In "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes," Sir Arthur Conan Doyle attempted a feat that even the greatest criminal minds in England could not accomplish: He tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes. (And he very nearly succeeded.)

Doyle's 1894 collection of short stories - which featured some of the most enoyable tales in the Holmes canon, including "Silver Blaze," "The Musgrave Ritual" and "The Crooked Man" - concludes with what was meant to be the last Sherlock Holmes story, "The Final Problem." In this narrative (spoiler alert!), Holmes finally comes face to face with his arch-nemesis, the cunning and cruel Professor Moriarty and, in a thrilling climax, both men confront each other, come to blows and plunge to their respective deaths over the Reichenbach Falls. (Holmes would be miraculously brought back to life in "The Adventure of the Empty House" in 1903.)

An essential collection for any serious Holmes fans, "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" is presented here in its original and unabridged format.