"The Boxcombe Valley Mystery" is a Sherlock Holmes short story and part of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes collection. According to The Annotated Sherlock Holmes, it was Holmes 22nd case chronologically.
Evidence for the murder of John Turner is overwhelming against the victim’s son, James Turner. Yet James, and the beautiful daughter of the county’s most prominent citizen, insist he is innocent. Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard, calls in Holmes to satisfy the young woman, but Lestrade is incredulous – the guilt of James Turner is beyond reasonable doubt.
And of course, you can guess the outcome – but not the details, which as always makes for interesting reading. In the end, it is one of those rare cases, but not the only one, where Holmes ignores the letter of the law, to serve the higher standard of justice. Holmes satisfies his own obsession of solving the mystery, but discreetly withholds everything he has learned, and can prove, to protect the innocent.
Well worth the read.
that is so iconic to the world’s greatest detective. It is this adventure, "The Boxcombe Valley Mystery", that gave birth to the legend – by no design of the author. In the narrative, Holmes’ colleague and chronicler Dr. Watson – describes Holmes…
Sherlock Holmes was pacing up and down the platform, his tall, gaunt figure made even gaunter and taller by his long grey traveling-cloak and close-fitting cap.
That’s all the detail Watson provides. It is the Sherlock Holmes illustrator Sidney Paget, who portrayed it as a deerstalker. Filmmakers in England and Hollywood latched on to the look, and made it legend.
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I'm such a sucker for the stories where Holmes decides that sometimes mercy is a higher calling than justice, or where he decides that the law will not be just.
ReplyDeleteYes...they are some of my favorites as well.
DeleteYou are probably familiar with the quotation by Abraham Lincoln..."I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice."
I hadn't heard that! I like it.
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