Most of the techniques in The Hound of the Baskervilles are common to most of the Holmes mysteries. First, a client visits Holmes, and Holmes makes some clever deductions about him. Then the client introduces the problem that Holmes must solve. In this case, a country doctor, James Mortimer, tells Holmes of the strange death of Sir Charles Baskerville. An unusually observant man, Mortimer noted a giant paw print near the body and the cigar ash near the gate — both important clues and enough to arouse Mortimer's suspicions. In a typical case, Holmes would go to the scene of the crime, sift through clues, and decide on a course of action. These steps make for a suspenseful and fast-paced narrative.

However, in The Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes sends Dr. Watson to work on the case at Baskerville Hall, while he himself stays in London to work...