Sunday 8 November 2009

THE CANON PART SEVEN

The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans- A man with stolen submarine plans is found besides a railway line. This sees Holmes once again on the trail of stolen Government papers and the intrigue works well. 9/10

The Adventure of the Devil's Foot-Two men have gone mad and a woman lies dead in a remote Cornish cottage. There is some skilled writing in this one, particularly when Holmes and Watson experience an hallucinogenic experience. 10/10

The Disappearance of Lady Francis Carfax- A hated woman has vanished while visiting Europe. This is a fast moving tale that really grabs the reader, though there are moments where Holmes seems to have become a brute. 8/10

The Adventure of the Dying Detective- Holmes seems to be dying from a strange tropical disease and Watson is besides himself. The twist in this tale is so obvious it might as well be signposted but nevertheless it' a great story. Just spiffing, old man. 8/10

His Last Bow -Holmes is on the trail of a German spy and a Anglo-American traitor. This was written to bump up morale on the home front. At the time this was written,1917, German U-boats were a very real threat. Again excellent. 9/10

The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone- A crown jewel has been nicked. One of the weakest stories in the entire canon and such a disappointment after the great tales of late. 3/10

The Problem of Thor Bridge - A governess is blamed for the death of her mistress. This is the story in which Watson reveals that his papers relating to Sherlock Holmes are kept in a safety box at Cox & Co on Charing Cross, thus enabling many other authors to write fiction based around these so called paper. Its also a brilliant story - one of the very best. 10/10

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