than I expected, with no major twists or red herrings. The dash of romance

between Watson and Mary

was cute amidst the dark setting of a murder. Admittedly the book went by quickly and lacked much surprises. But it certainly left a taste for wanting to read a couple more of Holmes and Watson's adventures.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Drug use and Racism

Minor: Cannibalism

e_ski's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use and Racism

acogna's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Racism

elenavillan's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Colonisation

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use

hjb_128's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Racial slurs, and Murder

Moderate: Sexism, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War

pedanther's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexism, Violence, Murder, War, and Classism

Minor: Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

citrus_stars's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

so incredibly racist and sexist but what can you expect from an Englishman from the 1800s. 

overall, a pretty bland read; not anything to write home about and not something i'd recommend, really. a bit long-winded in the very last chapter, but that's just a personal opinion. it's saving grace was the humour, some of which still holds up pretty well.

ymmv with this book, but my opinion of it was severely soured by the overt racism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Cannibalism

pengintoppa's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Slavery, Cannibalism, and War

softiejace's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Addiction and Cannibalism