The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (Doyle)
Short summary
London, England, June 1902. Sherlock Holmes informed his loyal friend Dr. John Watson about an unusual client named Garrideb seeking two others with the same rare surname to share an inheritance. Nathan Garrideb, an eccentric collector, became excited at this prospect. An American named John Garrideb claimed a huge fortune awaited but required all three Garridebs to be present. Holmes, skeptical, believed the American was concealing his true intentions.
Suspecting fraud, Holmes discovered that 'John Garrideb' was actually 'Killer' Evans, a violent criminal seeking hidden counterfeit money equipment in Nathan Garrideb's home. Holmes and Watson hid in Nathan’s apartment and confronted Evans, who fired a shot, wounding Watson. Holmes subdued Evans just as police arrived.
Holmes revealed the secret counterfeiting press and proved Evans' deception. Watson saw in Holmes a rare display of emotion when Holmes realized Watson was wounded.
It was worth a wound—it was worth many wounds—to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask. The clear, hard eyes were dimmed for a moment, and the firm lips were shaking. For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart...
With Evans back in prison and Nathan Garrideb saddened by the collapse of his dreams, the case concluded, strengthening Holmes and Watson's unshakable friendship.
Detailed summary by stories
The Adventure of the Illustrious Client
Dr. Watson recounted how he finally received permission to document one of Holmes's most significant cases. The story began in a Turkish bath, where Holmes received a note from Sir James Damery requesting a meeting regarding a delicate matter.
Sir James explained that he represented a client who wished to prevent Violet de Merville from marrying Baron Gruner, a dangerous man suspected of murdering his previous wife. Violet was completely infatuated with Gruner and refused to believe anything negative about him.
Holmes agreed to investigate and planned to use Shinwell Johnson, a former criminal, to gather information. Holmes visited Gruner, who warned him to back off. Through Johnson, Holmes met Kitty Winter, one of Gruner's former mistresses, who revealed that Gruner kept a book detailing his conquests of ruined women.
Shortly after, Watson learned of a violent attack on Holmes. Despite his injuries, Holmes instructed Watson to exaggerate his condition in the newspapers and to study Chinese pottery. Watson followed these instructions while news arrived that Gruner was leaving for America.
Watson, disguised as Dr. Hill Barton, visited Gruner with a rare Ming saucer. Gruner exposed him as an agent of Holmes. Holmes appeared at Gruner's house, and Kitty Winter threw vitriol at Gruner, disfiguring him. Holmes retrieved Gruner's book of conquests, which ultimately broke Violet's infatuation with him.
The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier
Holmes narrated this case himself, noting Watson's absence due to marriage. He introduced Mr. James M. Dodd, who visited him in January 1903 after the Boer War. Dodd was concerned about his friend Godfrey Emsworth, whom he had not heard from in six months.
Dodd explained that after writing to Colonel Emsworth, Godfrey's father, he received a short reply stating that Godfrey was on a voyage around the world. Unsatisfied, Dodd visited Tuxbury Old Park, where he encountered the stern Colonel Emsworth, who dismissed his concerns.
That process starts upon the supposition that when you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. It may well be that several explanations remain, in which case one tries test after test...
During his stay, Dodd saw Godfrey's face at his window, looking ghastly pale. Later, he discovered a detached building where Godfrey was being kept. Colonel Emsworth caught Dodd spying and ordered him to leave.
Holmes accompanied Dodd back to Tuxbury Old Park with a taciturn gentleman. After confronting Colonel Emsworth, Holmes revealed his suspicion that Godfrey had leprosy. They found Godfrey in the detached house, his appearance altered by whitish patches on his skin.
Godfrey explained that he had been wounded in South Africa and woke up in a leper hospital. Holmes's companion, Sir James Saunders, a dermatologist, examined Godfrey and announced that it was not leprosy but pseudo-leprosy or ichthyosis, a non-infective skin condition.
The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone
Watson returned to Baker Street and found Holmes working intensely on a case involving the theft of the Crown diamond. Billy, the page, revealed that Holmes was disguised and investigating, having received visits from the Prime Minister and Home Secretary.
