The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a short story collection by British author Arthur Conan Doyle, first published on October 14, 1892. It features the earliest short stories about the iconic consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, originally serialized in The Strand Magazine from July 1891 to June 1892. The stories are presented in the same order as their publication, though not in chronological order within the fictional timeline. The only recurring characters across all twelve stories are Holmes and Dr. Watson, with Watson serving as the first-person narrator.

The following stories are basically summarized in this edition:

I. A Scandal in Bohemia

II. The Red-Headed League

III. A Case of Identity

IV. The Boscombe Valley Mystery

V. The Five Orange Pips

VI. The Man with the Twisted Lip

VII. The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle

VIII. The Adventure of the Speckled Band

IX. The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb

X. The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor

XI. The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet

XII. The Adventure of the Copper Beeches

The Stories in Short

• I. A Scandal in Bohemia: The story opens with Dr. Watson describing Sherlock Holmes's unique view of a woman, Irene Adler, whom he considers "the woman" for her ability to outwit him. A disguised client, who is later revealed to be the King of Bohemia, seeks Holmes's help. The King is facing a scandal due to compromising photographs and letters he had with Adler, an American adventuress. These items are a threat to his upcoming marriage and could destabilize European politics. The King has tried multiple times to retrieve these items from Adler without success and is desperate for Holmes’s help. Holmes, known for his disguises and intellect, takes on the case, visiting Adler’s residence, Briony Lodge, multiple times in disguise to gather information. Holmes employs a ruse of a staged fire to try and determine where the photograph is kept, but Adler, who was able to see through his disguise, outmaneuvers him. Adler escapes with the photograph, leaving a letter for Holmes expressing her admiration for his skills. Holmes is left with a begrudging respect for her intellect and cunning, acknowledging her as the only person to have ever outwitted him. The case stands out because it is a rare instance where Holmes does not achieve his objective, and it highlights the intelligence and resourcefulness of Irene Adler. Holmes had indexed information on many people and things, but found Adler to be unique. The story underscores the significance of observation and disguise in Holmes’s work and also indicates his deep analytical abilities. The King was willing to pay any price to retrieve the photograph and gave Holmes 300 pounds in gold and 700 pounds in notes to fund the investigation.

• II. The Red-Headed League: Jabez Wilson, a pawnbroker, approaches Holmes with a bizarre story. He had responded to an advertisement from the Red-Headed League, a society that pays red-headed men for nominal work. He was hired to copy out the Encyclopædia Britannica at a handsome salary of 4 pounds a week. After several weeks of doing this, the league suddenly and inexplicably dissolves. Perplexed, Wilson asks for Holmes's help to understand the mystery. Holmes, quickly deduces that the League is a ruse, a carefully crafted plan to keep Wilson out of his shop for a few hours each day. He realizes the assistant, Vincent Spaulding, who was strangely interested in the job, and the seemingly mundane task were all connected to a bigger plan. Holmes, Watson, and the police, including Mr. Jones of Scotland Yard, lie in wait in the cellar of the City and Suburban Bank next door. The criminals, led by John Clay, were tunneling from Wilson's shop to rob the bank. They are caught in the act. The case highlights Holmes's ability to discern a complex criminal plan from unusual circumstances and details. Holmes observes that the details in police reports are not as important as they seem, and that there is nothing so unnatural as the commonplace. Holmes was able to tell that Wilson had done manual labor by the look of his watch chain.

• III. A Case of Identity: Miss Mary Sutherland seeks Holmes's help after her fiancé, Hosmer Angel, disappears on their wedding day. She describes how she received typewritten letters from him but never actually met him. Holmes notes that the letters, all typewritten, are a crucial detail in the case. He examines them closely, paying special attention to the peculiarities of the typeface. Holmes discovers that certain letters, particularly the ‘e’ and ‘r,’ are consistently flawed. By comparing the letters with other typewritten documents, Holmes exposes the deception and deduces that Hosmer Angel was in reality, Mary's stepfather, James Windibank, in disguise. Windibank created the persona of Angel to control Mary’s finances and her life, as her income would go to him. Windibank is exposed when Holmes makes it clear that he knows of his deception. The case emphasizes Holmes's keen observation skills and his ability to see significance in the smallest of details. He understands that typewriters, like handwriting, have unique characteristics that can be used to identify their users. This case also underscores the complexities of human relationships and the lengths to which some individuals will go to achieve their goals. Holmes states that the little things are infinitely the most important.

