Which Sherlock Holmes story created a huge backlash because Holmes dies?

• A. The Final Problem
• B. The Adventure of the Speckled Band
• C. The Hound of the Baskervilles
• D. A Scandal in Bohemia

Answer: (A)

Holmes’s apparent death at the Reichenbach Falls is the moment this question points to. In that story, the detective confronts Professor Moriarty and the two tumble into the falls, leaving readers convinced Holmes is gone. The shock was amplified because Holmes had become a beloved, iconic figure, and Doyle faced intense public outcry over killing him off. To appease fans, Doyle later brought Holmes back in The Adventure of the Empty House, revealing that Holmes had survived. The other stories involve different plots—one is a straightforward murder mystery, another is set before the death event, and another centers on a political intrigue—so none sparked the same nationwide reaction. The lasting memory is the dramatic death scene at Reichenbach Falls and the subsequent revival.