The Sherlock stories are short stories, like 15-20 pages, usually written in the 1st person "by" Watson, the assistant. They are not mysteries for you to figure out so much as they are for you to wonder at Holmes' abilities. They're great as period pieces, great as short diversions, and interesting as a delivery vehicle for the kinds of arcana that Conan-Doyle uses to show us how brilliant Holmes is. They're pretty much the same. Read one - if you like that you'll like them all; if not, forget it.