Story Skeleton—The Hound of the Baskervilles

Story structure relates to the psychological appeal of narrative, that which engages readers and builds in them a sense of anticipation—a desire to know what happens next. Our ongoing exploration now delves into mysteries, illustrating yet again the universality of story structure, albeit from a different angle.

By David Griffin Brown

Where Logic Meets Legend

Arthur Conan Doyle arrived on the scene when detective fiction was still in its infancy. Edgar Allan Poe had introduced the first modern detective in his short story “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841). Wilkie Collins advanced the form with The Woman in White (1859) and The Moonstone (1868). Doyle brought a new focus on meticulous observation and logical reasoning that continues to influence mystery writers today.

Holmes and his trusty sidekick Watson debuted in the 1887 novel A Study in Scarlet. Four years later, shorter episodes were serialized in The Strand Magazine. These adventures turned Holmes into a cultural phenomenon. Yet Doyle soon grew tired of writing about the great detective. In 1891, he wrote to his mother, “I think of slaying him in the last and winding him up for good and all. He takes my mind from better things.”

He even tried killing Holmes off at Reichenbach Falls, though he ultimately bowed to public demand and resurrected his sleuth. Despite Doyle’s misgivings, Holmes endures as one of literature’s most iconic detectives.

The Hound of the Baskervilles appeared in The Strand Magazine from August 1901 to April 1902. It is Doyle’s third Holmes novel.

Set in the eerie moors of Devonshire, Hound catered to the popularity of gothic fiction of the day, coming just a few years after the release of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) and Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw (1898). While Holmes will not abide a supernatural conclusion to any case, the reader is treated to the dread of a family curse, sightings of a massive beast with fiery eyes, and ominous howls lingering in the thick fog.

Plot Points

The Detective is Revealed

In general terms, a story’s stasis is the protagonist’s “normal life” before an inciting incident comes along and kickstarts a quest or journey of some kind.

In many mysteries, the stasis scene serves to showcase the detective’s typical environment and methods before the main case begins. Arthur Conan Doyle usually starts Holmes and Watson off in their familiar quarters at 221B Baker Street. They’re between cases, and Holmes entertains Watson with an observational puzzle. It’s a go-to intro that orients readers, reveals the detective’s mindset, and spotlights the interplay between Holmes’ sharp logic and Watson’s well-intentioned but less forensic perspective.

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."

The Hound of the Baskervilles begins with Holmes and Watson examining a walking stick left by a visitor. Watson ventures a theory about its owner. Holmes praises Watson’s reasoning, then reveals deeper insights that prove Watson has missed crucial details. This gentle contest of wits shows how Holmes’ brilliance rises from keen observation. Moments later, Dr. Mortimer, a new client, turns up. His arrival signals the end of stasis and the start of a chilling investigation.

The Initial Puzzle

The inciting incident is the spark that catapults the protagonist into the story. In a mystery, the detective tends to wait for the next case to come along. For Holmes, it must be more than a simple burglary or humdrum affair, or he isn’t interested.

Dr. Mortimer arrives with a manuscript from the 1700s. It recounts a cruel Baskerville ancestor who committed a terrible crime, prompting an alleged curse on the family—an evil dog of enormous size now stalks the heirs. Sir Charles Baskerville recently died near his home on the moor under odd circumstances. Some say a spectral hound is responsible. Mortimer fears Sir Henry, the new heir, may be next.

Key clues:

• An old legend ties the Baskerville bloodline to a demonic hound.
• Sir Charles took a nightly walk down Yew Alley, next to the estate.
• On this particular evening, it seems he lingered at the alley gate, perhaps waiting for someone.
• Sir Charles died at the edge of the moor, where footprints suggest he was fleeing or tiptoeing.
• Official reports attribute the death to heart failure, but Mortimer suspects darker forces.
• A pawprint from an “enormous hound” was found near the scene.

Case Accepted

Once a protagonist has taken the first steps toward a narrative goal, they will often cross a threshold or point of no return. This could be a physical departure, or it could be that the emotional stakes are high enough to ensure they must see the quest through to the end. For a detective, the point of no return comes shortly after they have agreed to help the client, and it usually involves an escalation of stakes.

