His Last Bow (Doyle)
Short summary
England, late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sherlock Holmes, a brilliant consulting detective known for his extraordinary observational and deductive skills, solved a series of intricate cases.
Accompanied by his loyal friend and assistant Dr. John Watson, a practical and reliable former army surgeon, Holmes navigated mysterious circumstances, including a grotesque murder connected to the vanished dictator from San Pedro, enigmatic lodgers communicating in codes, and the theft of critical naval plans.
Holmes faced unusual situations, from the mysterious disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax to the horrifying effect of poisoned fumes which drove victims to madness or death. He uncovered deceptive schemes through observation, disguise, and careful deduction, often risking his own life. In one case, Holmes feigned severe illness to expose a deadly trap set by a cunning criminal. In another, he unraveled a sinister plot involving devil’s-foot root poisoning that terrified a Cornish family.
There's an east wind coming, Watson... such a wind as never blew on England yet. It will be cold and bitter, Watson, and a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it's God's own wind none the less...
Holmes's final significant mission involved infiltrating German espionage shortly before World War I, outsmarting the mastermind agent Von Bork. After securing vital documents, Holmes predicted the onset of global conflict, reflecting ominously on the impending war's impact.
Detailed summary by stories
Descriptive subtitles have been added to the parts of 'The Adventure of the Red Circle'
The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge
The Singular Experience of Mr. John Scott Eccles
Holmes and Watson were discussing the definition of the word 'grotesque' when they received a telegram from a man named Scott Eccles describing an 'incredible and grotesque experience.' Shortly after, Eccles himself arrived at Baker Street in an agitated state. He was followed by Inspector Gregson of Scotland Yard and Inspector Baynes of the Surrey Constabulary, who were investigating the murder of Aloysius Garcia at Wisteria Lodge near Esher.
Eccles explained that he had recently befriended Garcia, who had invited him to stay at Wisteria Lodge. During his visit, Eccles found Garcia and his servants behaving strangely. After dinner, Garcia received a note that seemed to disturb him. The next morning, Eccles awoke to find the house deserted. Garcia's body was later discovered on Oxshott Common with his head crushed. The police suspected Eccles because a letter from him was found in Garcia's pocket.
The Tiger of San Pedro
Holmes and Watson accompanied Inspector Baynes to Wisteria Lodge. The house was being guarded by a frightened constable who claimed to have seen a ghostly face at the window. Inside, they discovered strange items: a mummified baby or monkey, a slaughtered white cock, and a pail of blood. Holmes praised Baynes's thoroughness but decided to pursue his own line of inquiry.
Several days later, Baynes announced he had arrested a suspect—Garcia's cook, a huge mulatto with negroid features. Holmes, however, believed Baynes was on the wrong track. He revealed to Watson that the real culprit was Don Murillo, known as the Tiger of San Pedro, a former Central American dictator notorious for his cruelty. Murillo had fled to England after being overthrown and was living under the name Henderson at High Gable, not far from Wisteria Lodge.
Education, Gregson, education. Still seeking knowledge at the old university. Well, Watson, you have one more specimen of the tragic and grotesque to add to your collection.
Holmes's theory proved correct when they rescued Miss Burnet, Henderson's governess, as she was being forcibly removed from High Gable. She revealed herself to be the widow of a San Pedro official murdered by Murillo. She had infiltrated Murillo's household seeking revenge and had been corresponding with Garcia, who was the son of another of Murillo's victims. Their assassination attempt failed when Murillo and his secretary Lopez intercepted her message to Garcia, leading to Garcia's murder. Murillo and his secretary fled England before they could be apprehended, but were later murdered in Madrid, presumably by other vengeful parties.
The Adventure of the Red Circle
Part 1. Holmes and Watson Investigate a Mysterious Lodger
Mrs. Warren, a landlady, consulted Holmes about a strange lodger who had taken rooms in her house. The lodger had paid a month's rent in advance but insisted on complete privacy. He never left his room, communicated only through written notes, and had his meals left outside his door. Mrs. Warren became concerned when her husband was mysteriously abducted one morning, driven around in a cab for an hour, and then released unharmed.
Holmes deduced that the lodger was not the person who had originally rented the room and was using the agony column of the Daily Telegraph to communicate with someone. Holmes and Watson visited Mrs. Warren's house and managed to glimpse the lodger, discovering it was actually a young woman. They also observed her signaling with a light to someone in a building across the street.
