The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes #4)

Silver Blaze: Chapter 3

4⭐

Very strong start to this collection and another out of town jaunt for Holmes and Watson. And most important of all? We meet a member of the police force who Holmes does not find incompetent. Lacks imagination but not incompetent. Inspector Gregory even got a “My dear Inspector, you surpass yourself!” which I would guess is the highest praise I’ve ever heard him give anyone. Even Watson doesn’t get this kind of praise.

“Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?’

‘To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.’

‘The dog did nothing in the night-time.’

‘That was the curious incident,’ remarked Sherlock Holmes.”

The Adventure of the Cardboard Box: Chapter 4

4⭐

“What is the meaning of it, Watson?” said Holmes solemnly as he laid down the paper. “What object is served by this circle of misery and violence and fear? It must tend to some end, or else our universe is ruled by chance, which is unthinkable. But what end? There is the great standing perennial problem to which human reason is as far from an answer as ever.”

This was just so very sad and tragic.

The Yellow Face: Chapter 5

5⭐

I’m not crying, you’re crying!!!

This is definitely one of my favourites.

“Watson,” […] “if it should ever strike you that I am getting a little over-confident in my powers, or giving less pains to a case than it deserves, kindly whisper ‘Norbury’ in my ear, and I shall be infinitely obliged to you.”

The Stock-Broker’s Clerk: Chapter 6

3⭐

I would have liked this to be a bit longer. I’m a bit concerned about what happened to poor Hall Pycroft and his state of employment.

The “Gloria Scott”: Chapter 7

3⭐

Not so much a case but in this Holmes recounts to Watson the spark that would light the flame.

The cynic in me would say that the lesson here is never look back.

The Musgrave Ritual: Chapter 8

3⭐

I kind of wanted the butler to get away with it.

The Reigate Squire: Chapter 9

5⭐

One of my favourites I think. I liked that Watson was taking care of Holmes and was actually a bit of a mother hen and I liked that because Holmes had been unwell people were discounting his abilities. They never learn! 😀

The Crooked Man: Chapter 10

5⭐

This was another rather sad and kind of depressing case but I did enjoy it very much. I’d have liked a little conclusion where Mrs. Barclay and Henry were reunited though.

The Resident Patient: Chapter 11

3.5⭐

I liked this one mostly because there was a Mr Blessington in it and I have family who are Blessingtons and you don’t often hear the name so I was most excited about it.

I felt the conclusion was very weak though.

The Greek Interpreter: Chapter 12

5⭐

Mycroft makes his first appearance and I loved him.

The Naval Treaty: Chapter 13

4⭐

“What a lovely thing a rose is!”

[…]

“There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as religion,” said he, leaning with his back against the shutters. “It can be built up as an exact science by the reasoner. Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its color are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.”

The brain fever strikes again.

This one was clever and I really enjoyed it. I found Percy Phelps to be a bit of a drip though.

The Final Problem: Chapter 14

5⭐

“It’s stupidity rather than courage to refuse to recognize danger when it is close upon you.”

So exciting and poor Watson!! 😦