Watson noticed a wax effigy of Holmes in a curtained alcove, used to deceive observers. Holmes identified Count Negretto Sylvius as the likely thief and potential murderer. When Sylvius arrived, Holmes instructed Watson to alert Scotland Yard and return with the police.
Holmes confronted Sylvius, revealing his knowledge of the diamond theft and offering a deal: hand over the diamond, and Sylvius and his accomplice Sam Merton could go free. During their conversation, Holmes suddenly appeared from behind the dummy, holding the Mazarin stone and a revolver.
The police arrived and arrested Sylvius and Merton. Lord Cantlemere, who had been skeptical of Holmes's abilities, arrived, and Holmes revealed he had placed the stone in Cantlemere's pocket, demonstrating his success and humorously embarrassing the peer.
The Adventure of the Three Gables
The case began when a large negro man, Steve Dixie, burst into Holmes's room, warning him to stay out of a matter near Harrow Weald. Holmes remained unfazed and identified Dixie as part of the Spencer John gang, specializing in intimidation.
Holmes and Watson traveled to The Three Gables, where they met Mrs. Maberley, who had been offered a large sum for her house and furniture, with the buyer insisting on taking everything, including her personal possessions.
I am not the law, but I represent justice so far as my feeble powers go. I am ready to listen, and then I will tell you how I will act.
Holmes discovered that Mrs. Maberley's maid, Susan, was informing Barney Stockdale about her activities. He suggested that the object of interest might be among the belongings of Mrs. Maberley's recently deceased son, Douglas.
The next morning, they learned that Mrs. Maberley's house had been burgled. She had been chloroformed but managed to struggle with the intruder, who escaped, leaving behind a crumpled sheet of paper from Douglas's writing.
Holmes confronted Isadora Klein, a celebrated beauty and Douglas Maberley's former lover. She admitted to hiring Barney Stockdale to retrieve and destroy Douglas's manuscript, which detailed their affair and threatened her impending marriage to the Duke of Lomond.
The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire
Holmes received a note from a law firm regarding a client, Mr. Robert Ferguson, who had inquired about vampires. Ferguson's letter detailed strange behavior by his Peruvian wife, including apparently biting their baby's neck, leaving a wound.
Ferguson arrived at Baker Street, looking distressed. He explained that his wife was confined to her room, attended by her maid, Dolores. He was concerned about his son, Jack, who had been assaulted by his stepmother.
Holmes and Watson traveled to Ferguson's isolated farmhouse. Holmes noticed a paralyzed spaniel, Carlo, whose condition came on suddenly. Watson examined Mrs. Ferguson, finding her in a high fever and delirious.
It has been a case for intellectual deduction, but when this original intellectual deduction is confirmed point by point by quite a number of independent incidents, then the subjective becomes objective and we can say confidently that we have reached our goal.
Holmes revealed that Mrs. Ferguson was not a vampire but was protecting the baby from Jack, Ferguson's son from his first marriage. Jack had been poisoning the baby with curare-tipped arrows out of jealousy.
The Adventure of the Three Garridebs
Watson introduced this case as occurring in June 1902, shortly after Holmes declined a knighthood. Holmes presented Watson with an opportunity to earn money by finding a man named Garrideb.
John Garrideb, a lawyer from Kansas, explained that he was seeking two other men named Garrideb to fulfill the terms of a will. Alexander Hamilton Garrideb had left his fortune to three Garridebs, with each to receive five million dollars.
Holmes suspected Garrideb was lying and arranged a meeting with Nathan Garrideb, the only other Garrideb found in London. Nathan was a collector and scholar who rarely left his room. John Garrideb later announced he had found another Garrideb in Birmingham and urged Nathan to travel there to meet him.
Holmes identified John Garrideb as "Killer" Evans, a dangerous criminal. He suspected Evans wanted Nathan away to search for something hidden in his room related to Rodger Prescott, a forger and coiner whom Evans had shot.
Holmes and Watson hid in Nathan's apartment and confronted Evans when he arrived. Evans attempted to shoot them, wounding Watson. They discovered a counterfeiting outfit in the cellar, including Prescott's printing press and counterfeit notes.