Part 2. The Mystery of the Italian Couple Revealed
Holmes decoded the light signals as warnings in Italian: "Beware! Beware! Beware!" and "Danger! Danger!" The signals were suddenly interrupted, prompting Holmes and Watson to investigate the building across the street. There they met Inspector Gregson and Mr. Leverton of Pinkerton's American Agency, who were tracking a dangerous criminal named Gorgiano of the Red Circle.
Inside the building, they discovered Gorgiano's body with a knife in his throat. The mysterious lodger, Emilia Lucca, arrived shortly after, having been summoned by Holmes. She explained that she and her husband Gennaro were Italian-Americans who had fled to England to escape the Black Hand society, of which Gorgiano was a member. Gennaro had killed Gorgiano in self-defense when the criminal tracked them down. The case was resolved with no charges filed against Gennaro.
The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans
During a foggy November in London, Holmes was bored until he received a telegram from his brother Mycroft, a high-ranking government official, regarding the death of Arthur Cadogan West. West's body had been found near Aldgate Station with head injuries consistent with falling from a train. In his pocket were secret plans for the Bruce-Partington submarine, a highly classified naval project.
The London criminal is certainly a dull fellow. Look out this window, Watson. See how the figures loom up, are dimly seen, and then blend once more into the cloud-bank. The thief or the murderer could roam London on such a day...
Mycroft explained that ten pages of the plans had been stolen from the Woolwich Arsenal, where West worked as a clerk. Seven pages were found on West's body, but the three most crucial pages were missing. The government feared the plans would be sold to foreign powers. The initial theory was that West had stolen the plans and was killed while attempting to sell them.
Holmes investigated the scene where West's body was found and noted that there was no blood on the tracks, suggesting the body was placed there after death. He also learned that West had left his fiancée abruptly the night of his death and had purchased a theater ticket he never used. Holmes deduced that West had seen someone with the plans and followed them.
Through Mycroft, Holmes obtained a list of possible foreign agents. He focused on Hugo Oberstein, whose house backed onto the Underground railway where trains sometimes stopped at a signal. Holmes determined that West had been killed at Oberstein's house and his body placed on top of a train when it stopped at the signal. Breaking into Oberstein's abandoned house, Holmes found bloodstains on the windowsill and advertisements from the Daily Telegraph arranging the sale of the plans.
I play the game for the game's own sake. But the problem certainly presents some points of interest, and I shall be very pleased to look into it. Some more facts, please.
Holmes placed his own advertisement to lure the seller, and to everyone's surprise, the culprit was Colonel Valentine Walter, brother of the official in charge of the submarine plans. Walter confessed that he had made impressions of his brother's keys and stolen the plans due to financial difficulties. He had arranged to sell them to Oberstein, but West had seen him with the plans and followed him to Oberstein's house, where Oberstein killed West. Walter helped recover the missing plans, and Oberstein was later captured and imprisoned.
The Adventure of the Dying Detective
Mrs. Hudson, Holmes's landlady, summoned Watson with alarming news that Holmes was dying from a rare tropical disease. Watson found Holmes in a pitiful state—gaunt, feverish, and refusing medical help. Holmes insisted that Watson not come near him as the disease was highly contagious. He would only allow a specialist named Culverton Smith to treat him.
Holmes sent Watson to fetch Smith, a plantation owner who had studied tropical diseases after an outbreak on his estate. Holmes instructed Watson to return before Smith but not to enter the room. When Smith arrived, he gloated over Holmes's condition, revealing that he had sent Holmes an ivory box with a spring-loaded poisoned spike as revenge for Holmes's investigation into the death of Smith's nephew Victor.
Suddenly, Holmes sat up, perfectly healthy, and called for Inspector Morton who was waiting outside. Holmes had been feigning illness to extract a confession from Smith. Watson had been hidden in the room as a witness. Holmes explained that he had suspected Smith of murdering his nephew for inheritance and had pretended to be dying from the same disease to trick Smith into confessing. Smith was arrested for the attempted murder of Holmes and the murder of his nephew.
I owe you both my thanks and an apology. It was an unjustifiable experiment even for one's self, and doubly so for a friend. I am really very sorry... You know that it is my greatest joy and privilege to help you.
The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax
Holmes sent Watson to Lausanne, Switzerland, to investigate the disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax, a wealthy spinster who traveled frequently and carried valuable jewelry with her. Watson learned that Lady Frances had abruptly left her hotel after being visited by a bearded Englishman. She had traveled to Baden with a missionary couple named Dr. Shlessinger and his wife, then disappeared.
