The Hound of the Baskervilles

I find this to be not only an enjoyable detective novel, one of the best in the series by Conan Doyle; but even more than that, a supreme example of the best of classic Victorian literature. It is well-constructed with examples of the techniques found in more typical "literary" novels. Arthur Conan Doyle demonstrates both superior narrative creation of a mood and elegant development of characters. His use of techniques such as advancing the plot through cleverly-placed letters (a technique use by Dickens, Dostoevsky and others) puts this novel in a class of fiction well beyond the genre to which it is often consigned. It is more than just a delightful read!