Sherlock Holmes stories are something I return to quite regularly. In the month of September this year, I reread the Sherlock Holmes novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles.

For those who have not read it, the story begins with Dr. James Mortimer visiting Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in London. He presents them with a baffling case: the sudden death of his friend, Sir Charles Baskerville. According to local legend, a monstrous, supernatural hound has been haunting the Baskerville family for generations as a curse for the wicked deeds of an ancestor, Sir Hugo Baskerville. While initially skeptical, Holmes and Watson are intrigued by the strange circumstances of Sir Charles’s death. His body was found on the moor with a look of terror on his face and the footprints of a gigantic hound nearby.

To say much more is to spoil the experience. And it is the experience that is the point of rereading a classic like The Hound of the Baskervilles.

The foggy moors, Baskerville Hall, and the eerie legends create such a strong mood that a reread is like revisiting a favorite place/time. On rereads, you can also pay more attention to the details that make it so gothic and haunting.

The first time through, you’re focused on who did it. Later reads let you notice how Conan Doyle carefully plants clues, misdirects, and builds suspense — you can almost watch him “at work.”

Like a ghost story you know by heart, the pleasure isn’t just in the surprise but in the telling. The rhythm of Doyle’s prose, the Victorian melodrama, and the steady unraveling of the case make it feel timeless.

If you have not read it, do your self a favor and do so. If it has been awhile, what better time than October.

Enjoy!