Watson tracked Lady Frances's former maid to Montpellier, where he was confronted by the bearded Englishman who had been following Lady Frances. Holmes, who had secretly followed Watson to the continent, revealed himself and identified the bearded man as the Honorable Philip Green, who had loved Lady Frances years ago. Green explained that he had made his fortune in South Africa and returned to court Lady Frances, but she had fled from him, thinking he was pursuing her with ill intent.
Holmes deduced that Dr. Shlessinger was actually Holy Peters, a notorious swindler who preyed on wealthy women. Holmes and Watson returned to London and discovered that Peters had pawned some of Lady Frances's jewelry. Through Green, they tracked Peters and his wife to a house in Brixton, where they found a coffin about to be buried. Holmes suspected Lady Frances was being buried alive and demanded the coffin be opened, but it contained the body of an elderly woman.
When you follow two separate chains of thought, Watson, you will find some point of intersection which should approximate to the truth. We will start now, not from the lady but from the coffin and argue backward.
Realizing his mistake, Holmes rushed back to the house early the next morning and forced open the coffin just before it was taken for burial. Inside, they found Lady Frances, drugged with chloroform but still alive. Holmes explained that Peters and his wife had planned to bury Lady Frances alive in the coffin of an old woman who had died naturally, thus eliminating any suspicion of murder while gaining possession of her jewelry. Peters and his wife were arrested, and Lady Frances was rescued just in time.
The Adventure of the Devil's Foot
In the spring of 1897, Holmes was recovering from a nervous breakdown at a small cottage in Cornwall. Their peaceful retreat was interrupted when the local vicar, Mr. Roundhay, and his lodger, Mortimer Tregennis, sought Holmes's help regarding a bizarre tragedy. Tregennis's two brothers had gone insane and his sister had died of fright overnight while sitting together in their locked house.
Holmes and Watson visited the scene and found the victims still sitting around the card table, the brothers laughing and singing madly while their sister sat dead with an expression of horror frozen on her face. Tregennis, who had visited them the previous evening, mentioned seeing something moving outside the window before he left. Holmes found no evidence of an intruder but was intrigued by the case.
The next day, they learned that Mortimer Tregennis had died in the same manner as his sister. At the scene, Holmes noticed the lamp still burning and collected some ash from its surface. They were visited by Dr. Leon Sterndale, a famous explorer who had canceled an expedition to Africa upon hearing of the deaths, claiming the victims were his distant cousins.
A thick, black cloud swirled before my eyes, and my mind told me that in this cloud, unseen as yet, but about to spring out upon my appalled senses, lurked all that was vaguely horrible, all that was monstrous and inconceivably wicked...
Holmes conducted an experiment with the ash he had collected, burning some in a lamp in their cottage with the windows open. He and Watson experienced terrifying hallucinations and barely escaped with their lives. Holmes confronted Sterndale, accusing him of killing Tregennis. Sterndale confessed that he had loved Brenda Tregennis and sought revenge when he learned Mortimer had murdered her using a rare African poison called Devil's-foot root, which caused hallucinations and death when burned. Holmes, understanding Sterndale's motives, allowed him to return to Africa rather than face the authorities.
His Last Bow
Set in August 1914, on the eve of World War I, this story revealed that Holmes had come out of retirement to serve his country. For two years, Holmes had been posing as an Irish-American named Altamont, infiltrating a German spy ring led by Von Bork. On the night before Von Bork's planned departure to Germany with his collection of British military secrets, Holmes revealed his true identity and captured the spy.
Holmes explained to Watson, who had joined him for the arrest, that he had been working for the Foreign Office, systematically dismantling Von Bork's spy network and feeding him false information. The naval codes that Von Bork believed he had purchased were actually contained in Holmes's book on beekeeping. Holmes and Watson delivered Von Bork to the authorities, with Holmes remarking prophetically about the coming war.
I have been honoured by his confidence, which has not prevented most of his plans going subtly wrong and five of his best agents being in prison. I watched them, Watson, and I picked them as they ripened.
The story concluded with Holmes reflecting on his career and the approaching conflict: "There's an east wind coming, Watson... It will be cold and bitter, Watson, and a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it's God's own wind none the less, and a cleaner, better, stronger land will lie in the sunshine when the storm has cleared."
The friends of Mr. Sherlock Holmes will be glad to learn that he is still alive and well, though somewhat crippled by occasional attacks of rheumatism. He has, for many years, lived in a small farm upon the Downs...