After Mortimer’s initial description of the case, Holmes is stoked. He demands to know more.

Key clues:

• Regarding the large pawprints at the scene, the hound didn’t seem to approach Sir Charles.
• High hedges and locked gates border Yew Alley.
• Locals claim to have seen a spectral hound roaming the moors.
• There is another heir, Roger, who is presumed dead in South America.
• Holmes notes that Sir Charles fled in the wrong direction—away from help.

After Mortimer departs, Holmes locks himself in thought. He reviews a map of the Baskerville property and weighs possible suspects or motives. He refuses to jump to a supernatural explanation. Watson returns to a room thick with pipe smoke, finds Holmes deep in conjecture. They agree the footprints suggest a sudden panic. The next day, Dr. Mortimer and Sir Henry arrive, introducing a fresh puzzle.

Sir Henry, newly in London, has already received a warning note. This sends a clear signal: someone wants him off the moor. Holmes examines the letter, deduces the words were cut from a recent edition of the Times, and concludes that the sender must be educated and in a hurry (because the note is crudely pasted together). Sir Henry then reveals another oddity: someone stole one of his boots at the hotel. Holmes sees a pattern, though he can’t yet explain it. When Holmes and Watson follow Mortimer and Sir Henry through London, they spot a mysterious bearded stranger following them in a cab.

Key clues:

• The anonymous warning note was posted near Charing Cross, in London.
• Also, the address was written in a rough hand, suggesting the author’s cursive may be otherwise recognizable.
• The stolen boot from Sir Henry’s hotel room was brand new—part of a set of clothes he purchased for his role as the baronet of Baskerville Hall.
• Cab number 2704 becomes a lead—Holmes wants to locate the driver and learn more.

Holmes has now passed the point of no return. Each new clue draws him deeper into the case, with the safety of Sir Henry and the reputation of Baskerville Hall at stake. On top of that, he has met a crafty rival in the stranger with the bushy beard, for he spotted Holmes first.

Gathering Evidence

We now move into the rising action—the protagonist’s efforts toward the narrative goal of solving the case. In other words, the detective now has the opening facts of the case and so must take action to seek new clues.

Holmes and Watson press on to uncover more details. Back at the hotel, they discover that Sir Henry is now missing a second boot from a different pair. Also, Holmes confirms that a black-bearded man isn’t lurking in the same hotel. In fact, he concludes enough time has passed that they aren’t likely to discover the culprit in London.

Key clues:

• Sir Henry’s second stolen boot is from an old, well-worn pair.
• The only person who might match the bearded man’s description back at the estate is the butler, Mr. Barrymore.
• Barrymore stood to inherit a tidy sum upon Charles’ death, but not a fortune.

Holmes sends Barrymore a telegram, to be delivered to his person, to assess whether he is at the estate or could possibly be in London. Then, the detective announces he has another case to attend to; Watson will accompany Sir Henry to Baskerville Hall and must send regular updates about anything he discovers. (Note that while this seems like Holmes is handing the next segment of rising action over to Watson, readers can assume that he’ll be working behind the scenes.)

Key clues:

• Sir Henry is surprised to find the first stolen boot, from the new pair, under a cabinet. The old boot is still missing.
• The telegram to Barrymore is successfully delivered.
• The cab driver reports that his fare was bearded and otherwise nondescript, and that he identified himself as Sherlock Holmes. How cheeky!

New Evidence and Misdirection

Rising action continues, but now Watson is acting on his own, though he is to follow Holmes’ instructions: keep observations of everyone on the estate as well as neighbors. Since Watson doesn’t know quite what he’s looking for, we can assume that some of the lines of inquiry he follows will lead to a dead end. However, an effective red herring should still connect to the main case in some way.

Key clues:

• Local police are searching for an escaped convict named Selden.
• Since the Barrymores are still rattled by Sir Charles’ death, they plan on leaving Baskerville Hall as soon as Sir Henry can replace them.
• After Watson retires to bed, he hears a woman sobbing somewhere in the house.