The Problem of Thor Bridge
Watson reflected on past cases stored in a dispatch box at Cox and Co. He introduced the case of Thor Bridge, where Neil Gibson, the Gold King, contacted Holmes about the death of his wife. Gibson believed Miss Dunbar, the children's governess, was innocent.
Holmes summarized the case: Gibson's wife was found dead near Thor Bridge with a bullet through her brain. A revolver matching the bullet was found in Miss Dunbar's wardrobe, and a note from her arranging a meeting with the deceased was clutched in the dead woman's hand.
Before Gibson arrived, Mr. Marlow Bates, Gibson's estate manager, claimed Gibson was a brutal villain who made his wife's life miserable. Gibson then entered, asserting Miss Dunbar's innocence and offering Holmes any sum to clear her name.
Holmes dismissed Gibson, accusing him of providing false information. Gibson later returned, more subdued, and admitted to a passionate regard for Miss Dunbar, which he had expressed to her. He suggested his jealous wife might have planned to threaten Miss Dunbar.
Holmes and Watson traveled to Thor Place and examined the bridge where Mrs. Gibson's body was found. Holmes noted a chip on the bridge's stonework. They then visited Miss Dunbar in Winchester, who denied any knowledge of the pistol found in her wardrobe.
We reach. We grasp. And what is left in our hands at the end? A shadow. Or worse than a shadow—misery... The immediate question, my dear Watson, happens to be, What will you do?—if you will be good enough to understudy me.
Holmes returned to Thor Place and demonstrated how Mrs. Gibson had committed suicide by tying a revolver to a stone with string, shooting herself, and dropping the weighted gun into the water below the bridge. The gun had struck the stonework, causing the chip Holmes had noticed.
The Adventure of the Creeping Man
Watson introduced the case of Professor Presbury, a matter previously kept secret to avoid scandal. Trevor Bennett, Presbury's assistant and future son-in-law, consulted Holmes about strange changes in the professor's behavior.
Bennett explained that shortly before his engagement to Alice Morphy, a much younger woman, Presbury had taken a secretive trip to Prague. Upon his return, he became withdrawn and began receiving letters marked with a cross, which he kept private.
Bennett recounted incidents of Roy, the wolfhound, attacking the professor, and described seeing Presbury crawling down the hallway at night. Edith Presbury, the professor's daughter, reported seeing her father's face pressed against her windowpane at night.
Holmes and Watson visited Professor Presbury, who was hostile. They discovered that Presbury's London correspondent was a Bohemian named Dorak. Holmes proposed that the professor was taking a strong drug every nine days, which intensified his violent nature.
Holmes, Watson, and Bennett observed the professor emerge from his house and crawl on his hands and feet. He climbed the ivy-covered wall with incredible agility and then provoked the wolfhound, which attacked him.
When one tries to rise above Nature one is liable to fall below it. The highest type of man may revert to the animal if he leaves the straight road of destiny... When I have written to this man and told him that I hold him criminally responsible...
After rescuing Presbury, they found a letter from H. Lowenstein in Prague revealing that Presbury had been receiving injections of serum derived from a black-faced langur monkey in an attempt to rejuvenate himself for his young fiancée.
The Adventure of the Lion's Mane
Holmes, retired to his Sussex home, narrated this case himself. In July 1907, after a severe gale, Holmes encountered Harold Stackhurst, who mentioned that Fitzroy McPherson, the science master, had gone for an early swim.
It is a most singular thing that a problem which was certainly as abstruse and unusual as any which I have faced in my long professional career should have come to me after my retirement, and be brought, as it were, to my very door.
They witnessed McPherson staggering and collapsing, uttering the words "the Lion's Mane" before dying. McPherson's body was marked with strange red lines, as if scourged. Ian Murdoch, the mathematics coach, was sent to report the death to the police.
Holmes discovered that McPherson had been corresponding with Miss Maud Bellamy of Fulworth. When they visited the Bellamy residence, they encountered Murdoch leaving. Mr. Bellamy and his son William expressed disapproval of McPherson's attentions to Maud.
