The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Character List

Sherlock Holmes

The main protagonist of the stories, Sherlock Holmes is a private detective with a knack for seeing details that many people often miss out. He is consulted by many different people throughout the various stories to help solves crimes and mysteries. He shares an apartment on 221B Baker Street with his close friend and companion, Dr. Watson.

John H. Watson

Also known as Dr. Watson, most of the short stories in this compilation are told in a first-person narrative from his point of view. He is certified medical doctor and joined the British Army as an assistant surgeon after receiving his medical degree. He was wounded in action and discharged with a monthly pension. He is a close friend of Sherlock Holmes and the pair is often together.

Inspector G. Lestrade

A common character in a number of Sherlock Holmes books, he is a detective at Scotland Yard. He is viewed as lacking in imagination by Holmes and frequently consults Holmes about cases he is unable to solve.

The King of Bohemia

Appearing in "A Scandal in Bohemia," he seeks Holmes' help to recover a picture of him with the stunning beauty, opera singer Irene Adler.

Irene Adler

Appearing in "A Scandal in Bohemia," she possesses a sensitive photo of herself with the King of Bohemia which could be detrimental to his marriage. She is Holmes' target in "A Scandal in Bohemia."

Jabez Wilson

Jabez Wilson is a pawnbroker appearing in "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League." He seeks Holmes' advice about a job which he was offered because of his red hair.

Miss Mary Sutherland

Appearing in "A Case of Identity," she seeks Holmes' help to find a man to whom she was engaged to yet disappeared on their wedding day.

Charles McCarthy

He is murdered in "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" and Holmes is approached by Inspector Lestrade to help solve the case.

James McCarthy

The son of Charles McCarthy in "The Boscombe Valley Mystery," he is implicated when his father dies, but is later released after being alibied.

Alice McCarthy

Daughter of Charles McCarthy in "The Boscombe Valley Mystery," she approaches Inspector Lestrade to help solve the mystery of her father's death.

John Turner

An Australian expatriate and landowner like Charles McCarthy, he confesses to the murder after he realizes that Holmes has solved the crime. It is revealed that he was being blackmailed by McCarthy because of his criminal history.

John Openshaw

Appearing in "The Five Orange Pips," he receives a letter with five orange pips enclosed from what Holmes later discovers to be the Ku Klux Klan. He tells Holmes that his father and uncle both died soon after receiving similar letters. He himself is killed before he can leave a diary page on the garden sundial as per Holmes' instructions, though Holmes manages to find the locations of the killers afterwards.

Neville St. Clair

A respectable businessman who leads a double life as a beggar for the income, he is arrested for the murder of St. Clair, but is later found out by Holmes that he himself is St. Clair. He promises not to beg if Holmes keeps his double life as a beggar a secret from his wife.

Helen Stoner

She seeks Holmes' help when she suspects that her stepfather is trying to kill her after attempting to move her to the room her sister died in two years previously, shortly before her wedding. Stoner is now engaged and an investigation of the room reveals a dummy bell-pull near the ventilator. Later on, a whistle is heard and a snake crawls through, before being attacked by Holmes with a riding crop. It goes into the next room and kills Stoner's stepfather instead.

Victor Hatherly

An engineer who receives Dr. Watson's treatment after his thumb was chopped off, he tells Holmes that he was hired to fix a press which he was told compressed bricks. He examined the press and suspected that it was not used for compressing bricks. When he confronted his employer, he was attacked and his thumb was chopped off during his escape.

Violet Hunter

She is offered a high-paying job subject to certain unusual conditions. She discovers some unusual happenings in the house and contacts Holmes for help.