The next morning, Watson questions Barrymore about the sobbing. The butler gets evasive, but when Watson sees Mrs. Barrymore, there is no denying it—she has clearly been crying. This prompts him to doublecheck with the postmaster that the telegram was in fact delivered into Barrymore’s hands. The delivery boy admits he gave it to Mrs. Barrymore since her husband was busy.

While in town, Watson meets local naturalist and Baskerville neighbor Mr. Stapleton of Merripit House. As they walk together, Stapleton acquaints Watson with more of the setting. Watson also meets Stapleton’s sister.

Key clues:

• Stapleton explains that he was previously a schoolmaster in the North of England, but the moors give him more opportunities to pursue his interests in entomology.
• Stapleton points out the Grimpen mire, a dangerous boggy area of the moor riddled with quicksand—a place Stapleton has learned to safely explore in his efforts to collect butterflies.
• Watson and Stapleton hear a strange howl coming across the moor, perhaps from the direction of the mire.
• Stapleton also points out some distant stone dwellings from Neolithic times.
• Miss Stapleton at first mistakes Watson for Sir Henry, and she warns him to go back to London. Later, she apologizes and claims that she’s worried about the curse.
• Miss Stapleton is her brother’s opposite in appearance, and she speaks with an occasional lisp.

Now that Watson has some of the local flavor, he writes his first report to Holmes.

Key clues:

• The locals believe the escaped convict is no longer in the area.
• Sir Henry and Miss Stapleton are getting quite flirty, though Mr. Stapleton isn’t pleased with this development.
• Watson meets another neighbour, Mr. Frankland, who has been using his telescope to scour the moor for the missing convict.

The Red Herrings Are Revealed

Tension has been building and clues have been stacking up. Watson is in no position to solve this mystery, but it’s time for some of his efforts to bear fruit. It’s also time for a bit of excitement. In other words, we’ve reached the midpoint.

One night, Watson spies on Mr. Barrymore as he stands at a window in an empty room, apparently signalling to someone with his candle. Watson takes this information to Sir Henry, and they come up with a plan to confront Barrymore. Two nights later, they catch him again at the window with a candle in hand, and they spot someone holding another candle out on the moor. Mr. Barrymore refuses to explain, but then his wife arrives and admits that the escaped convict is her brother. They have been bringing him food and clothing under the cover of darkness.

Afterward, Watson and Sir Henry decide that the convict may pose a danger to the community, so they head out onto the moor to capture him. As they make their way in the dark, they hear the strange baying of a hound. They get close, but the convict escapes. On their way back, Watson notices another dark figure moving across the moor—someone tall and mysterious, but not the convict.

Back at Baskerville Hall, Barrymore implores them to turn a blind eye to Selden the convict, who will soon leave on a ship for South America. As thanks for their discretion, he offers them a new clue: on the night Sir Charles died, he was supposed to meet a woman at the gate with the initials L.L.

Watson has found his way to the end of one red herring, but he’s still no closer to understanding the mystery of the hound, and now there’s a new piece to the puzzle: who is this strange man travelling across the moor at night?

Key clues:

• Watson learns that L.L. is Laura Lyons, a woman in town with an unfortunate past who has relied on charity from both Sir Charles and Mr. Stapleton.
• Laura Lyons admits that she was meant to meet Sir Charles on the night of his death, but she decided not to go. She also explains that Charles was going to help her get out of a bad marriage.
• Selden has also spotted a tall man out on the moor. The convict believes him to be a “gentleman” who is living in one of the Neolithic dwellings.
• Frankland (the telescope owner) also saw the mystery man on the moor, and he’s seen a young boy bringing him supplies.

Watson is determined to make some good progress for his detective friend, so he heads out on the moor to the Neolithic dwelling in question. He enters and lays in wait…

...and of course, the mystery man is none other than Sherlock Holmes himself. He’s been here on the moor the entire time, keeping an eye on the investigation. All of Watson’s reports, delivered to London, were in fact sent back the next day and delivered to Holmes.

Holmes explains everything that Watson hasn’t been able to put together, along with new research.

