Holiday read: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

There are not that many stories left in the collection before the Final Problem but these stories put down on paper by Watson recalling the genius of his friend who is able to observe and deduce almost anything are full of mystery and murder.

Highlights from The Crooked Man
Holmes is called into help with the case of a death of a corporal who was arguing with his wife in a room locked on the inside. The natural suspect is the wife but she loses it after the death and is incoherent. Holmes manages to use his roving eye to establish that someone else entered the room, along with some sort of animal. After questioning a friend of the wife Holmes discovers she met a haggard old crooked man before heading home. Holmes and Watson meet the man and discover that he was cheated out of the woman's hand by the corporal and that he ran to help when voices were raised and the corporal seeing his betrayed ex rival had a heart attack, hit his head and died.

Highlights from The Resident Patient
A doctor comes to visit Holmes asking for his help on behalf of his benefactor who is frightened about being robbed. Holmes hears that the doctor was set up by this patient who lives above the surgery and has made him a rich man with his successful practice but of late he has become obsessed with security. Keeping all of his money ion his bedroom he is convinced that someone is after it and seems vindicated when footprints are discovered on his carpet. The footprints belong to a mysterious Russian who comes to visit the doctor on a couple of occasions. Holmes is called and they discover the patient hanging in his room and his real identity as a bank robber who confessed to save himself is revealed with the other members of the gang imposing summary justice on him.

More tomorrow...