Readings by Patrick Horgan, published by Decklin's Domain under License from Worldtainment / Voice Factory International, formatted as mp3 tracks on a data CD that may be read by most laptops and PCs and transferred to a portable player. Provided for personal use only.
Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle had been turning over in his mind the thought of an entirely new kind of detective fiction which would shun the customary intricate web of coincidences which previous writers had relied on. He decided to focus more on the personality of the detective. His model was one of his Professors at Medical School in Edinburgh, Dr.Joseph Bell, who was able to tell at a glance the line of work of his new patients.
The result was "A Study In Scarlet" which appeared in the Christmas Beeton's Annual in December 1887. The issue sold out, though the occasion was not marked by any great fanfare. An original copy is now beyond price.
The book begins with the first meeting between Dr. Watson, and the soon to be famous young Sherlock Holmes, and their decision to take rooms together in Baker Street. Almost at once we have Holmes pointing out that a man in the street is an ex Marine Sergeant. When he comes to their house with a message, Watson decides it is time to put down his bumptious new friend, and asks the visitor what he did before he became a Commissionaire. "A sergeant, sir, Royal Marine Light Infantry, sir" is the reply. Poor Watson!
Holmes is already far enough advanced in his career to be consulted by the two most lively detectives at Scotland Yard, Gregson and Lestrade, about the mysterious killing of an American in Brixton Road. It takes our hero just four chapters to arrest the villain.
The second half of the book consists of a long flashback among the Mormons in America which records the events which led up to the tragedy of the first part. Then, returning to the present, the murdererr explains how and why he did it, and the finale has the usual Holmesian analysis of his deductive processes. As he predicted Inspectors Lestrade and Gregson take all the credit, much to his disgust.
Duration 11 hours.
His Last Bow
The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge
The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
The Adventure of the Red Circle
The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans
The Adventure of the Dying Detective
The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax
The Adventure of the Devil's Foot and
His Last Bow
This collection of stories appeared in 1917 and features a propaganda yarn about Holmes' anti-German activities in 1914; this has the distinction of being written in the third person since Watson was not on the scene for most of the action. There are two interesting anomalies: Wisteria Lodge is dated in 1892 when Holmes was supposed to be dead and the Cardboard Box story is distinguished by a lengthy passage lifted word for word from "Resident Patient". Doyle admits to being capable of plagiarism perhaps to acknowledge his more heinous crime of hoaxing the grieving public over Holmes' "death". Sherlock's brother Mycroft makes a rare appearance in connection with the Bruce-Partington Plans.