The Five Orange Pips

"The Five Orange Pips" is a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, first published in The Strand Magazine in November 1891 and included in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. It follows a young man who seeks Holmes's help after members of his family receive mysterious letters containing five orange pips—shortly before dying under unexplained circumstances. As Holmes investigates, he uncovers connections to events and affiliations from the American South, revealing a case shaped by international intrigue and personal vengeance. The story is one of the few in which Holmes is unable to prevent a tragic outcome.