The Valley of Fear（恐怖谷）

The plot of the novel is based very loosely on the real-life activities of the Molly Maguires and, particularly, of Pinkerton agent James McParland.

The novel is divided into two parts: in the first, Holmes investigates an apparent murder and discovers that the body belongs to another man; and in the second, the story of the man originally thought to have been the victim is told.

亚瑟·柯南·道尔：英国人，世界著名小说家。因成功地塑造了大侦探歇洛克·福尔摩斯的形象而成为侦探小说历史上最重要的小说家之一。除此之外，他还写过多部其他类型的作品，如科幻小说、悬疑小说、历史小说、爱情小说、戏剧和诗歌等。