The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan doyle

Study Guide of The Valley of Fear

Introduction

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fourth novel, The Valley of Fear, featuring Sherlock Holmes was brought out in serial in The Strand Magazine from September 1914 to May 1915 in the UK. The plot of the novel is loosely set on the Molly Maguires and Pinkerton agent James McParland. The novel as the first book edition was copyrighted in 1914, and on 27 February 1915, George H. Doran Company first published the book in New York, USA.

Summary of The Valley of Fear

The novel begins when Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, his good friend, and the narrator was at 221B Baker Street, in mid-conversation. Holmes is mystified by an encrypted message that he received from Porlock, an associate of Professor Moriarty. A second message from Porlock, containing the key to the first (coded) message, soon arrives, which states that he (Porlock) is afraid of Moriarty’s wrath and cannot reveal the purpose of his correspondence. Holmes soon deciphers that it warns that Douglas of Birlstone is in imminent danger. Soon a policeman and a friend of Holmes, MacDonald visits them and informs them that this same Douglas has been murdered.

Inspection reveals that the man has been killed with a sawed-off shotgun, an American weapon. Besides, the body cannot be identified and a card inscribed 'V.V. 341'lies beside it. Among other clues in the room, there is a bloody footprint on the windowsill, and a dumb-bell is found missing, and also the man’s wedding ring is missing. And the next clue is a bicycle, hidden just outside the house grounds. They all - the house servants, and Mrs. Douglas, wife of the murdered man, and Cecil Barker, a friend of the family, are questioned one by one. But interrogation reveals little. Holmes smells that the two are in a conspiracy together.

Although the other detectives on the scene have their own theories and they are confident about those. Holmes finds only one thing to be the main key to the mystery and he informs Watson that it is the missing dumbbell, which appears to be trivial to the other investigators. Holmes promptly thinks out a plan and announces that he is going to spend the night alone in the room where Douglas was murdered, taking with him only Watson’s umbrella. The day after his vigil, Holmes informs the police force investigating Douglas’ murder that he has solved the case. Only one thing is left what is going to be revealed that night and Holmes ask them to join him in a stakeout that night.

Outside of the room in which the crime was committed, there are bushes where Holmes, Watson, and the other detectives are spotted during the stakeout. From the bushes they witness a man lean out the window and after that, he fishes something out of the moat that surrounds the house. When the investigating group confronts the unknown figure, they discover it is Cecil Barker, and that the object which he has just taken out from the moat is a bag, containing the missing dumbbell, a suit of clothing, boots, and a knife. During his vigil in the room, Sherlock Holmes discovered the same bag using the crook of Watson’s umbrella, but he put it back to wait for Barker to retrieve it. To the astonishment of the other investigators, Sherlock Holmes announces that Douglas is still alive. As soon as he finishes, a hidden compartment in the room opens, and Douglas himself steps out.

Douglas proceeds to explain that Baldwin was after him for a long time and wanted to kill him. On that day Baldwin attempted to kill him. The two struggled, and that time Baldwin died when the shotgun went off in his face. With the help of his wife and Barker, Douglas thought of a plan to fake his own death, taking advantage of Baldwin’s disfigured face. He knew that the dead body would not be identified. Douglas informs that there are other men too, who are after his life, and his apparent death would let him shake them off forever. Then Douglas gives Watson a manuscript, in which he says details of his past life, and tells of his all enemies. From this, the novel shifts to Part II which deals with Douglas’ history in America.

At the very beginning, Part II introduces us to a man named Jack McMurdo, whom we later discover as Douglas. McMurdo reaches Vermissa Valley, a coal-mining district in the western United States. One day when McMurdo expresses his extreme hatred of policemen, he readily attracts the attention of a man named Scanlan. Scanlan is a member of the order of the Freemen. McMurdo soon joins the local lodge of Freemen, led by a cruel and violent leader named Boss McGinty. Freemen of Vermissa Valley is known by the name - the Scowrers, a Mafia-like society that continues reign of terror over the people of Vermissa Valley. Then McMurdo is proved to be just as violent as the rest, after passing the tests, and he soon becomes an important member of the Scowrers.

The gang continues their supremacy with tyranny and oppression on Vermissa Valley without being challenged, until the moment when they learn about Birdy Edwards. Birdy Edwards is a Pinkerton detective and he is on their trail. McMurdo informs them that he knows who Birdy Edwards is, and he lays a trap to capture him. Edwards is lured by McMurdo to his apartment, where Boss of the Scowrers McGinty and other major members of the gang are already hidden. All of a sudden, McMurdo turns the tables on the Scowrers by identifying himself as Birdy Edwards. And he reveals his purpose of joining the Scowrers. He only wanted to gain information within the Scowrers to use against them. McGinty and some other criminals are hanged based on McMurdo’s testimony, and the rest is sent to prison. Edwards knew well the revengeful nature of the Scowrers, so he disappears and goes to England, where he presents himself as Douglas.

After Douglas finishes his remarkable story, Holmes warns him to stay on his guard, as Baldwin contacted Moriarty to locate Douglas’ whereabouts, Moriarty will no doubt attempt to kill Douglas himself. Douglas agrees and goes back into hiding according to Holmes's advice.

Sometime later Douglas flees England, and then Sherlock Holmes receives a cryptic message which reads only “Dear me, Mr. Holmes, dear me!”. From this message, Holmes arrives at the conclusion that Moriarty, the sender of the note, has succeeded in killing Douglas. Watson and McDonald doubt whether or not Moriarty will ever be brought to justice. Holmes confirms that one day he will capture Professor Moriarty.

We discussed:

The Valley of Fear Summary

The Valley of Fear Characters

The Valley of Fear McMurdo

The Valley of Fear pdf

The Valley of Fear Themes

The Valley of Fear Analysis

Vermissa Valley

The Valley of Fear Study Guide

See more:

The Valley of Fear Characters Click Here

The Valley of Fear Study Guide Click Here