I’m glad he went for one more round. I liked all of these better than the ones in His Last Bow. Because I’m fast running out of review posting time, I’m copying and pasting all my mini-reviews for this book. I will hopefully put up a real review on Goodreads HERE within the next couple of days, and also a full review of The Complete Sherlock Holmes HERE. I’m not posting it on CBR because I’ve already counted all nine books to my tally this year.
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December 18, 2018 –
88.0% ““The Adventure of the Illustrious Client” — Holmes is hired by an anonymous client (who is probably the King) to prevent the marriage of a dear friend’s daughter to a notorious man who is widely believed to have murdered his last wife, among many other transgressions. I liked this one quite a lot, great mystery, Watson has a lot to do, great villain. — 4.5/5 stars”
December 19, 2018 –
89.0% ““The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier” — Another one of the few narrated by Holmes himself, and this one was written because Watson goaded Holmes to “Try it yourself!” because of excessive criticism of Watson’s methods. Holmes doesn’t do much, but it has a happy ending, and is suitably creepy in places. — 4/5 stars”
December 20, 2018 –
90.0% ““The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone” — One of only two Holmes stories told in the third person, to hide a trick. It was okay, but I missed Watson’s voice. Holmes does get extra tricksy here, though, so that’s fun. — 3.5/5 stars”
December 20, 2018 –
91.0% ““The Adventure of the Three Gables” — The mystery here was okay, although I think Holmes was too easy on the perpetrator there at the end. But this one really has not aged well. It’s pretty racist. — 3/5 stars”
December 20, 2018 –
92.0% ““The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire” — This one was wacky and I was thoroughly enjoying it, until I figured out what was going on, that is. I’m so used to not being able to do that, it was a little disappointing when I did. But seriously: wacky. — 4/5 stars”
December 23, 2018 –
93.0% ““The Adventure of the Three Garridebs” — I was really digging this until I realized that Conan Doyle had already used this same plot structure in two other stories (he used it in “The Red-Headed League” and “The Stockbroker’s Clerk”). Still, this was my favorite of those three. Holmes and Watson have a sweet moment at the end. Friendship <3 — 4/5 stars”
December 25, 2018 –
95.0% ““The Problem of Thor Bridge” — Pretty good one. The Victorian conception of foreign women is messed up, though. Especially where Central and South America were concerned. This isn’t really new information though, and it’s the third or fourth of these stories to feature a woman of “foreign temperament”. — 3.5/5 stars”
December 26, 2018 –
96.0% ““The Adventure of the Creeping Man” — This was fun to read but it was ultimately ridiculous, the ending unsatisfying. It’s basically sci-fi, and not the realism we normally associate with Holmes stories. It was probably written about the time ACD started believing in fairies. Still, it’s got some great lines (“Come at once if convenient — if inconvenient come all the same. S. H.”) — 3/5 stars”
December 26, 2018 –
97.0% ““The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane” — The final of three stories narrated by Holmes instead of Watson, and this one post-retirement! A man drops dead right in front of Holmes, so of course he has to investigate. The beginning and end were good, but the middle lacked the magic. — 3.5/5 stars”
December 27, 2018 –
98.0% ““The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger” — Holmes and Watson don’t really do anything but listen to a story, but it’s an interesting one at least. — 3.5/5 stars”
December 27, 2018 –
99.0% ““The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place” — Holmes and Watson investigate a man who has been doing very odd and out of character things. Good, but not great. — 3.5/5 stars”
December 27, 2018 –
100.0% ““The Adventure of the Retired Colourman” — A nice one to end on. Holmes doing actual detection, getting Watson mixed up in it unbeknownst to him. Trickery. — 4/5 stars