A Study in Scarlet is the story of how Sherlock Holmes solved the murder of Joseph Stangerson. The book is written from the perspective of Dr. John Watson, a retired Afghanistan soldier and doctor, who accompanies Holmes on his investigations in Victorian England.This story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would become the most famous detective duo in literature. The book's title derives from a speech given by Holmes, a consulting detective, to his friend and chronicler Watson on the nature of his work, in which he describes the story's murder investigation as his "study in scarlet".