The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes characters

Appears from the start

The Baker Street consulting detective whose powers of observation and deduction have made him known to private clients and the police. These recollections include both mature investigations and episodes from his life before Watson began publishing the cases.

Also known as Dr Watson

Appears from the start

A physician, former army surgeon, and Holmes's closest companion. Watson narrates the cases, sometimes reconstructing events Holmes told him about, and frames the collection as a record of his friend's career.

Appears from the start

Sherlock Holmes's older brother, possessed of exceptional powers of observation and an even wider command of facts. Mycroft prefers settled habits and abstract reasoning to the exertion of fieldwork, but his abilities make him an important figure when he enters Watson's record.

Appears from the start

A Scotland Yard inspector and recurring professional associate of Holmes. Lestrade represents the official investigation when he appears, bringing police authority and practical experience to cases in which Holmes is also involved.

Appears from the start

A professor of mathematics whom Holmes regards as an intellectual equal. He enters the collection only in its closing story, where the conflict between the two men becomes the volume's final concern.