Key clues:

• Laura Lyons and Mr. Stapleton have a closer relationship than they have admitted to.
• Miss Stapleton is in fact Mrs. Stapleton—the naturalist’s wife, not his sister.
• The naturalist has been using both women to enact his dastardly plan against the Baskervilles.

The Case Is Nearly Lost

Just before the climax, it’s typical for a protagonist to hit rock bottom. This is sometimes called the dark night of the soul or the all-is-lost moment. In a mystery novel, it’s when the detective comes closest to fouling up the investigation or failing to save someone important to the case.

Before they can head into town to question Laura, they hear a scream from somewhere nearby on the moor. They run to the source and discover the body of Sir Henry. He must have been running for his life when he fell and broke his neck. This is the low point in Holmes’ case because he has failed to protect his client.

But wait… it’s not Sir Henry! It’s actually Selden the convict, who is wearing Sir Henry’s old clothes—the ones he replaced when he was in London. The hound was presumably tracking Sir Henry’s scent, which led the beast to the wrong person. Stapleton then shows up on the scene and is all kinds of awkward. He says the scream drew him, and that he had invited Sir Henry over for a visit.

Nabbing the Culprit

In many mysteries, the climax is when the detective explains the case and reveals how the reader has been led to incorrect conclusions. And by explaining the mystery in the presence of the culprit, the detective forces the villain’s confession, thereby solving the crime and ensuring justice is served.

In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sherlock Holmes reveals the culprit prior to the climax. But they don’t yet have enough evidence for a conviction.

Back at Baskerville Hall, they meet with Sir Henry to discuss next steps. During this discussion, Holmes notices an old family portrait on the wall. The final puzzle piece locks into place. The man in the portrait looks very much like Stapleton. There is the motive: Stapleton is in fact a Baskerville relative, and by removing Sir Charles and Sir Henry, he will be next in line to inherit the estate.

Holmes and Watson orchestrate a final trap. They convince Sir Henry to attend dinner at Stapleton’s home while claiming they must return to London. In truth, they will lie in wait on the moor with Detective Lestrade from Scotland Yard. Before Henry departs, Holmes confirms with Laura Lyons that Stapleton used promises of marriage to manipulate her.

When Henry leaves Merripit House, a dense fog rolls over the moor. Stapleton unleashes the monstrous hound, whose jaws he has coated with phosphorous to make it glow. Extra terrifying. The beast charges Sir Henry. Holmes fires several shots, killing it in the nick of time. Sir Henry is shaken but unharmed.

Inside Stapleton’s house, they find Mrs. Stapleton bound and gagged—she points them toward her husband’s hideout in the Grimpen mire. The next day, she helps Holmes and Watson navigate the treacherous bog, where they discover Sir Henry’s stolen boot and signs of Stapleton’s desperate flight. The deadly quicksand has likely swallowed the villain for good.

Reviewing the Evidence

Again, in many mysteries, the details of the case are laid out in the climax. As a result, the story’s resolution might involve other loose strings that need to be tied up—perhaps a final follow-up with the client or with the victim’s family. In The Hound of the Baskervilles, the conclusion takes us through a final overview of the facts of the case, which is perhaps Doyle’s way of making sure the reader is clear on how it all happened and the relevance of all the clues.

Back in London, Sir Henry and Dr. Mortimer meet with Holmes and Watson for one final briefing. Holmes relates his conclusions. Stapleton is actually a Baskerville heir—Roger Baskerville, Jr.—who fled to England after embezzling funds in South America. He built a new life under a false name, married Beryl García of Spain (which explains her occasional lisping), then set up a failing school in the north. Later, he discovered his rightful claim to Baskerville Hall and devised a plan to eliminate Sir Charles and Sir Henry.

He exploited Sir Charles’ poor health and superstitious nature, luring him onto the moor with promises relayed through Laura Lyons. He stole Sir Henry’s boot in London so his hound could track the baronet’s scent. His wife tried to warn Sir Henry with an anonymous letter. Stapleton silenced her with threats and physical restraint.

