Sherlock Holmes

Characters: Colonel Hayter, Acton, Cunningham, Alec
Cunningham, Inspector Forrester, William Kirwan, Annie
Morrison.
Locations: 221B Baker Street; Colonel Hayter’s house, near
Reigate, Surrey; Hotel Dulong, Lyons.
Unrecorded Cases: The Netherland-Sumatra Company and the
machinations of Baron Maupertuis.
Holmes: Suffers a nervous breakdown after an exhausting two-
month case, leading to severe depression. A new case makes
him better. Studies graphology.
Quotable Quote: ‘…I make a point of never having any preju-
dices and of following docilely wherever fact may lead me…’
Problems: It seems odd that the incriminating letter was jointly
written, and then not discarded later.The burglars should have
taken something of value if they had wanted to appear
‘genuine’. Holmes says handwriting is hereditary – most
experts say it is not.
Observations: The story was first published in the UK as The
Adventure of the Reigate Squire. It was pluralised on its reappear-
ance in The Memoirs collection in 1894. In America it is known
as The Reigate Puzzle. It was the first Sherlock Holmes story to
use a facsimile letter.
Verdict: A rather far-fetched tale concerning incompetent
villains. Despite his recent illness, Holmes solves the whole
thing virtually in his sleep. 3/5
S H E R L O C K H O L M E S
• 52 •

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22) The Adventure of the Crooked Man
UK: The Strand Magazine (July 1893, SP); USA: Harper’s Weekly
(8 July 1893,WHH)
The Case: A colonel is murdered, and his wife is the chief
suspect…
Date: A few months after Watson’s marriage.
Characters: Simpson, Teddy the mongoose, Henry Wood,
Jackson, Colonel James Barclay, Nancy Barclay, Major Murphy, Miss
Morrison, Jane Stewart, Coachman, General Neill.
Locations: Watson’s house; the Royal Mallows barracks,
Aldershot, Hants; ‘Lachine’, Aldershot, Hants; Hudson Street,
Aldershot, Hants; Watt Street Mission, Aldershot, Hants; Bhurtee,
India; Darjeeling, India; Punjab, India.
Holmes: Accuses Watson of withholding vital information in his
retelling of cases. Has a working knowledge of the Bible.
Watson: His medical neighbour is Jackson.
Elementary: Deduces Watson has no guests, has had the gas fixed
and has had a busy day.
Disguise: An electoral registration agent.
Problems: The morning room is facing west, so would receive
little sunlight. The mongoose was carried in a box, so would
not leave paw-prints.
Quotable Quote: ‘Sorry to see that you’ve had the British
workman in the house. He’s a token of evil.’
Observations: Holmes comes close to uttering his immortal
catchprase here (‘‘‘Excellent,” I cried. “Elementary,” said he’).
In several editions, the name of the regiment has been changed
to the Royal Munsters.
Verdict: A quirky tale that would be over far quicker were it not
for Doyle’s old standby of brain fever on the part of the main
witness. 3/5
T H E C A N O N
• 53 •

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23) The Adventure of the Resident Patient
UK: The Strand Magazine (August 1893, SP); USA: Harper’s
Weekly (12 August 1893,WHH)
The Case: A wealthy patient with a heart condition fears
intruders in his house…
Characters: Dr Percy Trevelyan, Inspector Lanner, Blessington,
page, Biddle, Hayward, Moffat, Sutton, Cartwright, Tobin.