• IV. The Boscombe Valley Mystery: Holmes and Watson travel to Herefordshire to investigate the death of Charles McCarthy. McCarthy was found dead near Boscombe Pool. Suspicion immediately falls upon his son, James, who was seen arguing with his father shortly before his death. The son, who was the only witness, does not provide much useful information. Holmes, however, is not convinced of the son’s guilt, and his meticulous analysis of the scene leads him to consider the possibility of a hidden motive. Through his investigation, Holmes uncovers a complex history involving the wealthy landowner, John Turner. It is revealed that Turner had been blackmailed by McCarthy because of a past crime that they had committed together in Australia. Confronted with this evidence, the elderly Turner confesses to the murder of McCarthy. The case highlights Holmes's capacity to look beyond the obvious and uncover the true narrative. He does not rely on the obvious suspect and looks for underlying motives and concealed histories. The evidence that leads to the identification of Turner includes a stone with grass growing under it. This points to the fact that the stone had not been there long and was, in fact, the murder weapon. Holmes believes that it is important to approach cases from a point of truth.

• V. The Five Orange Pips: John Openshaw seeks Holmes's help after receiving a letter containing five orange pips, similar to the letters his uncle and father had received before their deaths. Holmes recognizes the letters as a warning from the Ku Klux Klan, a violent secret society from America. The pips symbolize a deadly warning, indicating an impending attack. Holmes notes that the uncle had also received a letter with K.K.K. on it. Holmes, using his extensive knowledge of history and ship registries, discovers that the culprits are likely on a ship called the Lone Star sailing from Savannah. He sends a letter with five orange pips to the captain of the ship, and alerts the authorities in Savannah. Despite Holmes's efforts to alert the authorities, the Lone Star is lost at sea, and the murderers are never brought to justice. This case reveals the limits of Holmes’s abilities when confronting forces that he cannot control. The case also underscores the brutality and far-reaching influence of secret societies like the Ku Klux Klan. The case also demonstrates the importance of having a well-stocked mind, as Holmes had researched the Ku Klux Klan in the past and he uses that knowledge to solve the crime. Holmes notes that the ideal reasoner would be able to deduce an entire chain of events from a single fact.

• VI. The Man with the Twisted Lip: Mrs. St. Clair consults Holmes about her husband, Neville St. Clair, who has seemingly vanished into an opium den in London. She had seen him at the window of the den and then he disappeared. A beggar named Hugh Boone is apprehended inside the den, and the case appears to be straightforward. However, Holmes’s keen observation and deduction skills lead him to uncover that Neville St. Clair and Hugh Boone are the same person. St. Clair had been disguising himself as a beggar to earn money for his family secretly, without his family's knowledge. Holmes sees significance in St. Clair’s handwriting, and also notes the presence of a signet ring in the room. This case highlights Holmes's ability to uncover the hidden and unexpected aspects of human nature, and that there are often secret lives being lived around us. Holmes shows his capacity to reveal the reasons behind people's actions and the fact that there is often more than meets the eye. The case also touches on the social issues of poverty and the desperation that some people experience. The case showcases how Holmes uses not just observation, but also an understanding of human motivation in solving mysteries.

• VII. The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle: A commissionaire named Peterson brings Holmes a goose that has a large, radiant blue gem inside. Holmes identifies the gem as the Countess of Morcar's stolen blue carbuncle. The investigation leads Holmes to a poultry supplier and then to a hotel attendant named James Ryder. Ryder had stolen the carbuncle from the Countess's room, and hid it in a goose to retrieve it later. Holmes is able to track down the source of the goose using the name in the tag of the bird. Holmes confronts Ryder with the evidence of his theft and despite discovering Ryder's guilt, Holmes decides to let him go. Holmes’s decision is based on his understanding that the law doesn't always serve justice, and that Ryder's shame will serve as a sufficient punishment. This case reveals Holmes's capacity for compassion and understanding of human fallibility. It underscores Holmes's capacity to apply his logic and reasoning to solve seemingly impossible situations, and that he is always looking for the truth. The case also showcases Holmes's ability to find significance in seemingly mundane items, such as the goose and its tag.

