What Conan Doyle Books Include Female Protagonists?

I’ll sound like a bookish old fan, but there’s something satisfying about tracking Doyle’s female figures across his output because it shows a patchwork of roles rather than a single type. Approach his works thematically rather than chronologically: pick a theme such as ‘women in peril,’ ‘clever women outwitting men,’ or ‘women as catalysts for male action,’ and read relevant pieces together. For instance, under ‘clever women’ you’d group 'A Scandal in Bohemia' (Irene Adler) with 'The Adventure of the Copper Beeches' (Violet Hunter) where the woman’s choices or wits shape the resolution. Under ‘women in peril’ put 'The Adventure of the Speckled Band' (Helen Stoner) and 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' (Laura Lyons/Beryl Stapleton).

If you’re doing research or a deeper read, I also recommend paying attention to magazine contexts and prefaces: Doyle wrote for Victorian periodicals and that affected how female characters were presented. Modern readers often find the women intriguing because they reveal tensions between Victorian expectations and individual courage. And if you enjoy adaptations, many modern retellings expand women’s roles — for example, adaptations inspired by Holmes sometimes elevate Irene Adler or invent new female protagonists to explore perspectives Doyle only hinted at.

This is a neat little hunt because Arthur Conan Doyle didn’t often put women in the driver’s seat the way modern novels do, but when you look closely there are several stories and novels where a woman is the central figure or the emotional engine of the plot.

Most famously in the Sherlock Holmes canon you’ve got 'A Scandal in Bohemia' where Irene Adler isn’t exactly the narrator but she functions as the pivotal character — Holmes’s admiration for her gives her almost protagonist energy. In the novels, 'The Sign of Four' features Mary Morstan as the client and love interest around whom much of the mystery and motivation turn. In 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' women like Laura Lyons and Beryl Stapleton are essential to the plot; Laura in particular has agency that moves scenes forward.

Beyond Holmes, check out 'The Tragedy of the Korosko' — that’s a short novel where a group of British tourists, including a number of women, are central to the narrative and to the themes Doyle explores about empire and vulnerability. Also, several Holmes short stories put women at the center of the mystery: 'The Adventure of the Speckled Band' (Helen Stoner), 'The Adventure of the Copper Beeches' (Violet Hunter), and 'The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist' (Violet Smith). If you’re reading for female-centered perspectives, the short stories are often the most rewarding, and you can read them grouped in collections like 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' and 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes'. I find it interesting how Doyle’s women are often framed by social limits of the era yet still manage to shape the stories in memorable ways.

Okay, short and useful list style from a chatty reader: if you want Conan Doyle works that put women front-and-center, look at these right away — 'A Scandal in Bohemia' (Irene Adler), 'The Sign of Four' (Mary Morstan is central), 'The Adventure of the Speckled Band' (Helen Stoner), 'The Adventure of the Copper Beeches' (Violet Hunter), 'The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist' (Violet Smith), and the novel 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' features Laura Lyons and Beryl Stapleton as key figures.

If you want something beyond Doyle’s originals, try modern reworkings and adaptations that expand female roles, like the 'Enola Holmes' series which builds a whole story around a young woman in the Holmes universe. That’s a fun way to see how contemporary writers reinterpret Doyle’s sometimes limited but often intriguing female characters.

I get excited pointing people to the Holmes stories when it comes to female leads because Doyle surprisingly gave several women real presence even in short pieces. If you want compact reads with women who matter to the plot, start with 'A Scandal in Bohemia' — Irene Adler practically steals the whole thing. Then read 'The Adventure of the Speckled Band' (Helen Stoner), 'The Adventure of the Copper Beeches' (Violet Hunter), and 'The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist' (Violet Smith). Those are all short stories but they put a woman’s situation, fears, or cleverness at the center.

For full novels, 'The Sign of Four' has Mary Morstan as a driving emotional and narrative motive, and 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' features Laura Lyons and Beryl Stapleton in pivotal roles. If you like a little more overt female ensemble, try 'The Tragedy of the Korosko' where the group of tourists (many women) are central characters. Also, in collections like 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' you’ll find lots of single-case stories that spotlight female clients or victims — they’re great for seeing how Doyle wrote women across different social positions and how those roles reveal Victorian anxieties and strengths.