Frequently in the vast majority of the stories Holmes shows his aptitude in a number of ways. For one he can give out a wealth of information just by viewing the state of their dress. An example can be seen in The Blue Carbuncle where by looking at a hat he notices that the owner is enduring marital problems, as his hat has not been brushed for a long period of time. He also noticed the person’s hair colour and when the hair was last cut. Holmes then asks Watson to view the hat but he notices nothing, this is to make Holmes look more knowledgeable. These minor details can be seen throughout the Holmes novels, adventures and memoirs.
During the clients absence Holmes has the time to research information relevant to the case. He does this at the scene of the crime, at local libraries or by asking local residents questions. At the scene of the crime he finds clues, which may help him solve the crime. He has found paw prints in The Sign Of Four, dog leads & milk used to train a snake A Speckled Band and footprints of a wooden legged man in The Sign Of Four. At the local library Holmes can do research from clues he finds at the scene of the crime. An example of this can be found in The Sign Of Four where Holmes visits the library for information on the murdered character. Holmes asks local people if they seen anything, an example of a question is “ what do you think killed her” in A Speckled Band.
From time-to-time Holmes employs helpers to help him solve the crime these will also fit into the category, helpers. In The Sign Of Four Holmes employs local children, who he calls The Baker Street Irregulars. These children were more than happy to help for a bit of money. Holmes made the right choice in using The Irregulars as they found the man Holmes was looking for. In the Crooked Man the maids where happy to help with the case. Finally in The Sign Of Four Holmes uses canine help by employing a sniffer-dog to find clues.
Holmes only wishes to talk with people who are directly involved with the case and he never lets people know who he is and that he is in need of information as he says “people will stop talking if they know you’re after information.”
Holmes conversation is short, sharp and factual so that the reader can make up his or her own mind about what’s happening. Doyle doesn’t force his opinions on them and this makes the story more realistic. An example of this type of conversation is this exchange between Holmes and the engineer:
“’One horse?’ interjected Holmes.
‘Yes, only one.’
‘Did you observe the colour?’
‘Yes, I saw it by the sidelights when I was stepping into the carriage. It was chestnut.’
‘Tired-looking or fresh?’
‘Oh, fresh and glossy.’
Whereas the events are described in great detail this gradually builds up the suspense to allow the reader to wonder what the answer could be and what could be so unusual.
When the whole truth is finally revealed, usually where the story started, 221b Baker Street it is ever more vivid and much more successful in entertaining the reader.
In conclusion, I will say that using all these devices, Doyle successfully categorises the events using little but heavy description, he is able to build up a powerful image that will keep the reader in suspense. The stories follow a similar pattern, which carry the reader through a roller coaster of emotions this pattern also helps the reader understand all of the events as and when they happen.
