A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Want to know which Sherlock story to start with? Start here. Get to know Sherlock Holmes and his ever-present loyal crime-solving partner Dr. John Watson. Doyle’s characters are introduced and the stage is set for rest of the stories. In it, we learn how the pair came to meet and work together, and are introduced to Sherlock’s idiosyncratic and ingenious ways.