Sherlock Holmes Higher or Lower
Is The Sign of Four rated higher or lower than The Valley of Fear? Guess the Goodreads ratings of Conan Doyle's Holmes books and the Holmes novels written since. One wrong guess ends your run.
Start — then guess whether the next book's Goodreads rating is higher or lower than the one on screen. One wrong guess ends the run.
Ratings are approximate Goodreads averages, early 2026, for entertainment purposes.
The Sherlock Holmes books in order
Arthur Conan Doyle wrote four Sherlock Holmes novels and 56 short stories, collected in five books, between 1887 and 1927. Reading them in publication order follows Holmes and Watson from their first meeting to Holmes's retirement.
- 1
A Study in Scarlet (1887 · Novel)
Watson meets Holmes at Baker Street.
- 2
The Sign of Four (1890 · Novel)
A stolen treasure, a pact, and Watson meets Mary Morstan.
- 3
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892 · 12 stories)
Irene Adler, the Red-Headed League, the Speckled Band.
- 4
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894 · 11 stories)
Silver Blaze, and the Final Problem at Reichenbach Falls.
- 5
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902 · Novel)
A family curse on Dartmoor, set before Holmes's 'death'.
- 6
The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905 · 13 stories)
Holmes comes back in The Empty House.
- 7
The Valley of Fear (1915 · Novel)
A cipher, a manor-house murder and Moriarty's shadow.
- 8
His Last Bow (1917 · 8 stories)
Ends with Holmes's war-time farewell.
- 9
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1927 · 12 stories)
Doyle's last twelve cases.
Sherlock Holmes beyond Conan Doyle
Holmes has outlived his author many times over. The game also deals these Holmes books by other writers:
- The Seven-Per-Cent Solution — Nicholas Meyer
- The Beekeeper's Apprentice — Laurie R. King
- The Final Solution — Michael Chabon
- Dust and Shadow — Lyndsay Faye
- The Case of the Missing Marquess — Nancy Springer
- The House of Silk — Anthony Horowitz
- Moriarty — Anthony Horowitz
- A Study in Charlotte — Brittany Cavallaro
- Mycroft Holmes — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anna Waterhouse
- The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter — Theodora Goss
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Sherlock Holmes Higher or Lower?
You see one Sherlock Holmes book with its Goodreads rating, and a second with its rating hidden. Guess whether the second book is rated higher or lower. Guess right and the hidden book becomes the next one to beat; guess wrong and your streak ends. Ties count as correct.
Which Sherlock Holmes books are in the game?
All nine of Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes books — the four novels, the five short story collections — plus the complete collection, and 10 well-known Holmes books by other writers, from Nicholas Meyer's The Seven-Per-Cent Solution to Anthony Horowitz's The House of Silk and Nancy Springer's Enola Holmes.
What order should I read the Sherlock Holmes books in?
Publication order works best: A Study in Scarlet (1887), The Sign of Four (1890), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892), The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905), The Valley of Fear (1915), His Last Bow (1917) and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1927). That's 4 novels and 56 short stories.
What is the highest-rated Sherlock Holmes book on Goodreads?
Among Conan Doyle's own books, the short story collections tend to rate above most of the novels on Goodreads, and the complete collection sits above them all. The exact order is what the game tests — play a round and find out.
Where do the ratings come from?
Goodreads' rating averages, curated and refreshed periodically (currently as of early 2026). Goodreads has no public ratings API, so these are approximate, rounded snapshots rather than a live feed.
Is it free?
Yes — free, no account needed. When your run ends you can download a result card with your streak and the covers you got through.