Sherlock Holmes

Verdict: Not so much a mystery, more a colossal info-dump to
explain Holmes’ resurrection. The mannequin decoy seems
naive in the extreme, and the whole tale is rather unsatisfying.
2/5
29) The Adventure of the Norwood Builder
UK: The Strand Magazine (November 1903, SP); USA: Collier’s
(31 October 1903, FDS)
The Case: A solicitor is accused of killing his benefactor and
burning the body…
Date: August 1894.
Characters: John Hector McFarlane, Jonas Oldacre, Inspector
Lestrade, night constable, three constables, Professor Moriarty,
Verner, Mrs Lexington, Mr and Mrs McFarlane, Chief Constable,
Cornelius.
Locations: 221B Baker Street; Deep Dene House, Deep Dene
Road, Lower Norwood; Graham & McFarlane, 426 Gresham
Buildings, EC; Torrington Lodge, Blackheath; Anerley Arms, Lower
Norwood.
Unrecorded Cases:The papers of ex-President Murillo (a possible
reference to Wisteria Lodge), the Dutch steamship Friesland,
murderer Bert Stevens in 1887.
T H E C A N O N
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Holmes: Dislikes publicity. When concentrating on a case, he
doesn’t eat, sometimes fainting from lack of energy. Thinks
enough of Watson that he pays a distant relative (of Vernet?) to
buy up his practice so he can move back into their Baker Street
rooms.
Elementary: Deduces McFarlane’s character and job from his
appearance.
Quotable Quote: ‘London has become a singularly uninteresting
city since the death of the late lamented Professor Moriarty.’
Problems: A ruthless murderer would hardly leave such an
obvious trail towards the woodpile. Bones rarely burn
completely, so the remains would have pointed to an animal
carcass.
Observations: The story contains the first use of fingerprints.
Holmes repeats the ‘false alarm’ trick from A Scandal in
Bohemia.
Verdict: A clever puzzle with a satisfying conclusion. 5/5
30) The Adventure of the Dancing Men
UK: The Strand Magazine (December 1903, SP); USA: Collier’s
(5 December 1903, FDS)
The Case: A Norfolk couple receives strange messages, and the
wife harbours a guilty secret…
Date: July 1898.
Characters: Hilton Cubitt, Mrs Hudson, stationmaster,
Inspector Martin, doctor, Saunders, Mrs King, village
policeman, Abe Slaney, Thurston, Reverend Parker, Elsie Cubitt (née
Patrick), stable boy, groom, Elrige, Wilson Hargreave, Mr Patrick.
Locations: 221B Baker Street; North Walsham railway station;
Ridling Thorpe  Manor, Norfolk; Russell Square boarding house;
Elrige’s Farm, East Ruston, Norfolk.
S H E R L O C K H O L M E S
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Holmes: When work is going well, he whistles and sings to
himself. Is the author of a monograph in which 160 ciphers are
analysed.
Watson: Keeps his cheque book locked in Holmes’ drawer.
Elementary: Deduces Watson doesn’t want to invest in South
African securities by the chalk marks on his fingers.
Problems: Holmes could have alerted the Norfolk Constabulary
by telephone the evening before the murder.Although arguably
the simplest code in the canon, Holmes spends two hours deci-
phering it. Most versions contain mistakes in the code (in the
Penguin text, for example, the ‘armless man’ confusingly
represents both V and B). To leave a cartridge case behind,
Slaney’s gun must have been a semi-automatic, but they were
not in common usage until after 1900.
Observations: The cipher is similar to the one Poe used in The
Gold Bug. It is commonly thought that the Jubilee referred to is
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee of 1897.
Verdict: An engaging mystery that leads to a prosaic resolution.
Although the client’s death is striking, the tacked-on happy
ending largely dispels the effect. 3/5
31) The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist
UK: The Strand Magazine (January 1904, SP); USA: Collier’s (26
December 1903, FDS)
The Case: A music teacher is shadowed by a mysterious
cyclist…
Date: 23 April 1895.
Characters: Violet Smith, Bob Carruthers, Jack Woodley, Peter,
James Smith, Ralph Smith, Cyril Morton, Mrs Dixon, Miss
Carruthers, Williamson.
Locations: 221B Baker Street; Charlington Heath; Charlington
T H E C A N O N
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Hall; Crooksbury Hill; Chiltern Grange, Charlington, Surrey;
Midland Electric Company, Coventry; Charlington Wood; Farnham
police station; Morton & Kennedy,Westminster.
Unrecorded Cases: Persecution of tobacco millionaire John
Vincent Harden, the forger Archie Stamford near Surrey.
Holmes: Is prepared to defend a lady’s honour with fisticuffs.
Elementary: Deduces Violet Smith is a cyclist and musician.
Quotable Quotes: ‘[Mr Woodley] had a fine flow of language, and
his adjectives were very vigorous. He ended a string of abuse
by a vicious backhander, which I failed to entirely avoid. The
next few minutes were delicious.’
(Williamson) ‘Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Mr Busybody
Holmes!’
Problem: There seems little reason to obtain a marriage certifi-
cate when the ceremony was illegal for other reasons.
Observations: The beard disguise is reused from The Hound of the
Baskervilles. The Strand’s Greenhough Smith objected to the fact
that Holmes was not featured enough, so Doyle increased his
presence.
Verdict: The premise is more interesting than the conclusion,
but Holmes acquits himself like a true gentleman in defending
Violet against the gang of ruffians. 3/5
32) The Adventure of the Priory School
UK: The Strand Magazine (February 1904, SP); USA: Collier’s
(30 January 1904, FDS)
The Case: A young boy goes missing from a northern England
preparatory school…
Characters: Dr Thorneycroft Huxtable, Duke of Holdernesse,
James Wilder, Heidegger, butler, peasant, Reuben  Hayes, Mrs
Hayes, footman, Duchess of Holdernesse, Edith Appledore, Lord
S H E R L O C K H O L M E S
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Leverstroke, Earl of Blackwater, Sir Cathcart Soames, Lord Saltire,
Caunter, Aveling.
Locations: 221B Baker Street; Holdernesse Hall, Hallamshire,
Peak District; Priory School, near Mackleton; Ragged Shaw;
Lower Gill Moor; Fighting Cock Inn.
Unrecorded Cases: Ferrers documents, Abergavenny murder.
Holmes: Is familiar with 42 different types of tyre tread.Appears
to accept twice the proffered reward in return for hushing up
a scandal.
Problems: The ‘bicycle direction theory’ is famously derided.
Whichever way it was travelling, the rear wheel would always