• VIII. The Adventure of the Speckled Band: Helen Stoner seeks Holmes’s assistance after the mysterious death of her sister and her growing fear of her stepfather, Dr. Grimesby Roylott. She believes that he is responsible for her sister’s death, and that she is next. Holmes, through observation of the circumstances and odd features of the house, quickly realizes that Roylott had trained a venomous snake to murder his stepdaughters to control their inheritance. Holmes's investigation of the house and his meticulous attention to detail allow him to determine the source of the noises in the night, and the nature of the weapon. Holmes sets a trap for the snake and ultimately it kills Roylott instead. This case emphasizes Holmes's ability to deduce the truth by closely observing physical details and by connecting apparently random details. The case also highlights Holmes's understanding of the nature of evil and his commitment to protecting the innocent from harm. Holmes is able to find the motive behind the crime by visiting Doctors' Commons to view the will. This is a very dramatic case that underscores the complex and dangerous situations that Holmes often handles.

• IX. The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb: An engineer named Victor Hatherley visits Holmes after losing his thumb in a bizarre encounter. Hatherley had been called to fix a hydraulic press at a secluded house, and was then attacked. Through Holmes’s analysis, he concludes that the engineer had been tricked by a group of German counterfeiters who were using him to fix their machine. Holmes identifies the perpetrators as coiners and believes that the hydraulic press was used to press the metal used to make the coins. Hatherley provided details about his experience and Holmes was able to piece together what had happened to him. The engineer had noticed the silence in the house, and was suspicious. Although Holmes and the police reach the scene of the crime, the criminals escape, due to the fire that was set by the perpetrators. The story showcases Holmes’s ability to make logical inferences based on limited information, and also highlights his dedication to the pursuit of justice. The story emphasizes how the smallest details, such as the lack of a carriage drive, can reveal significant truths about a crime. Holmes was able to deduce that the criminals had driven a carriage six miles in one direction and then turned around and returned on the same route.

• X. The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor: Lord St. Simon consults Holmes after his new bride disappears shortly after their wedding. Holmes finds the disappearance to be quite odd. Through interviews and his analysis, Holmes uncovers the fact that the bride was actually an American woman who was already married to another man. The woman, Hatty Doran, had come to England to secure a title and improve her social standing. Holmes is able to solve the case by finding a message written by the bride to her first husband. Holmes also uncovers the fact that her first husband had arrived in London. This case demonstrates Holmes’s ability to understand human motivation and the complexities of social relationships. Holmes is able to connect what he knows about American heiresses to the facts of this specific case. He is able to discern the truth from seemingly impossible circumstances, and also highlights the deceptive nature of social climbing. Holmes stated that his whole examination of the case served to turn his conjecture into a certainty.

• XI. The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet: A banker named Mr. Holder seeks Holmes’s help after a valuable coronet with beryls is stolen from his home. Suspicion is quickly cast upon his son, Arthur. Holmes carefully examines the scene and the details, and deduces the sequence of events, revealing that the crime was actually committed by the banker’s cousin, Sir George Burnwell, and the banker’s niece, Mary Holder. Burnwell and the niece had stolen the beryls to pay off their gambling debts. Holmes is able to figure out the whole crime by finding that one of the beryls was missing. This case showcases Holmes's skill in piecing together clues and exposing the truth by looking closely at the physical evidence. It also reveals the complexities of family relationships and the destructive power of greed and desperation. Holmes notes that it is his task to find out the motives behind the crimes. Holmes emphasizes that the truth can be found even in seemingly impossible situations. He also notes that an apology is due to the banker's son because of the unjust accusations that were made against him.

• XII. The Adventure of the Copper Beeches: Violet Hunter seeks Holmes’s advice regarding a strange job she had taken as a governess at Copper Beeches. Her employer, Mr. Rucastle, had required her to cut her hair and wear a specific blue dress. Through Miss Hunter’s account of odd happenings at the mansion, Holmes determines that the Rucastles were keeping their daughter captive to prevent her from marrying the man she loved. Holmes and Watson manage to rescue the young woman, and also catch Mr. Rucastle and his wife in their crime. Rucastle’s methods of control were elaborate and manipulative. This case underscores Holmes's ability to see the unusual, and to interpret seemingly random facts to reveal the truth. The case also highlights his willingness to protect the vulnerable from harm, even when the situation is complex and dangerous. This case also emphasizes the importance of Holmes’s quick actions, and the fact that he is always ready to respond to the needs of his clients. Holmes’s abilities allow him to uncover and address the injustice done to Miss Rucastle.