A Study in Scarlet (1887) by Arthur Doyle
I listened to it on Audible during my daily Newtown peregrinations. It was read by Derek Jacobi.
It starts with a long, wandering backstory from Dr Watson. Boring.
Then comes Holmes enters and livens things up. Briefly.
That it interrupted by five or was it six long chapters on the backstories of the victim(s). This was also boring, though of course I warmed to the portrayal or Mormons as sadistic, sex-crazed, slavers, and worse.
Then we have some more Holmes wrapping it all up from a footprint.
It really cooks when Holmes is being Holmes and that is about a third of the total length of the book. (That disproportion reminded me of the first Charlie Chan movie when he only appears half way through.)
It is surprising that it caught on.
Banned in Utah and Florida for its anti-Mormonism.
Derek Jacobi is brilliant even when the material is not.
This was the first of four Holmes novels to go with the fifty-six short stories. This one has been the basis of films and literary tributes most of which are much snappier and paced than this turtle.