"The Red-Headed League" is one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It first appeared in The Strand Magazine in August 1891, with illustrations by Sidney Paget. Conan Doyle ranked "The Red-Headed League" second in his list of his twelve favorite Holmes stories.It is also the second of the twelve stories in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which was published in 1892.
Jabez Wilson, a London pawnbroker, comes to consult Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. While studying this prospective client, both Holmes and Watson notice his red hair, which has a distinct flame-like hue. Wilson tells them that some weeks before, his young assistant, Vincent Spaulding, urged him to respond to a newspaper want-ad by "The Red-Headed League" offering highly-paid work to only red-headed male applicants. The next morning, Wilson had waited in a long line of fellow red-headed men, was interviewed, and was the only applicant hired, because none of the other applicants qualified; their red hair was either too dark or too bright and did not match Wilson's unique flame color.

Wilson tells Holmes that his business has been struggling. Since his pawnshop did most of its business in the evenings, he was able to vacate his shop for short periods in the afternoon, receiving £4 (equivalent to £443 in 2019[2]) a week for several weeks; the work was obviously useless clerical work in a bare office, only performed for nominal compliance with a will, whereupon he was made to copy the Encycloedia Britannica. Wilson learned much about the subjects starting with the "A" section, and looked forward to getting into the "B" section. One morning, a sign on the locked office door inexplicably announced that "THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE IS DISSOLVED"—Oct. 9, 1890."

Wilson went to the landlord, who said he had never heard of Duncan Ross, the person who managed the league office. The landlord did remember the tenant with scarlet hair and gave him a card that directed Wilson to an artificial knee company. Wilson concludes by expressing his frustration at losing the £4 a week.

Watson and Holmes laugh at Wilson because of the ridiculous situation, but Holmes assures him that they will solve the case by Monday. Wilson leaves after giving the detective a description of Spaulding; Holmes decides to see Spaulding, whom Holmes notices has dirty trouser knees. Holmes then taps on the pavement in front of Wilson's shop.

With the case solved, he calls Police Inspector Jones and Mr. Merryweather, a director of the bank located next door.

The four hide in the bank vault, waiting in the dark for over an hour until two men emerge from a tunnel cut into the vault's floor and are captured. They are John Clay, who has a long history of criminal activity already, and his helper Archie. Under the aliases of Spaulding and Ross, they had contrived the 'Red-Headed League' rigmarole to keep Wilson out of his shop while they dug a tunnel in the basement to reach the vault. Although paying Wilson £4 a week was expensive, it was a pittance compared to the shipment of gold coins they were planning to steal.

Back at Baker Street, Holmes explains to Watson how he solved the case, applauding Clay's creativity and regretting that such a mind has been wasted on crime.