The Return Of Sherlock Holmes (1993) - Plot & Excerpts
I know now why this collection of 13 short stories is called “The Return..” In the last story of “Memoirs” entitled The Final Problem, Watson says that Holmes has retired and will no longer publish new stories. Now in real life, between that story which was published in 1893 and 1903, the period called by Sherlock fans as “The Great Hiatus,” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle only wrote his third novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles (said to be his greatest novel). So, while writing the first story of the collection, Doyle was in full hope that the interest in his characters, Holmes and Watson, would be revived. I actually rested for few days in between reading the two collections and I would say that on the 6th day, I felt that I was missing Sherlock Holmes so I returned to my daily reading and finished this book in 4 days including two heavy weekend reading days: The Adventure of the Empty House tells that Holmes has survived the fall from the Reinchenbach Falls with his archenemy Professor Mortiary. However, one of Mortiary’s confederates, Moran, knows about this so Holmes hides for three years and comes back in disguise. Watson, now a widower, recognizes him and so they are both back to resolving crimes in London. Their first assignment is the murder of Ronald Adair in Park Lane and the culprit is no other than his card playmate, who is but Moran. Very enjoyable after almost a week of not reading Sherlock Holmes. My friend is correct in advising me of not reading this canon without letup. Holmes almost convinced me went abroad to see the Dalai Lama! – 4 STARSThe Adventure of the Norwood Builder is about Oldacre who wants to start a new life so he fakes his murder and sets up the son of the woman who has ditched him. Holmes does the unorthodox solution: fakes a fire and let the 3 cohorts to shout “Fire!” Oldacre comes out from the hiding. Also enjoyable but I could not believe that Oldacre did not know that the fire was staged. - 3 STARSThe Adventure of the Dancing Men is about the death of a couple, American lady called Elsie and the British guy called Cubitt. Prior to their deaths, the images of the 15 Dancing Men mysteriously appear in their house. Although I loved the idea, I just can’t imagine how the ditched American lover was able to draw them on the wall without being caught. Oh, also what happened to the fingerprints on the guns used? - 2 STARSThe Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist Violet is seeing a man on a bicycle following her. It seems to have something to do with the uncle who contacts Carruthers and Woodley to ensure the well-being of Violet and her mother. Quite ordinary. I thought it would have been more interesting if the love story is highlighted more. But then this is Sherlock Holmes and not Nicholas Sparks. - 2 STARSThe Adventure of the Priory School Lord Saltire is missing from Priory School. Apparently, he leaves the school and is chased by Heidegger, the school’s master. The boy is reported to be unhappy at home and it is assumed to be the reason. Holmes and Watson deduced by first looking at the cow’s tracks and noticing that one of the bicycles has a patch. I liked this one because it has a second set of characters that come out during the deduction part that I did not expect coming. - 3 STARSThe Adventure of Black Peter A whaler father is found dead, murdered in his store. His family is happy because he, abusive to them, is finally out of their lives. Investigator Hopkins asks for help from Holmes and Watson. Holmes sees the initial on the cover of the diary in the crime scene and it leads him to the culprit. Seems ordinary to me. - 2 STARSThe Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton The character of Charles Augustus Milverton is based on the life of Charles Augustus Howell (1840-1890) who persuaded the poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti to dig the up the poems he buried with his wife Elizabeth Siddal. He was said to have used those letters to bribe well-known personalities. Sir Conan Doyle used this true-to-life situation as a backdrop of this story. Here, Holmes is hired by a debutante Lady Eva Blackwell to retrieve compromising letters from a blackmailer, Milverton. Holmes disguises as a plumber, applies in the Blackwell mansion and get engaged with one of the maids. Conan Doyle has limitless imagination and can make Holmes do everything especially all these almost unbelievable disguises. - 4 STARSThe Adventure of the Six Napoleons The busts of Napoleon are being shattered night after night by an unknown person. Through the power of Holmes’ deduction he found out why. Direct storytelling. I thought it had something to do with British hating Napoleon, a French military commander and conquerer. Until the revelation. - 3 STARSThe Adventure of the Three Students Three students are suspected to have “prototype” of the exams that would qualify them for a big scholarship. The incident happens when the professor is out from his office. Holmes