In the story, The Man with the Twisted Lip, there are a lot of clues and evidence to suggest that something untoward has become of Mr St. Clair;
“The window was open, and she distinctly saw his face, which she describes as being terribly agitated. He waved his hands frantically to her and the vanished from the window so suddenly that it seemed to her that he had been plucked back by some irresistible force from behind.”
This quote shows that different aspects and different conclusions can be drawn. The first one is that Neville wanted his wife to look at him, so he could act out his own disappearance from the window, which would make his wife think he was in grave danger. Another possible conclusion would be that he was quite surprised to see his wife, and quickly moved away from the window, so that she wouldn’t suspect his double life.
“Convinced that something was amiss from him, she rushed down the steps-for the house was none other than the opium den in which you found me to-night—and running through the front room, she attempted to ascend the stairs which led to the first floor. At the foot of the stairs, however, she met this Lascar scoundrel of whom I have spoken, who thrust her back and, aided by a Dane, who acts as assistant there, pushed her out into the street.”
This quote shows that there was obviously something upstairs that Lascar and Dane did not want Mrs St. Clair to see, this was her husband. After she got pushed out, she went and got the police so they could look upstairs. When she got the police and looked upstairs all that was up there was Mr Boon. Mr St. Clair’s clothes were on the floor; this suggests that he was there.
Shoscombe Old Place is another Sherlock Holmes story which doesn’t follow all the elements in a Murder Mystery Genre, like The Man with the Twisted Lip we think that a murder or something peculiar has happened, but we don’t find out what has actually happened until the end of the story.
In the Speckled Band, Sherlock Holmes is portrayed as a serious and caring character. He has got a lot of respect for his partner Dr. Watson, as supported by this quote,
”Very sorry to knock you up, Watson,” said he, “but it’s the common lot this morning. Mrs. Hudson has been knocked up, she retorted upon me, and I on you.”
When Miss Stoner came to see Sherlock Holmes, she says
“It is fear, Mr. Holmes. It is terror.”
With this Holmes said
“You must not fear,” said he soothingly, bending forward and patting her forearm.”
This shows that he is a caring person and likes to reassure his clients. This quote is also comforting to know that there is someone looking out for you. With Miss Stoner arriving at a very early hour, then Holmes knew something was up. He was always very observative. Miss Stoner has mud on her left arm, splattered in several places, and had a second half of a return ticket in the palm of her left glove. No other detective would have noticed these things so quickly, if even at all. This shows that Holmes took great care at looking and analysing things. Most stuff is seen as clues to Sherlock. Holmes knows what he is talking about.
In the Speckled Band, a murder is committed. This murder is of Julia Stoner, she gets murdered by her evil step-father, who later on dies. The murder is committed with a deadly Indian swamp adder.
The Man with the twisted lip is an unusual story from Conan Doyle, in this story when Holmes goes to visit the jail, you would expect him to produce some detective stuff, like magnifying glass, but instead he pulls out a bath sponge. He is a highly respected detective, so why did he do that? It was humour and off the wall. This is now looking at it in a new angle.
Sherlock Holmes is very astute and is able to read a situation well. He puts himself above the law, on occasions, which concerns us even when villains such as Dr Grimsbey Roylott in “The Speckled Band” have been on the receiving end.
“…I am no doubt indirectly responsible for [his] death, and I cannot say that it is likely to weigh very heavily upon my conscience.”
However, we must record the fact that Holmes has a clear sense of public duty, which he sets out, most clearly in ‘The Final Problem’.
“…I could not rest, Watson, I could not sit quietly in my chair, if I thought that such a man as Professor Moriarty were walking the streets of London unchallenged.”
Holmes is essentially a controlled, private man as can be seen from his conversation with Dr. Roylott on the latter’s visit to Baker street in ‘The Speckled Band’ ; the fact that he straightens out the poker only after the villainous Doctors has gone says much about the lack of show in his character. He does enjoy showing off his skills on occasion, however, notably in his ‘mind-reading’ of Watson at the start of the “Cardboard Box” but most of the time his ability is simply there, and is employed as a means of dispelling boredom.
In the Speckled Band it involves some particularly nasty criminal activity; many of the stories do not, and are much more concerned with social justice and order.
In the final problem, Moriarty + Holmes fall to their death into a waterfall. We expect that they are both dead. If Holmes isn’t dead then why hasn’t he tried to contact his best friend, Dr Watson? But if he does then will Moriarty’s spies know that he has a very close relationship with Watson and torture him until they find out where Holmes is. Holmes must keep a low record if he is alive.
In the Sherlock Holmes story’s there are real relationships and real emotions. Holmes doesn’t want Watson to get hurt, so in some stories Holmes goes off alone to try and work out the crime.
I think that the Sherlock Holmes stories aren’t all typical of the Murder Mystery Genre. They all have a lot of mystery in them but the all don’t have a murder.
