His Last Bow by Arthur Conan Doyle

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His Last Bow, a collection of short stories, is Arthur Conan Doyle's fourth installment of the serialized tales about the Baker Street-dwelling detective, Sherlock Holmes.

Dr. Watson, Holmes' steadfast colleague, reveals early on to the audience that though Holmes has retired from his life as a detective, his mental faculties are as sharp as ever. As Watson pours through his notebook from years past, he recounts a handful of Holmes' more prominent cases. The concluding story, however, sees Holmes transition away from private detective contracts in order to aid his government in the First World War.

It could be argued that Holmes' foray into the world of espionage laid the groundwork for the modern spy thriller, thus giving more credence to Arthur Conan Doyle's juggernaut status in two literary genres.