In 1989 Thomas G. Waddell and Thomas R. Rybolt published their first story in JCE in The Chemical Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series, "Sherlock Holmes and the Yellow Prisms". That one story has now grown to 15 with the publication of "Autopsy in Blue" in the April 2004 issue. By popular request JCE has gathered all 15 stories into a single volume featuring standardized formatting that makes it easy for educators to make photocopies for students that include only the stories and not the solutions. The volume uses a spiral binding for convenient photocopying.

The 15 stories differ vastly in content and the chemistry they illustrate, but share a common layout:

• Each story begins with a text box that contains information on the chemical themes of the story.
• The story itself follows and ends with a stop sign asking readers, "Can You Solve the Mystery?"
• A gray text box presents questions that prompt readers to consider the relevant points of the story in their quest for the solution.
• Sherlock Holmes's solution begins on a separate page; the solution may include explanatory calculations, reactions, and diagrams.

The Chemical Adventure stories are popular for their educational as well as entertainment value.