Holmes admits that using Sir Henry as bait was risky, but it was the only way to prove Stapleton’s guilt. The hound’s phosphorous glow was what shocked Sir Charles into fatal terror. Stapleton nearly succeeded again with Sir Henry until Holmes and Watson intervened. The remaining question is how he meant to claim the Baskerville fortune once Henry was dead. Holmes can only guess at that. Sir Henry, meanwhile, recovers from his ordeal, and the curse of the Baskervilles is finally put to rest.

The Detective’s Arc

In most fiction, the protagonist struggles and strives toward an external goal while being hampered in some way by an internal conflict. In a traditional (comic) structure, the protagonist must change or learn or grow in some way, usually just after the all-is-lost moment, and this transformation enables them to achieve their narrative goal. In a tragic structure, the protagonist fails to change or learn or grow, and so fails to achieve the narrative goal, and their transformation comes as a result of this failure.

In mysteries, this arc isn’t always present. In part, this is because so many mysteries are episodic. The detective doesn’t change from one story to the next. Or at least, the ways in which the detective changes are not bound up in the resolution of the case.

So does that mean mysteries don’t have an arc? Not at all! Mystery fans aren’t just along for the ride. We put ourselves in the detective’s shoes and try to solve the case at the same time. In this way, the completion of the arc, at the end, is our arc. We are the ones who undergo a shift in perception when we realize the truth of the clues that, up to that point, haven’t quite made sense. That’s why a mystery isn’t as satisfying when we guess who the culprit is from an early stage and how the crime was committed. We want to be misled. We want to get it wrong. Otherwise, we don’t get that wonderful moment when the entire scenario shifts before our eyes as we realize how we were approaching the case from the wrong angle.

This has become one of the tenets of the genre, but here in The Hound of the Baskervilles, I would argue that a true reader arc isn’t quite achieved. Many readers will guess that Stapleton is the bad guy, but it’s still fun watching Watson bumble around. For most of the story, both Watson and the reader are missing a key piece of the puzzle: Holmes’ research into Stapleton’s past. So while some of the clues won’t make sense until the end, if we knew early on that Miss Stapleton was actually Stapleton’s wife, there would be no doubt that they were somehow involved in Sir Charles’ death. In a modern mystery, the reader is more likely to have access to all the clues; instead, it’s their presentation that leads us to incorrect conclusions.

In Conclusion

In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Doyle shows us that a mystery’s power lies in how the reader is led from confusion into clarity. The detective may not undergo a personal transformation, but the reader does. We start with limited facts, draw flawed conclusions, then see everything rearranged by the final reveal. Below are the key takeaways for writers who want to harness this structure in their own work:

• Establish a baseline. Introduce your detective in a familiar stasis. Let readers see the detective’s mindset and methods. This anchors the story before the real case arrives.
• Spark the quest. A compelling inciting incident draws the detective—and readers—into the heart of the puzzle. A sense of urgency keeps everyone invested.
• Layer clues and red herrings. Each clue should advance the plot or deepen the reader’s curiosity. Red herrings work best if they plausibly connect to the detective’s main line of inquiry.
• Use rising action to corner the culprit. Show the detective piecing things together or going down wrong paths. Incremental discoveries should raise the stakes and heighten tension.
• Flirt with failure. A near-disaster, like Holmes’ moment of believing Sir Henry might be dead, makes victory all the more satisfying.
• Prioritize the reader’s arc. The detective may remain static. The reader’s shift from confusion to clarity is the real emotional payoff.

A well-structured mystery trains readers to notice details, question assumptions, and reconsider everything when the truth comes out. By focusing on these structural elements, you can create a narrative that guides—and at times misleads—your audience toward that satisfying final “aha” moment.

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David Griffin Brown is an award-winning short fiction writer and co-author of Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling. He holds a BA in anthropology from UVic and an MFA in creative writing from UBC, and his writing has been published in literary magazines such as the Malahat Review and Grain. In 2022, he was the recipient of a New Artist grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. David founded Darling Axe Editing in 2018, and as part of his Book Broker interview series, he has compiled querying advice from over 100 literary agents. He lives in Victoria, Canada, on the traditional territory of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.