The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips

The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips (dated to September 1887) is one of 12 Sherlock Holmes short stories in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. It was first published in The Strand Magazine in November. Sir Arthur named it as his seventh favourite short story of those he had written before 1922. It is one of only two stories in the canon where Holmes’ client dies after asking for his help (the other being The Dancing Men) .Holmes and Watson are visited by a John Openshaw whose father and grandfather have both died in mysterious circumstances after receiving envelopes containing five orange pips having been sent by K.K.K. The explanation for the mystery lies in the actions of John Openshaw’s grandfather in the Unites States of America after the ending of the American Civil War.