is consulted to do a mini-mini-minimo. I liked this because it is simple and brought back memories of classmates who were caught cheating during exams in school. Not that I did not think of committing similar acts! - 4 STARSThe Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez The Golden Pince-Nez is a pair of eyeglasses that gets lost during an accident killing of Willoughby Smith, secretary to Professor Coram. Check the back of the bookcase. This story is short and quite uncomplicated compared to the other stories but I enjoyed it! - 3 STARSThe Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter Very sad discovery where Staunton is. I thought that this story is sport-related until the ending. Quite surprisingly, I am liking the Holmes stories with light straightforward resolutions. - 3 STARSThe Adventure of the Abbey Grange An abusive husband, Sir Eustace Brackenstall is murdered while his wife for 18 months, Lady Brackenstall is tied on a post. The lady and her maid say that the culprit is a group of 3 burglars. The answer is obvious. I knew it! I was able to predict this one! - 2 STARSThe Adventure of the Second Stain A missing document from the dispatch box of the Secretary of State, Lord Bellinger. He believes that no one knows the importance of that document even his wife, Lady Bellinger. Then one of the spies hired by Holmes is killed. Tight plot. I did not see the ending coming but I again anticipated the marital problem. - 3 STARSNow my reading of the short stories about Sherlock Holmes is becoming interesting. There is a formula: crime initial investigation seems lame/untrue investigate first clues deduction new characters/setting/real events conclusion. So, while reading, I can tell where I am. Then if I can predict what happens in the last two stages, it makes me happy. The only thing that I should improve on is how to do deductions! I have not been able to think the way Holmes does! He is just too smart!
This year I read a lot of Sherlock Holmes "inspired" work, spin-offs, pastiche's, etc. I figured it was high time to return to the source and man, was it totally worth it.I just love the language of these stories. It is quite literally music to my ears.This collection is 13 short Sherlock stories."The Adventure of the Empty House" - Sherlock Holmes' glorious return! Doyle tried to kill Holmes off, the public freaked out, so this was basically a re-con explaining how he wasn't REALLY dead. I like how Holmes tells Watson went all "Deathwish" on all the assassins Moriarty sent after him."The Adventure of the Norwood Builder" - An old miser is killed. A young man stands accused. Secret passageways, burnt animal carcasses and brilliant deductions await."The Adventure of the Dancing Men" - One of my favorite Holmes stories. Mysterious pictures of stick figure dancing men begin to appear on someone's property. Their wife has a mysterious past? Is it connected? What to the figures mean? As a child, this story was my first exposure to code breaking that still holds up."The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist" - A young music teacher is constantly shadowed by a bicyclist. An odd adventure that begins innocently and ends quite serious."The Adventure of the Priory School" - A Duke's son is kidnapped. Who done it? This story involved a lot of tracks and tracking."The Adventure of Black Peter" - A salty old sea captain is murdered by being harpooned! This is officially the best murder I've ever read about! Holmes deduces who the murderer is and catches him by basically using old timey Craigslist."The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" - An awesome Holmes story! Holmes tries to get a blackmailer to listen to reason to no avail. What follows is like no other Holmes story I've ever read. There's a little faux-romance, a little breaking and entering, and, of course, a little murder."The Adventure of the Six Napoleons" - Someone is going around London smashing busts of Napoleon! Is this the work of a Francophobe Fanatic? A pretty obvious mystery that is still quite entertaining."The Adventure of the Three Students" - Three students. One Test. Somebody cheated. Holmes, go get'em!"The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez" - A case of vision impaired murder. The who of the who done it doesn't know who they did. Does that make any sense?"The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter" - What begins as the light story of a missing footballer gets very heavy and dark in the end. I really like how Holmes tracks the bad guy here."The Adventure of the Abbey Grange" - Untrustworthy heiress', true love, and spousal abuse abound in this delightful mystery."The Adventure of the Second Stain" - If a missing letter falls into the wrong hands it will mean certain war! A nation's security and a ladies honor hangs in the balance. Is Holmes up to the task? (Spoiler alert: Of course he is.)Great book and free (thanks copyright law!) to boot. If you haven't read Holmes in a while, definitely worth checking out.
What do You think about The Return Of Sherlock Holmes (1993)?
