The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Doyle)
Short Summary
London, late 19th century. Dr. Watson chronicled eleven cases investigated by his friend Sherlock Holmes, including the detective's apparent death at Reichenbach Falls.
The cases ranged from investigating a missing racehorse and a Greek interpreter's strange midnight adventure to uncovering naval treaty theft and solving mysterious deaths. Throughout these investigations, Holmes demonstrated his remarkable deductive abilities and unconventional methods. His greatest challenge emerged in his confrontation with Professor Moriarty, a criminal mastermind who orchestrated numerous crimes while maintaining a respectable facade.
He sits motionless, like a spider in the center of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them. He does little himself. He only plans.
Holmes discovered that Moriarty was behind a vast criminal network and gathered evidence to bring him to justice. However, Moriarty threatened Holmes, leading to a deadly chase across Europe. The pursuit culminated at Switzerland's Reichenbach Falls, where Holmes and Moriarty engaged in a final confrontation. Both men apparently plunged to their deaths in the waterfall, though only Moriarty's body was found. Watson, who had been called away by a false message just before the struggle, was left to piece together the events from Holmes's farewell note and evidence at the scene.
The collection also revealed aspects of Holmes's early life and career, including his first case involving the death of his college friend's father and his relationship with his more analytically gifted but physically inactive brother Mycroft. These memoirs provided insight into Holmes's development as a detective and his growing friendship with Watson, while showcasing his methods of deduction and his dedication to justice, even at the apparent cost of his own life.
Detailed Chapter-by-Chapter Summary
The Investigation of Silver Blaze
Holmes and Watson traveled to Dartmoor to investigate the disappearance of a famous racehorse, Silver Blaze, and the murder of its trainer, John Straker. The horse had vanished from its stable at King's Pyland, and Straker was found dead nearby with a head wound. Inspector Gregory had arrested a suspect, Fitzroy Simpson, who had been seen near the stables that night.
Through careful investigation, Holmes discovered that Straker had been leading a double life, maintaining a mistress under the name Derbyshire. He needed money to pay for her expensive tastes. On the night of his death, Straker had attempted to injure Silver Blaze with a surgical knife to fix upcoming races. The horse, startled by a sudden light, had kicked Straker, killing him. The horse then ran off and was taken in by a neighboring trainer, Silas Brown, who attempted to disguise it by painting over its distinctive white markings.
The Mystery of the Cardboard Box
Miss Susan Cushing received a package containing two severed human ears preserved in salt. Inspector Lestrade initially suspected medical students who had previously lodged with her, but Holmes deduced a more sinister explanation. The ears belonged to Miss Cushing's sister and her sister's lover, who had been murdered by the sister's jealous husband, James Browner, a ship's steward.
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?
The Mystery of the Yellow Face
Grant Munro consulted Holmes about his wife's strange behavior. She had been secretly visiting a cottage where he had seen a mysterious yellow face at the window. Holmes initially suspected blackmail but discovered the truth was more touching: Munro's wife had been previously married to a black man in America and had a daughter from that marriage. She had been afraid to tell her new husband about her child's existence. When the truth was revealed, Munro accepted both his wife's past and her daughter.
The Case of the Stockbroker's Clerk
Hall Pycroft sought Holmes's help regarding a suspicious job offer. He had been offered a position at a fake company, while criminals impersonated him at his real new job at Mawson & Williams. The scheme was orchestrated by criminals known as the Beddington brothers, who were attempting to rob the bank where Pycroft was supposed to work. Holmes prevented the crime and captured one of the brothers, though the other escaped.
The Adventure of the Gloria Scott
Holmes recounted to Watson his first case from his college days, involving his friend Victor Trevor's father. Trevor Senior had received a message that caused him to have a fatal stroke. Holmes discovered that Trevor had once been a convict named James Armitage who had been involved in a mutiny aboard a prison ship, the Gloria Scott. The message came from a fellow survivor who had been blackmailing him.
The Mystery of the Musgrave Ritual
Holmes shared another early case involving Reginald Musgrave and his family's ancient ritual, which turned out to be a set of instructions leading to hidden treasure. Musgrave's butler, Brunton, had deciphered the ritual's meaning but disappeared while searching for the treasure. Holmes solved the mystery, finding Brunton's body trapped in a cellar where he had discovered the lost crown of Charles I, hidden there by the Musgrave family after the English Civil War.
The Investigation of the Reigate Squires
While recovering from exhaustion at Colonel Hayter's estate, Holmes investigated a series of burglaries and a murder in the Reigate area. The crimes were committed by the Cunninghams, father and son, who killed their coachman when he discovered their involvement in the burglaries. Holmes exposed their guilt by noticing inconsistencies in their handwriting on a torn note and their suspicious behavior.
The Investigation of the Crooked Man
Holmes investigated the mysterious death of Colonel James Barclay, who was found dead in a locked room after an argument with his wife. The investigation revealed that Mrs. Barclay had encountered her former lover, Henry Wood, whom she believed dead. Wood had been betrayed by Barclay in India years before and left for dead. The colonel died from shock upon seeing Wood, falling and striking his head. The case demonstrated how past actions could have fatal consequences years later.
The Mystery of the Resident Patient
Dr. Percy Trevelyan consulted Holmes about his mysterious benefactor, Blessington, who had funded his medical practice but became paranoid and eventually committed suicide. Holmes discovered that Blessington was actually a bank robber named Sutton, and his recent fears were justified - his former criminal associates had found him and murdered him, staging it to look like suicide.
The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter
Holmes's brother Mycroft introduced him to Mr. Melas, a Greek interpreter who had been unwittingly involved in a kidnapping case. Melas had been forced to translate for a Greek man being held captive and tortured to sign away his sister's property. Holmes and Mycroft attempted to rescue the victims but arrived too late - the kidnappers had fled with their captives.
To the logician all things should be seen exactly as they are... When I say that Mycroft has better powers of observation than I, you may take it that I am speaking the exact and literal truth.
Percy Phelps, an old schoolmate of Watson's, sought Holmes's help in recovering a stolen naval treaty. The document had disappeared while Phelps was working late at the Foreign Office, and its loss could cause an international scandal. After a thorough investigation, Holmes revealed that Joseph Harrison, the brother of Phelps's fiancée, had stolen the treaty, hoping to sell it for a profit.
The Final Confrontation with Moriarty
In this dramatic conclusion, Holmes finally confronted his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty. Holmes had spent months gathering evidence against Moriarty's criminal empire and was on the verge of destroying it. Moriarty, determined to stop Holmes, pursued him across Europe.
If I could beat that man, if I could free society of him, I should feel that my own career had reached its summit... But I could not rest while such a man walked the streets of London unchallenged.
The chase led them to Switzerland, where Holmes and Moriarty met at the Reichenbach Falls. In a final confrontation, both men apparently fell to their deaths in the waterfall. Watson, who had been called away by a false message, returned to find only Holmes's farewell note explaining the situation. The great detective was presumed dead, and with him his greatest enemy.
The stage lost a fine actor when he became a specialist in crime... He loved to wind himself into a case as an artist loves to paint, or a violinist to play, as any true artist would.