Question

add the sentence that best establishes the topic of the paragraph. the first short story about the brilliant detective appeared in the strand magazine in 1891, and with each new installment, readership increased. despite the stories commercial success, however, conan doyle began to grow tired of sherlock holmes. in 1893, he decided to end the series by giving his detective a heroic death in the story \the final problem.\ the tale devastated readers, prompting major backlash. both doyle and the strand magazine were bombarded with angry letters, and so many people cancelled their magazine subscriptions that the publication nearly had to shut down. eventually, the author yielded to public pressure: he brought the detective back to life in \the empty house,\ which detailed how holmes had simply faked his own death. like many writers, sir arthur conan doyle took inspiration from real life when creating fictional characters, including sherlock holmes. in sir arthur conan doyles sherlock holmes stories, the detective is presented as opposite in many ways from his partner, dr. watson. although sir arthur conan doyle created the fictional sherlock holmes in the late 1800s, the character is still popular today. beginning in the late nineteenth century, sir arthur conan doyles detective stories featuring sherlock holmes attracted an eager fan base.

Explanation:

The paragraph details the popularity of Sherlock Holmes stories starting from 1891, Conan Doyle's attempt to end the series, and the public reaction. The best - fitting topic - establishing sentence should introduce the popularity of the stories in the late 19th century.

Answer:

Beginning in the late nineteenth century, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective stories featuring Sherlock Holmes attracted an eager fan base.