1. "The Adventure Of the Empty House." In which Sherlock Holmes, supposedly having gone over Reichenbach Falls, reveals in melodramatic fashion that he is alive and sets a trap that catches one of Moriarty’s most ruthless henchmen, solving a puzzling recent murder at the same time. A ripping yarn, though the conceit of the noiseless air gun is really a deus ex machina.2. "The Adventure Of the Norwood Builder." In which Holmes solves an apparent murder, saving an innocent man, who stood to inheri
—Ensiform
This is the third collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories, consisting of a baker's dozen of puzzle pieces with the Great Detective. I wouldn't recommend them as an introduction to Holmes. In the last story of the second collection, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, "The Final Problem," Doyle famously sent Holmes over Reichenbach Falls. The introduction in the edition I read relates how a boatman told Doyle that even if Holmes survived the fall over the cliff, "he was never quite the same man afterwards." I don't know if I'd go that far, but it's true that if I had to list my favorite Holmes stories ("A Scandal in Bohemia," "The Speckled Band," "The Red-Headed League", "The Blue Carbuncle," "Silver Blaze," "The Musgrave Ritual") they all come from the first two collections. The introduction also points out that many of the stories in this collection have elements recycled from earlier stories: "The Six Napoleans" recapping aspects of "The Blue Carbuncle," "The Norwood Builder" using a trick from "A Scandal in Bohemia," "The Second Stain" is reminiscent of "The Naval Treaty" and "The Solitary Cyclist" of "The Greek Interpreter."Still, reading this was a pleasure--if not so much as brilliant puzzle pieces, than just for the company of the wry Holmes and how he plays off Watson. I had to grin when Holmes whips off his disguise in "The Empty House" and Watson faints--and then at Holmes' account at how he faked his own death--observing how all of them who came with Watson came to "totally erroneous conclusions." I was intrigued by the puzzle of the stick-figure cipher in "The Dancing Men." I'm not about to forget the death by harpoon in "The Black Peter." I had to smile at Holmes ironic humor in his comments to Inspector Lestrade at the end of "Charles Augustus Milverton." And it's a great moment in "The Six Napoleons" when Lestrade says Scotland Yard is proud of Holmes. And it was touching to see the concern of the seemingly cold, logical Holmes for Watson in "The Abbey Grange." So yes, even though I'd recommend the earlier short story collections or the first three novels (especially The Hound of the Baskervilles) over The Return of Sherlock Holmes, that's not to say there isn't still a lot to enjoy here.
—Lisa (Harmonybites)
"We had been out for one of our evening rambles, Holmes and I, and had returned about six o'clock on a cold, frosty winter's evening. As Holmes turned up the lamp the light fell upon a card on the table. He glanced at it, and then, with an ejaculation of disgust, threw it on the floor. I picked it up and read:Charles Augustus MilvertonAppledore TowersHampsteadAgent'Who is he?' I asked.'The worst man in London,' Holmes answered, as he sat down and stretched his legs before the fire. 'Is anything on the back of the card?'I turned it over.'Will call at 6.30. - C. A. M.', I read.'Hum! He's about due. Do you feel a creeping, shrinking sensation, Watson, when you stand before the serpents in the Zoo and see the slithery, gliding, venomous creatures, with their deadly eyes and wicked, flattened faces? Well, that's how Milverton impresses me. I've had to do with fifty murderers in my career, but the worst of them never gave me the repulsion which I have for this fellow. And yet I can't get out of doing business with him - indeed, he is here at my invitation.''But who is he?''I'll tell you, Watson. He is the king of all the blackmailers. Heaven help the man, and still more the woman, whose secret and reputation come into the power of Milverton. With a smiling face and a heart of marble he will squeeze and squeeze until he has drained them dry. The fellow is a genius in his way, and would have made his mark in some more savoury trade. His method is as follows: he allows it to be known that he is prepared to pay very high sums for letters which compromise people of wealth or position. He receives these wares not only from treacherous valets or maids, but frequently from genteel ruffians who have gained the confidence and affection of trusting women. He deals with no niggard hand. I happen to know that he paid seven hundred pounds to a footman for a note two lines in length, and that the ruin of a noble family was the result. Everything which is in the market goes to Milverton, and there are hundreds in this great city who turn white at his name. No one knows where his grip may fall, for he is far too rich and far too cunning to work from hand to mouth. He will hold a card back for years in order to play it at the moment when the stake is best worth winning. I have said that he is the worst man in London, and I would ask you how could one compare the ruffian who in hot blood bludgeons his mate with this man, who methodically and at his leisure tortures the soul and wrings the nerves in order to add to his already swollen money-bags?'I had seldom heard my friend speak with such intensity of feeling."
—Edward
