Sherlock Holmes

Problem: Isadora is not normally a man’s name.
Observations: Doyle based this story on two sources: the murder
of Caroline Luard on 24 August 1908 in Ightham, Kent, and a
faked German suicide related by Hans Gross in his book
Criminal Investigation.
Verdict: A brilliant story, well up to the standard of Doyle’s
earlier ones. 5/5
51) The Adventure of the Creeping Man
UK: The Strand Magazine (March 1923, HKE); USA: Hearst’s
International (March 1923, FDS)
The Case: A learned professor suddenly begins to behave
strangely… 
Date: 6 September 1903.
Characters: Professor Presbury,Trevor Bennett, Edith Presbury,
Macphail, Roy the wolf-hound, Professor Morphy, Alice Morphy,
Prague student, A Dorak, Mercer, H Lowenstein.
Locations: Watson’s practice; 221B Baker Street; ‘Chequers,’
Camford; Presbury’s house, Camford.
Recorded Case:The Copper Beeches.
Holmes: Observes people’s hands first, then their cuffs, the
knees of their trousers and finally their boots. Is considering
writing a monograph on the habits of domestic dogs.
Watson: Thinks of himself as one of Holmes’ many habits – a
sounding board for his theories and opinions. Has a busy prac-
tice.
S H E R L O C K H O L M E S
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Quotable Quotes: ‘The highest type of man may revert to the
animal if he leaves the straight road of destiny.’
(Telegram) ‘Come at once if convenient – if inconvenient come
all the same. – SH.’
Problem: Edith refers to Trevor Bennett as ‘Jack’ (cf. The Yellow
Face).
Observations: This is described as one of Holmes’ last cases
before retirement. A bizarre variant on Jekyll and Hyde, the
story was based on Serge Voronoff’s experiments in France
with glandular implants from animals to men. An alienist is an
archaic word for a psychiatrist. Holmes refers to himself and
Watson as ‘Busy Bee and Excelsior’ – ‘busy bee’ means they are
industrious, and ‘excelsior’ is  Latin  for ‘ever  higher’.
Verdict: More science fiction/horror than crime, and pretty
eccentric with it. Far-fetched solution notwithstanding, it
makes good reading even if Holmes’ part is a small one. Odd
to see him criticising someone for drug-taking, though, when
he himself was once a user. (Perhaps he has seen the error of
his ways?) 4/5
52) The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire
UK: The Strand Magazine (January 1924, HKE); USA: Hearst’s
International (January 1924,WTB)
The Case: A mother is seen apparently drinking the blood of her
baby…
Characters: Robert (‘Bob’) Ferguson, Dolores, Mrs Mason, Jack
Ferguson, Mrs Ferguson, baby, Carlo the spaniel, Morrison,
Morrison & Dodd, two servants, Michael.
Locations: 221B Baker Street; Cheeseman’s, Lamberley, Sussex;
‘Chequers’, Lamberley; 46 Old Jewry; Ferguson and Muirhead (tea
brokers), Mincing Lane.
T H E C A N O N
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Recorded Case:The ‘Gloria Scott.’
Unrecorded Cases: The ship Matilda Briggs and the giant rat of
Sumatra, Victor Lynch the forger, Vittoria the circus belle,
Vanderbilt and the Yeggman,Vigor the Hammersmith wonder.
Holmes: Although he is keen to receive information, he seldom
thanks people for giving it to him.
Watson: Played rugby for Blackheath.
Quotable Quote: ‘This Agency stands flat-footed on the ground,
and there it must remain. The world is big enough for us. No
ghosts need apply.’