A week later, Holmes learned that McPherson's dog had died at the same spot where its master died. Holmes searched his books and found a reference to a dangerous sea creature. Inspector Bardle arrived, considering arresting Murdoch, when Murdoch staggered in, suffering from the same injuries as McPherson.
Holmes, Stackhurst, and the inspector returned to the beach and found a Cyanea capillata, or Lion's Mane jellyfish, in the pool. Holmes explained the creature's deadly nature, exonerating Murdoch. Murdoch explained his relationship with Maud and McPherson, and he and Stackhurst reconciled.
The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger
Watson reflected on the abundance of cases from his time with Holmes, emphasizing the discretion required in choosing which to share. He introduced the case of the veiled lodger, changing names and locations to protect privacy.
Mrs. Merrilow, a landlady from South Brixton, sought Holmes's help regarding her lodger, Mrs. Ronder, who had lived with her for seven years but whose face she had only seen once, describing it as terribly mutilated.
Holmes recalled the Abbas Parva tragedy, where Ronder, a wild beast showman, was found dead with a crushed skull and claw marks, while his wife suffered severe facial injuries. Mrs. Ronder had repeatedly screamed "Coward! Coward!" before losing consciousness.
Two living and beautiful brown eyes looking sadly out from that grisly ruin did but make the view more awful. Holmes held up his hand in a gesture of pity and protest, and together we left the room.
Mrs. Ronder confessed that she and Leonardo, the strongman, had planned to kill her abusive husband. Leonardo created a club with steel nails shaped like a lion's paw, but when he failed to strike Ronder, Mrs. Ronder opened the lion's cage. The lion attacked her instead, and Leonardo fled.
The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place
John Mason, head trainer for Sir Robert Norberton, consulted Holmes, believing Sir Robert had gone mad due to the pressure of the upcoming Derby. Sir Robert was heavily invested in Shoscombe Prince, a promising colt, and was desperate for a win.
Mason described Sir Robert's erratic behavior, including his neglect of his sister, Lady Beatrice Falder, and the strange gift of her beloved spaniel. He also mentioned Sir Robert's nocturnal visits to the old church crypt with an unknown man.
Holmes and Watson traveled to Shoscombe and stayed at the Green Dragon inn. They observed Lady Beatrice's carriage and released the spaniel, which reacted aggressively to the occupant, confirming Holmes's suspicion that it was not Lady Beatrice.
That evening, Holmes, Watson, and Mason visited the crypt and found a leaden coffin that had been tampered with. Sir Robert arrived and explained that Lady Beatrice had died a week ago. To avoid financial ruin, he and the Norletts (Lady Beatrice's maid and her husband) had conspired to conceal her death, with Mr. Norlett impersonating her.
Shoscombe Prince won the Derby, allowing Sir Robert to pay off his debts. He received only a mild censure for delaying the registration of his sister's death.
The Adventure of the Retired Colourman
Josiah Amberley, a retired colourman, consulted Holmes about his wife, who had run off with a young doctor, Dr. Ray Ernest, taking a significant portion of his savings. Holmes, preoccupied with another case, asked Watson to investigate in Lewisham.
Watson visited Amberley's house, The Haven, and found it neglected. Amberley recounted his story of betrayal and financial loss, showing Watson his burglar-proof strongroom. Holmes later sent Amberley to Little Purlington on a false lead.
Only this: What did you do with the bodies? The man sprang to his feet with a hoarse scream. He clawed into the air with his bony hands. His mouth was open, and for the instant he looked like some horrible bird of prey. In a flash we got a glimpse of the real Josiah Amberley...
Upon their return, Holmes confronted Amberley with Barker, another investigator. Holmes revealed that Amberley had murdered his wife and her lover, using the strongroom as a gas chamber. The smell of paint was to cover the smell of gas.
The bodies were found in a disused well in the garden, concealed by a dog kennel. Amberley was arrested and likely to be sent to Broadmoor due to his unusual mentality. A newspaper article later praised Inspector MacKinnon's investigation, while Holmes remained uncredited.