Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective mystery novel A Study in Scarlet was first published in 1887 and is one of his most well-known works.

It is the first storey to star Sherlock Holmes, who would go on to become one of the most popular and influential fictional detective characters of all time, with enduring interest and appeal.

The title of the book comes from a speech given by Sherlock Holmes to his companion Doctor Watson about the essence of his work, in which he refers to the murder investigation in the storey as his "research in scarlet": "There's a scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and it's our job to unravel it, separate it, and reveal every inch of it," says the protagonist.